5 Ways You Can Use Color To Organize and Brighten Your Home
The key to a gorgeously organized space? Let the rainbow guide your way. Simply tapping into pretty colors brings order to your home and brightens your mood at the same time! Here’s how to organize your home using color — so it’s not only easier to navigate, but looks lovely too!
Breeze through work with bright files.
Chances are you’re spending more time than ever in your home office. “And you can use pretty hues to transform it into a place you actually want to spend time in,” says organizer Rashelle Isip of TheOrderExpert.com. “Simply designate individual colors for specific items, then group them together on your desk or in drawers.” For instance, green might be for file folders and bins related to finances, while red might be for urgent items to help you meet deadlines. “Not only does this keep you organized, the colors also help boost creativity and keep you energized.”
Corral books with beautiful hues.
Organizing your home library according to the color of each book is a simple, mood-brightening way to upgrade the decor in a room without having to buy anything new, promises Isip. “In addition to this trick being aesthetically pleasing, it also makes it easier for you to find the specific book you’re looking for, then quickly spot where it belongs when you go to put it back.” To do: Group all your books with red spines together, then orange, yellow, and so on, until they form a flowing “rainbow” on your shelf.
Organize all your keys with vivid twist ties.
If your family has a bunch of similar-looking keys to various doors, it can be hard to identify which to reach for at a glance. To organize keep them neatly sorted, simply loop a different colored twist tie through each key and hang keys under labels with the corresponding colors. This will help you keep track of which key belongs to which lock. No more frustrating guesswork!
Make cooking easier with a spice spectrum.
Arranging spices by color doesn’t just pretty up your pantry, it boosts efficiency, says Isip. “It’s much easier to find the cinnamon when it’s with like-colored spices.” Plus, similarly hued spices have the same flavor profile. “Reds” like cayenne and chili provide heat, while green basil and oregano lend earthiness. So when you’re making sauce and are out of basil, it’s easy to grab the oregano to get the same aromatic assist.
Get dressed faster with color blocking.
Grouping clothes with similar colors — reds with oranges, blues with purples — helps you get dressed faster. That’s because your brain puts an outfit together by color more easily than by mentally sorting individual pieces, explains Isip. Also spectrum smart: Tie a matching ribbon around the closet rod to divide sections by color, and you’ll instantly see where to hang clothes.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
