Hi <<First Name>>,

I’m sending you a big hello from my sofa right now. I’m Taryn Williford, the cleaning and lifestyle editor at Apartment Therapy, and I am stoked to be guest editing this week’s edition of GNI. It’s September in Atlanta and while it’s not quite sweater weather just yet (it’ll be 90 degrees by lunchtime), the new season is waxing, and it’s impossible to ignore that fresh sensation that fall always brings.

It’s a welcome feeling in a year when the days and weeks have been blurring together. You’ve probably been thinking a lot lately about how well (or not) your home serves you. Consider these last few months the final stretch towards giving yourself the room you need to comfortably work, grow, and play at home. Ride the autumn high like a new box of school supplies and give yourself the confidence to do some decluttering, cleaning, and organizing. 

I know that motivation isn’t enough, though—you also need some tricks. Every home is different, but whenever I’m coaching Apartment Therapy readers through their own homekeeping projects (like the free 20-day Decluttering Cure program we kicked off this week), these are the problem areas that seem to come up for everyone:

👗 “I don’t have enough room for all my clothes!” Instead of looking for things to eliminate from your wardrobe, start by choosing which clothes to keep: Take everything out of your closet, then fill it back up with the things you love most until all your available storage is full. Then, you know you have to eliminate the rest. You can usually squeeze in a few more things by using slimmer hangers. And store off-season clothes in under-bed boxes—I use these rolling ones because wheels (these no-wheel storage bins are beaut too) with vacuum storage bags for bulky winter clothes.

🚽 “My bathroom is seriously lacking in storage.” In a small bathroom, you have to get creative. An over-the-door organizer is a classic that works in so many different spaces, and a slim rolling cart can squeeze between the toilet and the vanity or tub to give you some room for products and styling tools. If you crave something a little more permanent, you can’t go wrong with wall-mounted shelves; I added a few of these narrow ones around my bathroom for toiletries, but I’ve also seen some people mount a shelf above their door frame, or between the mirror and the sink to eke out extra storage for towels and products.

😬 “My kitchen cabinets are overflowing.” The kitchen is prime real estate, so your once-in-a-while stuff—like a turkey roasting pan or stand mixer—can absolutely be stored in another room to give you space to cook in the kitchen day to day. (I keep both on a shelf in the laundry room.) Then get smart about maximizing your cabinets: A turntable gives you better access to deep storage, while shelf risers and file sorters allow you to store things vertically. And I promise you’ll never regret investing in a uni-tasker to organize your water bottles or food storage containers—it’s one of life’s cheap little luxuries.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to shoot me a DM on Instagram! (Talking about organizing is my second-favorite thing to do. My first-favorite is dancing to Harry Styles music.) And remember: Celebrities are not just like us, and your pantry does not have to look like Busy Philipps’ pantry, but a few small changes can make a big impact on how you feel in your space each day. That's the good stuff. 

Happy housekeeping,
Taryn Williford | @tarynwilliford