Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Containment Theory
Space. Real estate. Square footage. These terms are not entirely interchangeable in today’s world where we try to try value living space in actual and concrete means. But I can attest, my tape measure as my witness, that living in small quarters is not the most challenging organizational situation there is. Often the family of four in a junior four have fewer issues than the couple in classic six. I hear from many clients who feel cramped in a large space. Why? Because their closets are crammed and some items are never put away. Haphazardness has taken root, often because of a seeming abundance of space.
This leads me to what I would call my containment theory, and no, it has nothing to do with stopping the spread of communism, although Russian nesting dolls might be a good analogy (in the apartment is a kitchen, in that kitchen there are cabinets, in those cabinets are kitchen items – only kitchen items). In the Perfect Daughter’s world, containment theory is about borders. Everything needs a border, be it an actual border like the four sides of a dresser, or an arbitrary border, such as, I only do laundry on Tuesdays.
Sometimes, I may ask a new client a straightforward question such as “Where are Billy’s clothes?” And if I get an answer such as “Well, most of them are here in this dresser, but he outgrew that, so some are in the linen closet in the hall, and we were already using his closet for my husband- so I put his hanging stuff in the coat closet….”
No, no and no. I don’t mean to be rigid. The basic truth is that our organizational solutions must be simple and intuitive, and not in three places. So the question is, does Billy have too many clothes, or is the storage actually inadequate? Spoiler alert: the answer is almost always the former.
Think of it this way: Organizing your home is really just filing in 3-D. You must impose an order to where things are stored, versus simply stashing in a closet or under a bed.
Time and stuff have a way of expanding to fill every surface unless there are borders. You are the border guard of clutter. When your books overflow their shelves and end up on the floor or paperwork floods your desk and ends up on the dining table, you need to get on patrol because it really doesn’t have to be this way.
First, decide how much space is reasonable and realistic for any given category. Then force yourself to stick to it. Too many books for the bookshelves might mean too many books. You may realize that the reason your papers are always on the coffee table is that you don’t have a desk, or a dedicated place for paperwork. In the era of the wireless laptop, we are free to roam, but the laptop needs a home base.
When you live by the containment theory there is a place for everything. Borders make order. So when you head to your desk to do your taxes, and find it covered with camp brochures, you don’t move to the dining table. You make a file for the camp brochures and contain the paperwork at your desk. And trust me, order bests space every time.
The goal is for each category: clothes, books, papers, tools etc. to have a logical place. There are no blurry boundaries in containment theory, no dumping grounds, no third-world household without clear rules. Everything has a container and the container has a place. Sounds simple, right? You already do that, I’m sure. Think back to the last party you hosted at your place – did you throw a bunch of stuff in the master bedroom and shut the door just before guests arrived? Take a look around and see where the clutter is collecting. Is it papers stacks on the kitchen counter or Poland Springs in the hallway? Often those piles are like refugees. Take pity on them and give them a drawer, a cabinet, a home. You’ll be surprised by how big a change a few tiny adjustments can make.