Clearing Clutter

So you’ve decided to clean up your act. Or at least organize a room or two. But you don’t want your space to look sterile or like some cookie-cutter catalog page.

Depending on your style, there is an increasing number of options for stylishly organizing your home. As television shows like TLC’s “Clean Sweep” are quickly popularizing the decluttering trend, retailers are trying to keep up by selling more organizational products that are both functional and stylish.

“Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart: They’re all getting more stylish and doing amazing things at great prices,” says lifestyle designer Angelo Surmelis of “Clean Sweep.” “The Container Store and Organized Living have beautiful stuff, but they can get kind of pricey.”

According to Nicole Bickett, a professional organizer and productivity consultant, warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club have begun carrying more organizational pieces as well.

“They know this is a new trend and are trying to get in on the game,” Bickett says.

Key organizational pieces are available at so many different places that you are bound to find something that fits your personal style and pocketbook. For those who prefer sleeker, modern storage solutions, stores like Ikea or The Container Store might be good choices. Hit the Web for easy online shopping. For a warmer, homey feel, Pottery Barn or Pier One have more items that match that style.

The basics

When it comes to big pieces like desks, dressers and closet organizer systems, some people might want to opt for more economical choices and personalize the overall space with items that reflect their personality.

Home-improvement, hardware stores and big retailers like Wal-Mart usually have a range of simple, no-frill pieces that are fairly easy to assemble and can be customized with a few personal touches. More expensive solutions, however, sometimes have a bit more personality. So weigh your options and decide which works best for you.

Just don’t go to such extremes that your organization efforts make your home look impersonal, or that your design efforts look unlived-in.

“My design is based on being organized,” says Surmelis, who also runs his own design firm, Swell Space, in Los Angeles. “And I don’t believe in things looking pretty just for the sake of being pretty.”

View items online before you shop to see what sort of products a retailer carries and if it fits in your price range.

Hold everything

Two major items that Surmelis recommends for keeping spaces clean and organized: rolling carts and clear plastic bins and boxes.

Instead of having to label individual boxes, this option allows you to see what’s inside while keeping similar items in a common space. And these organizers are functional in just about any part of the home.

Rolling carts allow for storage of like items and easy access, but with the option of hiding the cart away or pushing it against a wall when you’re finished.

“I’d put everything on wheels if I could,” Surmelis says. “You can bring it to you and use it. When you’re done, you can store it away.”

Carts can be found for $20 to $30 for basic models, and can run into the hundreds of dollars for nicer ones. They can be used for children’s arts and crafts supplies, to organize laundry supplies or for extra storage in the kitchen, Surmelis says.

For home offices, anything that gets clutter off your main work space is helpful, according to Surmelis. He converted a small closet in his own home office into a storage area with shelving and a chest of drawers. Using available wall space for shelves, filing drawers and magnetic boards that hold notes and office supplies helps keep clutter off the desk, allowing for more organization and productivity.

Author and “organizer to the stars” Cyndi Seidler recommends taking stock of what your storage needs are before beginning any organization project.

“After you identify your storage needs, you can create a solution,” says Seidler, founder-owner of Los Angeles-based HandyGirl Professional Organizers. “The solution can suit your taste, as long as it’s functional.”

According to Seidler, some clever container options to store items include hanging square wicker baskets on a wall or peg board, trunks and lid-baskets, and old stacking suitcases that double as end tables with built-in storage.

Seidler’s organization philosophy of “provide a place for everything and make sure everything is in its place” requires that all household items have a home.

Anything from wicker baskets for magazines to colorful boxed wall shelves for CDs and DVDs can provide a place for everyday items.

Storage can be built in to furniture as well.

It’s personal

Different rooms may require different storage solutions. A wicker basket may be appropriate for your living room, but not for your home office. Clear containers may work in your children’s bedrooms but not for your living room. So shop accordingly.

Bickett, who owns Organize to Optimize ( www.organize2optimize.com), has found functional items and stylish, personalizing pieces at a range of places. She said she’s found great buys at places like Big Lots, Dollar Tree and Tuesday Morning.

“You never know what they might have in,” Bickett says.

For higher-end items, Bickett says she finds lots of great things at Pottery Barn and Levenger ( www.levenger.com).

Painting can go a long way in the personalization process, as well. It’s the first thing Clean Sweep’s Surmelis recommends people do when beginning an organization project. Painting infuses personality and warmth into a room and jump-starts the decluttering process.

When it comes to which personal items to keep, author Seidler recommends putting items of personal value in prominent view.

“If it isn’t going to be used or displayed,” she says, “it’s time to get rid of it.”