“The Magic of the Silverware Drawer”

When beginning whole house decluttering projects and in many speaking engagements, I start by posing a riddle. What area of most homes actually tends to be organized? It doesn’t matter if we are referring to an estate, a farmhouse, an apartment, rural or urban. There is indeed one place…the silverware drawer.

Why is that? We typically move into our respective homes and select a drawer closest to the dishwasher or table, insert a utensil tray of some sort (maybe it’s custom made for the drawer or maybe it’s one that came from The Dollar Tree) and in goes our cutlery. We call it the silverware drawer, everyone knows if you need a fork, knife or spoon that’s where to go to get one, and rarely do you find socks, crayons, or other misplaced items in there.

So, what’s the magic and why is it so important? Because we need to create “silverware drawers” all over our homes. For example…This is where the Tupperware lives. This is my sock/pajama/underwear drawer. This is the office supply cabinet. You get the picture.

Clutter exists for one or both of the following reasons.

1. Items do not have a proper, designated home i.e. a silverware drawer. Or maybe there is one but it’s too stuffed to add more to it. So, what’s the result….items spill over onto the nearest flat surface or eek, the floor.

2. The other reason is that you know where items go but don’t have the right maintenance routines in place. You know the drill…”I’ll put these new Target items away later” and later never happens. Or there are no regularly scheduled “let’s put items away” sessions.

In this particular blog post, we focus on the first reason, though. Creating homes. So, close your eyes and picture “silverware drawers” all over your home. Yes, some areas will get worse as you empty out and create these dedicated spaces. But keep on the journey and eventually you’ll create homes for those items as well.

Label these drawers or cabinets. Call the area by that specific name “my underwear drawer”, “the Tupperware cabinet”, etc. Give your family members a “tour” of where items are now located. Remind them of where items belong.

This is what the magic of the silverware drawer is all about!