A basement, quite frankly, can be a boon or a bust. If you’re the lucky owner of a house with a finished basement, with a lovely media room for the kids, or a place for the pool table and a player piano on the side, count yourself lucky indeed. For many others, the basement can elicit more problems than pleasure—a damp and dingy space, a place where all the surplus household things go to hide.

Organizing such a basement can be a rewarding project. Imagine walking into a cool, calm subterranean oasis, where everything has its place and where everyone can cool down on a hot summer’s day... Read the rest

I have a confession: I have a paper problem. Currently, my desk is a staging post for piles of tax forms, receipts, note cards, bills and magazines. In the attic are boxes containing the more sentimental stuff: old love letters and even my elementary school report cards. (Thanks, Mom!)

Paper piles are hard to keep on top of–and that’s even when the recycling bin seems perennially full and my shredder works overtime. And, quite frankly, they’re an eyesore. Every so often, I dedicate an hour or two to corralling the bills and articles ripped from magazines, using the good old KonMarie Method (“What sparks joy?”).. Read the rest

If you’re anything like me, you understand that books aren’t just inanimate objects: they are cherished companions on life’s journey. The classics of childhood evoke memories of days gone by, and the sight of a particular volume can transport you to the very places where you first enjoyed their pages, whether it was in a cozy mountain cabin or a sun-soaked beach. Perhaps you even possess valuable or rare books, or books signed by your favorite authors, with your name etched within.

There’s no denying that books are one of the most difficult things to downsize. They even earn their own chapter in Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up... Read the rest