Value Based Organizing is an approach to organizing your belongings and living space based on your unique set of values. This concept may seems like an obvious way to organize but can sometimes get lost in the more rigid guidelines of maximalism and minimalism. Maximalism is generally used in the interior design or the fashion industry to describe an aesthetic of access and complexity. When spoken about as a lifestyle, maximalism embraces both quality and quantity, looking to fill life with as many beautiful things as possible. In contrast, minimalism is used to describe a simple aesthetic or lifestyle that focuses on evaluating the things in our lives that have the most practical utility. These two contracting approaches can been viewed as opposites on a spectrum, with many of us living somewhere in-between.

In a recent Instagram reel I said that in 2024, we should do away with the term Maximalism and Minimalism and opt for value based organizing, yet here I am writing a blog about these terms. The point of the blog is to show you that whether you find yourself on the spectrum of Maximalism to Minimalism, you can still be organized, the organizing strategies will just need to look different. Let me walk you through this by showing you how you would organize Bed Sheets, Seasonal Décor or Mugs as a Maximalist or a Minimalist.

Bed Sheets

You might be a bed sheet maximalist if you love layering your bed with colours and patterns and wouldn’t dare use a matching set. If this is you, consider storing your bed sheets all together by type: flat sheet, fitted sheet, duvet cover, pillow cases etc. This way you can shop your closet for the next luxurious ensemble.

If you have two matching sets for each bed in your home, you sound like a bed sheet minimalist. Try storing a set in a dresser drawer of the bedroom it belongs to. When it is time to change the sheets, you can replace the sheets right away while the spare set is in the wash. After that set is clean, it can get tucked back into the drawer.

Seasonal Decor

Do you enjoy all that each season has to offer and like to decorate your home based on the weather outside? You sound like a seasonal decor maximalist! Create labeled plastic bins for each season’s decor. Make sure to pick a bin that you can easily buy more of, if your collection grows.

On the other hand, if the addition seasonal decor makes your home feel cluttered, but you still want to bring some holiday magic into your home, you are a seasonal decor minimalist. Instead of adding seasonal decor to your home, consider swapping out your every-day decor for the seasonal decor. The every-day decor can be stored in the seasonal decor bin until you are ready to reclaim your space from the holidays. You can also try using slip covers for existing pillows, this way you only have to store the slip covers in the off season and not an entire pillow.

Coffee & Tea Mugs

Are you a collector of mugs, buying a new one on every vacation? Consider creating a decorative wall that displays all the mugs. Not only will you get to enjoy your hot beverage in your collection, you also get to see your beautiful mugs as a decorative piece in your home.

Perhaps the number of mugs matches the number of people in your home, making you a coffee mug minimalist. In this case, consider a drying mat for where you keep your mugs so that you can hand wash them after each use and be ready for the next use.