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Is it just me, or do you find how you feel in your home depends on how messy or tidy it is? When I come down in the morning and find the counters clear, the pillows in place, and toys put away, it feels like walking into a sanctuary. Ahh… Conversely, when there are dishes in the sink, shoes strewn and yesterday’s tea in the pot, it feels like all is already lost – before the day has begun! “When we get busy, things pile up,” acknowledges certified pro organizer, Kat Ong. But there are ways to defend against disaster. Here are 10 accessories that’ll help you stay neat and tidy even when life hits the fan.

1. A rubbish bin in every room

‘If your trash can is too far away,” says Kat, “you’re less likely to throw things away promptly.” Kat favors placing some sort of rubbish receptacle in every room – ideally one that’s rectangular or square so you can tuck it flush against furniture or a wall. Garbage pails don’t exactly sound like sexy, but models from the Container Store, CB2 or West Elm prove how lovely litter bins can be.

2. A chic shredder

Shredders are another item we tend to tuck away due to their unsightliness. However, I found a funky little machine that’s chic enough to sit by our dining (aka mail-sorting) table – making getting rid of sensitive documents a breeze. This little guy must never die as he’s discontinued and rather lonely in the non-ugly shredder category. But these offerings from Aurora and Goecolife aren’t too offensive

3. Cable management boxes, wraps or clips

office cables before — office cables **before**

office cables after — office cables **after**

Some things look messy before life even happens – i.e. cables. Anywhere cords converge lurks the risk of disarray. But you can give tidiness a chance! I’d been living with spaghetti junctions at every outlet until a friend gave me “Remodelista, The Organized Home” (thank you!). Whether you use boxes to hide them, wraps to bind them or clips to coax them, this book shows how controlled cords can a neat space make.

4. Trays…everywhere

Trays are to knick knacks what cable wraps are to cords: they bring them together to create a sense of order. Got several small items on a kitchen counter? Put them together on a tray and they’ll look styled instead of random. Remotes, mags and books running rampant on your coffee table? A tray can reign them in. Ditto products on your bathroom counter or mementos in your office.

5. A memorabilia box for every family member

We have an art box for each of our boys so they can keep their favorite ‘masterpieces.’ Kat takes this further. “Everyone in the house should have a memorabilia box,” she insists, “for art, medals, and other trinkets.” This box “must be regularly pruned,” so you keep only those things you love. You’ll be able to take a little walk down memory lane without getting lost in the sheer volume of stuff.

6. Closet systems

certified pro organizer kat ong in our ‘elfa-ed’ master closet

When we moved into our house, we chose two places to invest: replacing weary wallpaper and customizing the master and mudroom closets. The only problem is, the other closets now feel particularly awful! When you tailor a system to your needs, you maximize your use of space and create a place for everything so everything can easily go in its place. It’s magical! The Elfa system we used for the master (and since for the pantry) is currently 30% off at the Container Store through Feb. (and no, this blog isn’t sponsored 😉).

7. Lights in closets

stick-on lights from amazon; bins from the container store

“Good lighting is very important,” states Kat, “if you can’t see clutter it can build.” That’s why she prescribes lighting – even if it’s just of the stick-on kind – in all closets. Based on her direction, I added motion sensing, rechargeable lights to our linen, office/guest room and pantry closets, as well as to a bookshelf. It makes things much easier to find…and to put away.

8. Storage baskets…for everything

Unless you’re really good at getting things where they need to be immediately, storage baskets are a must. They let you dump the mail somewhere when you come in the door, throw the hats and gloves into a receptacle – not on the floor – and allow you to collect things that need to go up or downstairs so you can make one not many trips. Shops like The Little Market make storage into dashing decor.

9. Bedroom chairs

We have two antique bedroom chairs thanks to my parents. My stepfather re-caned the chairs. Then my mum helped him bring the seats from the U.K. to the U.S. on a cruise ship. Needless to say, these are cherished chairs! But even if they hadn’t been hand-delivered from across the pond, they’d still be MVPs. Why? Because bedroom chairs are forgiving. They give you an out when you can’t quite make it to the closet.

10. A Roomba…or one of her cousins

Robotic vacuums aren’t perfect. One of ours committed suicide on the stairs and you have to lift all chairs, hairy rugs, cables etc. off the floor first so it doesn’t get stuck or strangled. But these little guys do dispense with dust bunnies in your absence so you can keep a somewhat cleaner home. They can also keep your kids infinitely entertained!

I hope these tips were helpful. Please let us know what you think - or share your own ideas – with a comment. Here’s to keeping it tidy, or at least, tidier!