From page six:

Since clutter is particularly toxic to small kitchen spaces, we’ll start with some purging (and even get a little touchy-feely about why it’s so hard to keep a kitchen clutter free), then move on to deep cleaning and organizing.

Clutter busting, cleaning and organizing — an unclutterer’s dream book!

Some of my favorite advice can be found in the first part of the book:

For Those Who Can’t Let Go:
Some Tips and Tricks for Kitchen Pack Rats

LETTING GO OF STUFF comes easier to some than to others. For those of us who have a really hard time getting rid of unused and unneeded kitchen stuff, here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

1. Rmember that much of the stuff you are now going to make a decision about was in fact given to you by someone who, however thrifty, secretly wanted to be rid of it–and finessed the job by giving it to you.
2. Console yourself that much of the stuff you are making decisions about was never meant to be held on to and has no great commercial value.
3. Beware of meaningless sentimental attachments.
4. Focus, whenever possible, on the possibility that by cleaning out your kitchen cabinets you will be giving some really good stuff to others. Your guilt about letting go of stuff (and your fear of unwittingly losing some really valuable stuff) can thus be vanquished through the reassurance that you are giving stuff to charity. Thrift shops that benefit specific charities are your best bet, since your stuff will find a good home, the proceeds from the sale will help a worth cause, and–hey!– you will even be getting a tax deduction.
5. Finally, and most important: remember that you are not so much getting rid of stuff as making room to live.

The second part of the book is full of recipes that are perfect for a small kitchen. Not necessarily that exciting for an unclutterer, but there are some tasty recipes in there regardless.

The book’s author currently lives in a small New York City apartment that has a 45-square-foot kitchen and grew up using a kitchen on a tiny family sailboat. His advice is practical and based on years of experience.

My wife and I have an ongoing disagreement that we want you to settle. One of us has a cardboard box with stuff in it sitting against the wall in our shared home office. One of us thinks the objects are “put away” because they are in the box. Another of us thinks the stuff needs to be “put away” into a cabinet or in a drawer because a cardboard box is not “put away.” Which of us has it right?

Wow, an opportunity to be an arbitrator! I feel honored that you thought to turn to me for advice.

At Unclutterer, we say that there should be a place for everything and everything should be in its place. In your situation, one of you believes that the cardboard box is in its place against the wall and that the stuff inside of the box is in its place, too. The other of you believes that the cardboard box and the stuff inside of it are all out of place and they need new places to live. Which means both of you are “right” according to your personal perspectives. However, I only agree with one of you.

In my opinion, cardboard is a temporary storage solution. It can get damp, mold and mildew can grow in it, and you can’t see into it easily. Cardboard boxes are great for moving and for holding things over the short term that you’re considering purging, but not for keeping important things over a long period of time.

Since I don’t think that cardboard is a good long-term storage solution, I’m going to side with the person who believes that the things are out of place. I wouldn’t see any problem with replacing the cardboard box with a file cabinet or a cupboard to better protect the items inside the box. My view is that if you’ve made the decision that an object isn’t clutter and that it is worth being in your home, then you should respect that object and protect it (as best as you can, and within reason) from physical damage. Also, it’s easier to find things when you can see them. Usually when things are in boxes they’re all jumbled and it takes longer than necessary to find what you need.

Thank you, Ryan, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. Be sure to check out the comments to this post to see our readers’ thoughts on your situation.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Many of us have rooms that meet multiple needs in our homes. This week’s selection meets those needs incredibly well. I specifically like the desk drawer and the way that the entire office can disappear behind the stylish closet doors. From AdamSelwood’s description with the images:

We built the office into one of four Ikea PAX wardrobes. Most of the cabling is hidden behind the wardrobe leaving the workspace nice and clean. The keyboard tray is a hacked drawer usually used to store ties or belts. I also put some spot lighting in a couple of places to lighten the space up.

Thank you for submitting your images to our flickr group.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

small tension rod
ORIGINAL PURPOSE: Hanging curtains.
AHA! USE: Corralling pot lids in kitchen drawers. Position the expandable rod a quarter of the way into the drawer and stand the lids up.
REWARD: Easier access to pots and their tops.

Do you use an item in an unconventional way to help keep your kitchen organized? Tell us about your simple solutions in the comments.

UPDATE: Several readers have inquired about the tension rod pictured and it appears to be this one, which expands from 15″ to 25″ and is available in a variety of finishes.

Johnson’s house, which was built in 1949, is heralded as an icon of minimalist design. As you can tell from the image, the house has four glass walls and sparse furnishings. It is a home without excess and a home without clutter.

I’ve always admired Johnson and his ability to live so minimally … that is, until I went to visit his home.

Was he a minimalist? Ha ha! Ho ho! Hee hee!

In addition to the glass house, the 47-acre grounds are covered with numerous other homes and buildings where Johnson spent his time:

1. the brick house, a small guest house that also hides the mechanical support systems for the glass house
2. the Popestead farmhouse, a second guest house with an enormous kitchen he used to cook in when he had guests (even though he had a kitchen in the glass house and another in the brick house)
3. the studio and library, where he did his work and stored his collection of books
4. the painting gallery, which housed 42 of Johnson’s friends’ large paintings
5. the sculpture gallery, an entire building devoted to his sculpture collection
6. Da Monsta, which Johnson built for no apparent reason and named it to sound like a hip-hop reference (not a joke)
7. Grainger, the house where he watched television
8. Calluna Farms, a fifth house on the property where his boyfriend lived that is currently occupied by the grounds keeper

In my mind, there is nothing minimalist about a nine-house/gallery property. If you have a separate house where you watch tv and another house where you keep your books and another where you keep your boyfriend and all of his things, it completely defeats the purpose of calling oneself a minimalist.

If I had more than one house I could easily keep one of them in the perfect minimalist condition. Imagine how clutter free you could be if you had nine houses/galleries to contain all your stuff.

Oh, and I should mention that Johnson also had an apartment in New York City containing even more possessions.

Was the glass house architecturally amazing? Yes. Was the property beautiful? Yes. Do I recommend seeing the property if you have the chance? Yes.

Do I still think of Philip Johnson as a minimalist? Not in the least.

After the tour it felt as if the glass house was little more than a publicity stunt.

Philip Johnson’s glass house is located at 199 Elm Street in New Canaan, Connecticut. The house is a National Trust Historic Site and tickets to tour the home can be purchased online.

(Image by Eirik Johnson for Time magazine’s article “Splendor in the Glass“)

I’m of the opinion that if someone knows how to bake homemade bread that they’re suave enough to be able to slice it. If getting a consistent width for each slice of bread is important to that person, I also think that they are capable of setting a ruler next to a cutting board and achieving this result.

So, you can imagine my confusion when I learned about the Norpro Bread Slicer with Crumb Catcher.

Who is using this device? Isn’t part of the fun of having homemade bread that you get to cut off whatever size you want? If slicing bread were difficult for you, wouldn’t you just buy pre-sliced bread from your bakery or grocery store?

Also, I’m a little confused about this “crumb catcher” aspect of the device. Does it just let the crumbs drop down into the crevices of the wood? If so, how is that different than a regular cutting board that the crumbs sit on? Don’t you still have to clean up the crumbs? Wouldn’t digging the crumbs out of these little slats be annoying? I’m truly baffled by this kitchen gadget.

“We’re not a taxi service,” Jane explained to me. “We like spending time with our family, we don’t like constantly running around town to lessons and practices. After two years of the kids being involved in every program you can name, we’d had enough.”

Jane and her husband decided that each child can be involved in one non-family activity. This means that this year her oldest daughter in second grade had to choose between being in Brownies or gymnastics (she chose gymnastics). Her kindergarten-age son had to choose between t-ball and karate (he chose karate).

Once a week, Jane’s mother comes to the house and gives the oldest two children piano and violin lessons. Everyone in the family sits in the same room and reads or does something quietly during the lessons so that they can even spend that time together.

Jane told me that when her children reach high school age that they might increase the number of activities the children can join. But, she said that decision will be a family decision and it won’t be just up to her and her husband. At that point, her children will have developed time management skills and be able to weigh in on the decision.

“People think we’re weird,” she confided in me. “I don’t particularly like people thinking I’m weird, but this is the best choice for our family.”

At the top of Jane’s list of what matters most are her marriage and her children. As a result, she and her family spend evenings doing things like playing games, watching movies, and riding bikes together. On weekends, they go to museums and zoos and have friends over for dinner.

By saying “no” to the things that don’t matter to them, they have the ability to say “yes” to what does.

I’m not suggesting that the way Jane and her husband choose to restrict their children’s activities is the only way or the best way for families to do things. Rather, I mention this story because I think it is a terrific example of how one family clears time clutter to make way for what matters most to them.

It’s easy to talk about focusing on what matters most, but actually doing it can be difficult — it’s different and it’s not what everyone else is doing. Are there things that you can say “no” to so that you have the ability to say “yes” to what matters to you? I’m interested in reading about your experiences and reactions in the comments.

Emergency car kit:

Manicure kit:

Guitar tool kit:

Kits are organized and typically have great utility. What kits do you have, use, and recommend? Have you made any kits for your specific needs? Tell us about it in the comments.

I didn’t see the episode, but on Friday, CNN.com published an article about it in their Living section. I found the results of the experiment to be exactly in line with my personal findings after taking on a similar project:

It’s an important lesson Ron says the entire family has learned. “We don’t have to have all of this stuff,” he says. “If you have family like the family I have, nothing else really matters.”

Oprah herself appeared to be affected by the experiment:

In the spirit of living with less, Oprah went through her own closet to see what she could live without — and asked her audience members to donate 10 things from their own homes. “Now more than ever, we all need to think about those who have been hardest hit by our economy, and the extra stuff in our lives might be something that somebody else really needs,” Oprah says.

If you missed the episode like I did, you can watch clips from the show on oprah.com.

I especially like that when the unit is acting as a door you can remove the net and use the metal structure as a towel bar. (It’s more clear that this is possible in photographs on the AT site.)

This incredibly functional design comes from Tobias Franzel. I couldn’t find a retail outlet selling the doors, so you’ll need to contact the designer through his website for custom information. Even if you never buy one of these doors, it is still an inspiring and clever product design.

I love when people think outside the box … or, in this case, the door.

(According to AT, the images are by Marcel Koehler.)

“In a recent survey of 200 executives of 1,000 of the nation’s largest companies, respondents were asked: ‘What percent of time do executives waste because they or their assistants can’t find things?’ The median response was 4.3 hours a week, based on a 40-hour week.”

[When Time's Money, Organizing Pays Off · Penny Singer · New York Times · November 29, 1992]

Computer usage and digital search functionality have certainly increased and improved since 1992, but I doubt that this statistic is much different today. Now, we search for things like old e-mails and mis-named documents instead of paper memos and proposals.

The lede paragraph of the New York Times article says that six weeks a year are wasted looking for items when you’re disorganized. Think of all the work you could accomplish in six weeks. Amazing.

On Apartment Therapy we found a mid-century home for a rabbit:

Learn how to make one in the article How To: Build a Modern Rabbit Hutch. The image is from the creator of the uncluttered bunny home, Nicole of Designcuriosities, and the bunny is aptly named Eames.

And, on Dwell.com we found a contemporary hen house:

Eglu by Omlet

The Eglu by Omlet “is designed to house your hens lovingly, with perching bars, nesting box for egg laying, and even twin-walled insulation. It’s also convenient for the proud owner, with an ‘eggport’ where you can poke your nose in and collect eggs everyday, as well as a sliding tray that catches droppings.”

Compared to the hen houses I have had experiences with, this Eglu looks like a dream. No need to stick a broom up under the hen and let her peck away at the handle while sneaking eggs out of her nest.

Have you seen uncluttered pet homes for the less-popular, but still cuddly and wonderful pets? Please share your finds in the comments.

How do you have time for all of this - running a blog, writing a book, all of these musical activities & all the other stuff you seem to do?

At the time she posted the question, I responded that the answer can be found in my upcoming book — which, is true. However, I’ve felt like a punk ever since for essentially saying, “I have a secret and you can’t know it until November. Na na nee boo boo.”

Since my intention wasn’t to be annoying, April, here is the answer that I should have given to you the first time. The following is my system for living a remarkable life:

1. Purge clutter, downsize, and minimize. The less stuff you own, the less you have to clean, store, maintain, manage, protect, worry about, stress about, waste money on, forget, and pick up. Have the minimum amount of stuff for you to be comfortable. (This level is different for everyone and you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.)
2. Organize what you choose to own and use. Your home and office don’t need to be pristine museums, but you and the people who access the same space/items need to be able to easily find things when they’re needed. Order is better than chaos, and order saves you time and energy.
3. Commit to a streamlined routine for the mundane tasks in your life and be disciplined enough to maintain that routine. If you do 30 minutes of housework a day, your home is never chaotic. But, you have to be committed to these daily activities (dishes, laundry as needed, things put back in place when finished, kitty litter scooped, etc.) and not put them off for another day. The same is true for work; you have to stay on top of the necessary tasks or they will haunt you. I also think of this item as taking responsibility for the things you choose to own.
4. Determine what matters most to you. Make a list of the people, activities, and things in your life that mean the most to you and then spend the vast majority of your time focusing on these items. Be honest with yourself, though, and put on your list what really matters to you, not what you think should matter to you.
5. Remind yourself that even if you live to be 100, life is short. There is no better time to live your life than right now. My life’s motto is carpe vitam, Latin for seize life. It’s morbid to think about, but someday might not ever come. Stop putting things off until tomorrow.
6. Say “no” to what doesn’t matter. If an activity or responsibility isn’t on your list of what matters most to you, say “no” to it. Learn to say “no” in such a way as to not be a jerk, but say “no” when you need to. This is where I greatly differ from most people because I don’t feel guilty about protecting my time. And, as far as I know, most people don’t think I’m a jerk because I’m clear about why I’m declining offers and invitations. (”Taking a yoga class with you would be fun, but Wednesday nights are date night with my husband. Is there a similar class we can take together on another night?”)
7. Enjoy being industrious. Working provides us with the resources to take care of the things that matter most. Whatever you do for a career, make sure it is something that you enjoy (even if just minimally).
8. Get rid of everything that is toxic in your life because toxic things are clutter. Toxic people and habits suck up resources and energy. I was an avid smoker until I calculated how much of my money, time, and energy were going into my smoking addiction. No matter how gifted and talented, I avoid employing, working with, and spending time with people who are toxic. A toxic person can waste your time and mental energy faster than any other form of clutter.
9. Live within your means and save money for retirement, rainy days, and adventures. Get rid of your credit cards and only use cash or your debit card. Live on a budget even if you don’t need to be mindful of your spending habits. Have a retirement account, and two savings accounts — one for emergencies (refrigerator died, fender bender) and one for splurging on what matters most to you (vacation, rock climbing lessons, a camera to capture your child’s first steps). Buy quality instead of quantity. Be a smart consumer.
10. Take risks and be brazen. A second motto in my life is ad astra per aspera, which is loosely translated as to the stars through difficulty. (It’s also the Kansas state motto.) Great things might fall in your lap from time to time, but for the most part you have to get outside your comfort zone and initiate something new. Have you always wanted to learn to play the flute? Get your hands on a flute and start taking lessons. You’ll be really awful those first six months (or year or five), but you’ll never learn to play the flute if you don’t take the chance and try.
11. Get adequate sleep. Keep a sleep journal and find out how much sleep you need to function at your best. Then, make sure you get that amount of sleep every night. When you’re well rested, it’s easier to stay calm, be productive, and focus on what you need and want to do.

Thank you, April, for asking your question, and my apologies for not giving you a decent answer the first time. Also, I want to say that I struggle with some of the things on this list like everyone will (especially the sleep item). But, when it happens, it is usually because some type of clutter has crept back into my life and I need to focus again on #1 to get the other items back on track.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

I really liked the description that accompanied the first photograph:

Home office. New York City. My wife and I both work from home. We wanted something that felt like “home”, but still “office” enough to be able to focus. My wife’s favorite spot is the couch. She curls up with her laptop and can still see my 30″ screen without having to get up.

Working a full-time job from home takes a great deal of focus and self-control. Working a full-time job from home in the same room as your spouse is even more difficult (speaking from personal experience). Heybraky has created an environment that is extremely conducive to actually getting things done. It’s well-organized, well-designed, and well-lit. I also like the map of the world with the pictures — it’s a great, inexpensive way to personalize artwork. The glass brainstorming board in the second picture is a nice, clean alternative to a white board.

Finally, I love that if you look out the office door in the second picture you can see a Roomba strolling down the hallway.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

1. Either lay the bath towel front-side down on a clean surface or, if your arms are long enough, hold the towel in a similar manner:

2. Fold into thirds (lengthwise):

3. Fold the long strip in half (bring short edges together):

4. Fold the strip in half again:

I fold smaller towels in the same manner but skip step 4 in the process.

After buying a new pair of sheets, I decided to unfold the fitted sheet from the packaging in such a way that I might be able to determine how the manufacturer was able to get the sheet extremely small and flat. Based on this process, and a few tweaks of my own, I have found the following steps to be the least cumbersome way to fold a fitted sheet. Here’s how I do it:

1. Either lay the fitted sheet top-side down on a clean surface or, with the help of a buddy, hold the sheet in a similar manner:

2. Fold into thirds (lengthwise):

3. Fold in half (this step is only necessary for queen and king sizes):

4. Fold the long strip in half (bring short edges together):

5. Fold the strip into thirds:

I purposefully made the bed sheet a little off kilter so that you could see that you don’t have to do every step perfectly to obtain superior results.

Do you dislike your friends? Do you want to screw with your loved ones’ pacemakers? Are you so bored that you can’t think of anything better to do than send an electrical charge through other people’s bodies?

If so, I know the perfect product for you to purchase:

The Lightning Reaction Extreme is a “fun” shocking game. Four people hold onto silver sticks that attach to a game board and each stick has a red button. A light in the center of the game board flashes and the first person to hit his red button is deemed the winner. The other three players (this is the Extreme version, after all) are shocked with an electrical charge from three AAA batteries. If shocking your friends isn’t a good time, I don’t know what is!!

There is also the Shocking Memory Game for those who run off all their friends and family members and wish to keep shocking themselves.