Yesterday, I shared the dirty, not-so-little secret in our apartment: the office. I also shared my plans to get on that already, which I did! Or at least, started on. And because it's a huge project and because it requires so much organization to make it work, I thought I'd share a bit about my actual process when I tackle "big organizing" projects like the office.

These are my steps for big organizing - the sort of meta organization projects that require a lot more work and thought than any mere junk drawer tidy-up. Such projects are most common after a move, in the garage, and occasionally, a child's bedroom that's out of control. But they can happen anywhere, so be vigilant.

So, remember where we started, yesterday?

And below is this morning - I snapped these pics right before I sat down to write to you today. It's not, in any way, lovely or pinnable or fantastic. But it is the successful conclusion to Phase 1 of this big organizing project.

Phase 1 of big organizing is the nitty gritty. It's the get-the-stuff-off-the-floor-phase, the find-a-spot-for-stuff phase. It is not deep organizing, or labeling, or pretty boxes or paper-backed cabinets.

1. Do a large-scale purge. Start any huge organization project with a large-scale purge. Our pre- and post-move purges count here, but if you're starting pre-purge then start with a big sweep. Stand in the center of your chaos and look for really obvious purges. Then get rid of that stuff right away. I'm thinking broken things you haven't gotten around to repairing for years, clothes you've already had in donate bags but are still sitting around, decorations you hate, paperback summer reads you don't need to keep for any reason. Eight-year-old cellphones would fall into this category too, though Bret's not too sure. This step really is a rough cut, so if you're agonizing at all, keep the darn thing. But it's worth it to get rid of stuff at this stage so you don't spend time finding a place for it later.

2. Bring in the storage.

We started with these leaning shelves from Target. Okay, actually, we started with two large bookshelves from Ikea, but they were taking up a huge amount of space and were too large and dark for the room so we moved them to the dining room. I've always liked leaning ladder shelves like these because they're so much airier than a heavy bookshelf, but still provide a lot of storage. So I measured for how many would fit and got three of them from Target during an online sale last month. We bolted them together and secured them to the left-hand wall of the office.

3. Start to fill them up, keeping an eye out for big categories.

This step is tricky, because it can be really overwhelming to get started on a project of this magnitude. So, when you're facing huge piles, I recommend just starting to plop things on shelves and seeing what you have as you do so. I did that here, and it quickly became clear I had a few big categories of stuff: "Blog/craft/me," "Bret," and "Family". So I allotted one set of shelves accordingly to each of those categories, and started piling stuff on. This is not the time to try to make things pretty, or even to organize at a granular level. It's just the time to see your broadest category of stuff and put things in places accordingly. If one category only takes one shelf and another an entire bookcase, that's fine - those can still be your broader categories.

4. As you go, sort down into smaller categories.

Remember, we're still in Phase 1, so we're still dealing with rough concepts here. But you'll see as you go that of course within your big categories, you have smaller groupings of things. So, within "Blog/Craft/Me", I have smaller groupings: Paper, paints, yarn, etc. Within "Family," I had our household files, gifts I'm preparing to give, mailing supplies and memory boxes (photos and keepsakes we've held onto, which I'll get into more in another post). Bret had work files (we share this office space) and what I'll charitably call archives. Yes, I mean old stuff, the value of which is most definitely in the eye of the beholder. 

While you're in this stage, of course purge as you go. Anything obvious that you feel no qualms about should go straight to the trash/recycling. But when you're dealing with the level of chaos we were here, I don't use this time to stop and do heavy organizing/purging of any one category of stuff. For example, Bret's held onto a couple boxes of old software that he hasn't had time to go through yet, and won't for a bit. So my solution is to find a place for all of it, and assume we'll keep all of it. Ditto with my paper stash. Except for obvious purges, I don't stop to do massive inventory here because if I did, I'd never get very far in the big project. The deeper cuts are all Phase 2, and don't worry - that's coming!

Similarly, I don't spend time making things fit beautifully into highly functional (and eye-pleasing) configurations now. For example, once I designate a drawer for pencils, I might just throw all the pencils in there, skipping the drawer organizer or neatness for now. If Bret's files are in a cardboard banker's box, that's fine.

4. Find a place for everything.

Sticking with your broader categories, find a place for everything you have to find a place for. This is the toughest part, but it helps not to limit yourself. You don't have to stay in this room, for example, to find a place for everything. Odds are pretty good if you're dealing with a big organizing project that there's stuff you need to relocate, so do that. Then find a place for all the remaining stuff - the stuff that has to stay in this room. You may find yourself motivated to keep purging at this point, and feel free to act on that urge. But when you've got the core of what needs to go in a particular place, try your hardest to find a place for everything. Do this within whatever storage you've got, as much as possible. but if it becomes clear that you need more storage, it's ok.

5. Evaluate your further needs. I realized I had some overflow - stuff we need to store in here, like tools and spare curtains and blankets. Since I have some stuff that has to stay here, but no place for it, I'll bring in some more storage. When you do need more storage, try to think a bit outside of the box. I think the rote option is to reach for more bookshelves/Expedits, but those aren't always the best option. I always tout the benefits of using your wall space, and I'll do that here, behind my desk, for some hanging file organizers, mail sorters and inspiration space. But I'll need more than wall space for my curtain hoard, so I'll look to furniture that serves a dual purpose. Right now, I plan to bring in a moveable storage bench as a coffee table to hold the tools and other extras. And of course, use what you got. The coffee table I'm planning to introduce is actually a component of Lou's bed that I think would be better used here until she grows into a full twin. Order or shop for your further needs.

6. Live with it. Once you've found a place for everything, live with it for at least a few days, and up to a few weeks. Are things you need access to easily accessible? Are you using everything you kept, or are purge areas becoming apparent? Is it a pain to put things away, or are you finding you're able to keep up with things pretty easily? If you need to make adjustments, now's the time to do it. Make sure your often-used stuff is easily accessed and easily returned, or you'll have chaos in your hands in no time. If you're always removing something from a bookshelf and using it on your desk, see if you can find a place for it on your desk. And, as you keep using stuff, keep an eye out for things to get rid of or take to another room.

7. Start to think about Phase 2. Now you can start to think about making things permanent - ditching the worn out cardboard boxes you're using as storage containers and adding labels if that's your jam (which I support). Start keeping an eye out for storage containers that are the right size and will hold what you need them to. It is not a bad idea to measure your spaces and note the dimensions in your phone so you can pick up containers when you spot them. If you give yourself some time while you test out your Phase 1 placement, you'll be able look for deals or score thrifted stuff, because organization bins can be ridiculously pricey. Always look for storage in unexpected places; we just picked up two coal bins on clearance at Target (maybe because no one uses coal?) that we plan to use for shoes.