Similar to The Home Edit show (which I'm obsessed with), this book shows off celebrities' huge and beautifully organized kitchens, pantries, closets, etc., and Clea & Joanna share organizing tips to maximize space and display items. There is so much organization p0rn, y'all. I love the book and its rainbow pages, and Clea & Joanna are a delight. My only wish is that they had clearly outlined and depicted exactly the kinds of canisters, boxes, storage organizers, etc. they used, with ideas of how to use each one. If it weren't for the TV show where they show you how they organize rooms, as well as THE's Instagram account which does the same thing, this would be a major drawback for me. This book gets a half star more than its sequel because most of the pictures include a list of items used for containing. I also love the included labels! Highly recommended for those who love organizing. ( )

Beautiful photos with practical ideas for organizing areas of my home. I binged their series on Netflix, started following them on Instagram, and then ordered the book to see if it would help me replicate what I saw on Netflix and Insta. I like their approach and their laid-back attitude (organizing IS cardio!). If your living space is feeling stale and needing a bit of a refresh--mine is--this book has some ideas to try. And I also love that they say "start with one drawer." Excellent advice for sustainable change...my plan is to find one small area to "edit" every month just for fun. ( )

Best for:
People who like to look at interior design porn. People who want to organize. People who have some measure of disposable income.

In a nutshell:
Joanna and Clea share their organizing philosophy, room by room, and share some gorgeous photos of different options. Also some famous people’s pantries.

Worth quoting:
“We know you’re fantasizing about all your dry goods in pretty jars — and they’ll get there! — but first, be realistic about your time, experience, and abilities.”

Why I chose it:
I binged The Home Edit on Netflix over the last couple of weeks and needed to get the book.

Review:
I am an extremely organized person. Seriously, probably one of the most organized people I know.

And yet …

Moving house in the middle of the pandemic meant that things just got shoved pretty much anywhere. And because my partner and I rent a place in London, it came partially furnished. On the plus side - we have loads of storage, which is rare in the UK. On the negative - there’s literally no rhyme or reason to how we unpacked. And one of the closets - affectionately dubbed ‘the murder closet,’ because, trust me it’s creepy as hell - has a lot of the landlords items we don’t need (this place used to be an AirBnB).

So, I’ve purchased and read the book, and am slowly making my way through my house. Yesterday, I worked on what has become my home office. I edited out a lot of things I didn’t know I had still kept (shoved into one of the fabric cubes I bought when we moved in, in an attempt to have some sense of order), figured out what (if any) organizers I needed (finally got a monitor stand!), and will finish up when that stand arrives this week.

Today I moved into our bedroom. I’ve not yet tackled the wardrobe, but I have taken a go at our nightstands and a couple of other areas in the room where things are stored (a function of using other peoples’ furniture). I also did tackle the murder closet, and while it’s not going to show up in Style magazine any time soon, I think I’ve worked out a system that will work for us.

Joanna and Clea are not Marie Kondo, but they’re not in opposition to her. They just go a bit further in directing the reader as to how, once they’ve pared their belongings down to things that we need or that spark joy (as Ms Kondo would say), we can keep them organized in both a visually pleasing and a useful way.

The authors are also funny. Their little quips here and there make reading a book on organizing entertaining. The only drawback is that their solutions require a lot of containers and dividers and while those items are not exorbitantly expensive, they can add up, and may not be accessible to everyone.

Look, there’s so much going on in the world right now. Is having an organized home the priority? Nope. But I think better, I manage life better, I just exist better when my shit is organized. And this book is helpful.

Recommend to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Recommend to a Friend ( )

I found this book after watching/falling in love with The Home Edit show on Netflix. Clea and Johanna, you guys have a gift.

Most of what is covered in the show is in this book but there are definitely added tidbits. I currently live in an apartment so while a lot of tips didn't apply to me (like a walk-in pantry or utilizing the back of the closet door - I have sliding doors), you can still apply the general rules to your space. And I was pleasantly surprised when there were quite a few tricks for small spaces.

When I eventually buy a home I am going to need a new copy of this one (lent from library) so I can go through each room and edit the life into it! :)

Great pictures and ideas, but not really something I'm going to do. ( )