I Showed a Pro Organizer My Chaotic Storage Console, and She Knew Exactly How to Fix It

It’s easy to hide clutter. Stuffing things in drawers is a simple fix for items I’m just not sure what to do with. It’s only when I need the item that my stress levels rise. Having to sift through all the miscellaneous things I haphazardly threw into a drawer is never fun. And that’s exactly what has happened to a storage console in my living room. 

The console itself is beautiful, but once the doors are opened it’s pure chaos. In truth, before organizing I wasn’t even sure what was in the console itself anymore. It had turned into a dumping ground for items that didn’t have a home — including the surface of it. I knew this was a job that professional organizer ​​Ría Safford, owner of RíOrganize, could help me with. She walked me through her decluttering process, and I now have an organized console both inside and out. Here’s how we did it.

Safford instructed me to empty the console completely and categorize the items, including what was on top. This ended up being a bigger challenge than anticipated — simply because the console had so many different items stuffed inside. It housed a candle collection, miscellaneous hosting supplies, seasonal decor, household items, craft supplies, batteries, and more. It all came out to be sorted through, categorized, or tossed. “Assess each item and decide if it can be donated, thrown away, moved to another space in the house, or if it stays,” Safford instructs. 

Luckily, once I could actually see what was being stored, I was able to move items back to where they belonged. I’ve done a lot of organizing this year, and the console just needed to catch up. For instance, I created a hosting cabinet this winter, so all those supplies were moved there. Seasonal decor made their way to boxes that my husband and I kept in storage, and even the batteries were moved to where we normally store them. I’ve worked to categorize “like with like,” so it was incredibly satisfying to realize items just needed to be shuffled around the house. 

Safford taught me that organizing is so much more than just tidying a space — it’s about making our lives as easy as possible. “We want to assess our habits and make systems to complement our natural tendencies,” Safford says. Moving these items around the house just affirmed I have systems in place that are working for me. A win!

Once I shuffled all of the items around the house, I was left with things that were going back into the console. I managed to create four categories: candles, crafts, household items, and miscellaneous technology. Living in a home with minimal storage space has meant getting a little creative, so household items include a Swiffer duster, lightbulbs, an extra power strip, and chair leg protectors. An extra router, extra phone chargers, Ring camera equipment, and a thermostat made up my miscellaneous technology category.

Each category is contained in a tray and easily accessible, which is the name of the game. “If the trays are collecting all kinds of miscellaneous items, consider more micro organization to hold you accountable,” Safford recommends. I have dreams of creating a craft corner in my home this summer, but in the meantime there’s a tray in the console that now holds markers, beads, punch needling supplies, a sewing kit, and an adult coloring book. The only category that doesn’t have a tray is the candle collection, which works just fine for me now. 

Because each category lives on a tray, it was easy to simply place the trays back on the console shelves. The top of the console is now clear, but Safford noticed that there was a large stack of papers on top before I organized the area. My husband and I tend to place important mail here, then tuck it away when we have guests. Instead of scolding, Safford offered a solution: “If papers are constantly finding their way to the top of the console, consider adding a tray there to create a designated space.” So simple, but so effective! 

I can breathe a little easier now that I know exactly what’s in the console. The hardest part was categorizing, simply because there was a lot of nonsense tucked behind those doors. Even though the categories I’ve created are a bit random, it’s now incredibly organized and makes sense to me, which is truly all that matters. Take this as your sign to peek behind your stuffed drawers and crowded consoles. Organizing them doesn’t have to take all day, and you’ll feel so much better afterwards. I know I did!