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Real Simple: The Organized Home
A practical handbook on how to streamline and organize one's home offers a host of creative suggestions and step-by-step advice on everything from how to organize one's kitchen shelves and clean the refrigerator to setting up a well-organized and peaceful room, with tips on selecting the right furnishings, preparing for emergencies, storage, packing, and more. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 3, 2011
I picked this book up, hoping for organizational tips but most of the tips in here are mundane and common sense. (ie, p. 51: "Shelving is an excellent organizational tool. One or two subject categories--- such as rock/pop, jazz---can be placed on each shelf." OR "If you choose to keep CDs, DVDs, videocassettes, and audiocassettes in their original plastic cases, they can often be placed alphabetically (or by theme) in a desk drawer." Ah durr.)
Each chapter starts with a room and lists basic pieces for each room. Then gives a fun fact you already knew (ie, p. 99: "Beds come in any number of shapes and sizes, but no matter what you choose, you'll need a strong frame." That's a shame because I was really hoping to purchase a flimsy bed that collapses.)
If you want to read this book, borrow it from the library (like I did). It's not worth purchasing. In fact, you'll get more helpful tips from a current issue of Real Simple magazine than this book. For a good organizational book, I recommend Mission: Organization by HGTV instead. It's heavy on text but the tips and tricks the book provides are worth reading.
Each chapter starts with a room and lists basic pieces for each room. Then gives a fun fact you already knew (ie, p. 99: "Beds come in any number of shapes and sizes, but no matter what you choose, you'll need a strong frame." That's a shame because I was really hoping to purchase a flimsy bed that collapses.)
If you want to read this book, borrow it from the library (like I did). It's not worth purchasing. In fact, you'll get more helpful tips from a current issue of Real Simple magazine than this book. For a good organizational book, I recommend Mission: Organization by HGTV instead. It's heavy on text but the tips and tricks the book provides are worth reading.
August 7, 2012
I hate organization books about "simplicity" that encourage you to buy more stuff in order to create a simpler life. This is also why I abhor the Real Simple magazine.
September 7, 2013
Come over to my house, and you will see shelves, corners, and floors stacked with all manner of make-your-home better books [ Martha Stewart ( follow her craft and garden advice...but dare NOT make one of her recipes...blech), Pottery Barn, and Real Simple.
These books gladden my heart like nothing else.
Do I practice what they preach?...Sometimes...maybe....
What they do is INSPIRE!
It amazes me, as I flip through the pages, how modern woman has become her own cook, maid, make-up artist, stylist, home decorator, painter, crafter, gardener, etc.
Back in the day, even households of modest means had to go outside of their locus of home to have an "expert" craftsman come to help them. There was a "pro" for everything little thing...even painting stencils on walls.
Now, via books, HGTV, Food Network, or internet, the middle class family can do almost everything themselves.
You should see the masonry work I designed for the hall bathroom! If I must say so myself, it rivals anything the Romans put out.
Upper middle class families, especially in England, had some sort of household help. It's extraordinary to me, how women truly do what it took several pros or employees to do 100-200 years ago.
Women drive themselves, keep their vehicles shiny and fueled. They cook and bake in expert ways. Their wardrobe is neat and organized...and they wash their own clothing. They do their hair before dinner, paint their walls, lay their own tile, choose, and in the case of my friend, Donna, MAKE their own furnishings, bathe and tend their own children, scrub their homes from top to bottom, plant and harvest gardens, and tuck themselves in at night.
These books are a symbol to me of how industrious and skilled the modern woman is, and I love them.
These books gladden my heart like nothing else.
Do I practice what they preach?...Sometimes...maybe....
What they do is INSPIRE!
It amazes me, as I flip through the pages, how modern woman has become her own cook, maid, make-up artist, stylist, home decorator, painter, crafter, gardener, etc.
Back in the day, even households of modest means had to go outside of their locus of home to have an "expert" craftsman come to help them. There was a "pro" for everything little thing...even painting stencils on walls.
Now, via books, HGTV, Food Network, or internet, the middle class family can do almost everything themselves.
You should see the masonry work I designed for the hall bathroom! If I must say so myself, it rivals anything the Romans put out.
Upper middle class families, especially in England, had some sort of household help. It's extraordinary to me, how women truly do what it took several pros or employees to do 100-200 years ago.
Women drive themselves, keep their vehicles shiny and fueled. They cook and bake in expert ways. Their wardrobe is neat and organized...and they wash their own clothing. They do their hair before dinner, paint their walls, lay their own tile, choose, and in the case of my friend, Donna, MAKE their own furnishings, bathe and tend their own children, scrub their homes from top to bottom, plant and harvest gardens, and tuck themselves in at night.
These books are a symbol to me of how industrious and skilled the modern woman is, and I love them.
April 9, 2010
I didn’t know I could be insulted by a “design” book, but apparently, anything really is possible.
I was so excited to read “Real Simple: The Organized Home.” I had visions of numerous photos of organized closets and drawers dancing in my head. But apparently, this organization book is only half about organization.
The other half? Room basics. That’s right – in case you couldn’t figure it out – basics for the family room include a sofa, coffee table, side table and TV. And this book covers room basics in every freaking room. It was rather insulting that they had to tell me a room basic for a bedroom is a bed. (I cannot make this stuff up).
Sure, the other half of the book was the wonderful organizational photos I was craving, but by that point I was too frustrated to even enjoy them. And sadly, I didn’t learn one tip from this book.
I was so excited to read “Real Simple: The Organized Home.” I had visions of numerous photos of organized closets and drawers dancing in my head. But apparently, this organization book is only half about organization.
The other half? Room basics. That’s right – in case you couldn’t figure it out – basics for the family room include a sofa, coffee table, side table and TV. And this book covers room basics in every freaking room. It was rather insulting that they had to tell me a room basic for a bedroom is a bed. (I cannot make this stuff up).
Sure, the other half of the book was the wonderful organizational photos I was craving, but by that point I was too frustrated to even enjoy them. And sadly, I didn’t learn one tip from this book.
November 6, 2011
What I love about this book is how it's organized. You start like entering a home; you come in through the front door & take your shoes off in the foyer, go into (or through) the living room, family room (the second living room for many families), the kitchen, dining area, bedroom, bathroom and the SoHo.
What makes this book an indispensable resource for me is how each chapter is organized:
1. The basics (with sketches): what's the recommended items that make up the foundation of each room
2. Organization: ideas (with pictures, hallelujah!) of items in combos that can help us find the place to put everything, & keep everything in its place.
For those who think home organization is one big mountainous task, don't fret. This book is a great way to start. I'm using it now to help clear clutter in my rooms, in time for new year's!
What makes this book an indispensable resource for me is how each chapter is organized:
1. The basics (with sketches): what's the recommended items that make up the foundation of each room
2. Organization: ideas (with pictures, hallelujah!) of items in combos that can help us find the place to put everything, & keep everything in its place.
For those who think home organization is one big mountainous task, don't fret. This book is a great way to start. I'm using it now to help clear clutter in my rooms, in time for new year's!
January 12, 2013
Do you love Pinterest? I mean, do you REALLY LOVE Pinterest? Do you find yourself at the dentist's office or on a subway thinking, "well, gee whiz, I sure wish I was looking at gorgeous photos of well-kept rooms which are accompanied by text that is bordering on completely stupid right now..."?
RUN DON'T WALK to your bookstore or library to get a copy of this book TODAAAAAAAY
RUN DON'T WALK to your bookstore or library to get a copy of this book TODAAAAAAAY
October 15, 2019
This book had so many excellent suggestions, that I stopped reading and got a tablet and pen to record the helpful information. Each chapter is a separate room or location in a home and is full of diagrams, photos and ideas. The text offers many great ideas and is easy to read and consider. There is also a great deal of information and web addresses at the back of the book if you are seriously looking for organizational help.
June 3, 2024
Pretty useless if you are looking for tips and tricks that aren't things like "buy shelving" or "shelving is a great organizational tool". Thanks captain obvious. I'm more interested in you helping me organize an entryway the size of a small walk in closet. There is no room for a bench or a coat rack in a space that can barely fit two full sized adults.
How would you recommend one organizes a drawer or a shelf or whatever? No idea. Those thoughts are not provided.
How would you recommend one organizes a drawer or a shelf or whatever? No idea. Those thoughts are not provided.
April 14, 2021
I’m an organizing geek. That said this book from Real Simple was a good basic guide. It had nice bright photographs and went through the home room by room. If you are just starting out trying to organize your space this would be a good reference.
August 29, 2019
Simplistic and nice!
January 31, 2022
Pretty pictures but not very compelling content.
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January 19, 2013
As many people, I wanted to start the new year with a goal of getting more organized, so I thought I'd start out by reading this book. Unfortunately, there is not much useful information. The book is organized by areas of the house. However, it spends time talking about the basics that you need in that area --- who doesn't know that there should be a couch in the living room, a bed in the bedroom and a table in the dining room. Also, it was describing a typical newer American home --- but we live in an older home with no pantry, hall closet or normal size clothes closets.
There were about 10 pages of new ideas, but the rest was either obvious or photos. As with the Real Simple magazine, the photos were very nice and somewhat inspirational in there simplicity. Otherwise, I'm not sure if I would bother.
There were about 10 pages of new ideas, but the rest was either obvious or photos. As with the Real Simple magazine, the photos were very nice and somewhat inspirational in there simplicity. Otherwise, I'm not sure if I would bother.
March 18, 2015
Though a physically large book, there isn't a lot of content here, and much of it is so basic I began to wonder who the audience for the book was. Perhaps aliens trying to blend with the humans? Why else would they need to explain what you use a stapler and paperclips for? Or that a living room should have a sofa, coffee table, side table, lamp and easy chair--with an explanation of each. I think this was a handful of brief magazine articles stretched extremely thin to make a book. And there's surprisingly little on organization. It's more about what a home needs--what kind of furniture goes in each room, and maybe a dozen sentence-long tips for each room.
There are good photos throughout, and I did get a handful of tips and ideas, but not enough for this to have been worth the time to read.
There are good photos throughout, and I did get a handful of tips and ideas, but not enough for this to have been worth the time to read.
November 14, 2014
Three stars because it does have really beautiful pictures, and it's a lovely-looking book.
But there's not much else here besides pretty pictures and advice on what you should be buying, or about throwing stuff away if you have a truckload of shoes. Not really interested in spending a ton of money. Also, I don't own a ton of shoes. From the description, I'd thought it would give me some good ideas on how to keep the things I already own and the space I already have better organized...but I feel like I learned more from an hour of reading blog posts than from this book.
Best tip: store sets of sheets inside their pillow case so they're easy to find. Now you don't have to read the rest of the book.
But there's not much else here besides pretty pictures and advice on what you should be buying, or about throwing stuff away if you have a truckload of shoes. Not really interested in spending a ton of money. Also, I don't own a ton of shoes. From the description, I'd thought it would give me some good ideas on how to keep the things I already own and the space I already have better organized...but I feel like I learned more from an hour of reading blog posts than from this book.
Best tip: store sets of sheets inside their pillow case so they're easy to find. Now you don't have to read the rest of the book.
July 22, 2014
If you need assistance in the wide wonderful realm of orgainization, then this book is definitely for you. Real Simple covers every nook and cranny of the home from entry to linen closet, with many creative ideas to help you corral your crap. Yes, some of the statements are obvious, as most people know they need a bed without a book telling them so; but there is plenty of information that makes this book well worth it's price. Besides how to organize, there are even helpful side notes on topics such as the shelf-life of everyday cosmetics. Don't let your stuff overwhelm you, take the advice Real Simple provides and take control.
April 17, 2010
Reading this book felt like I'd written down all of my oraginizing tips, added pictures, and published a book ... with additional helpful notes about shelf life of foods and makeup, positioning suggestions for mirrors, and an awesomely inspiring chapter on the laundry room. Worth the read whether you know where everything is 99% of the time or 5%. Beautiful walkthroughs of real life setups (no mansions or city lofts in here). Lots of simple things you can do with only what you already have, my favorite. Also they really reinforce the golden rule...if you don't use it get rid of it! Clutter is one of the top reasons people can't easily find what they need. awaome book.
December 30, 2008
I really liked the photos in this book. And of course it had some great ideas. But the downfall of it is that it didn't describe really how to implement many of its ideas. The back had a resource list but not an index of what items go with each resource. So although I found some great and interesting containers, there is no clear way to find those items. If you like real simple's photos you will enjoy this book. If you enjoy real simple's tips and ideas, you might not like this book, as it really doesn't give much written content.
April 1, 2018
I usually love everything that Real Simple puts out, but I must admit that this book was a little disappointing. If you have unlimited space, time and money you can implement the ideas in this book, but it doesn't give you ideas on how to adapt organization in your own space. I did really like their ideas on organizing pantries. They gave specific ideas that I plan on doing in hopes of keeping my pantry from overflowing!!
March 13, 2016
I am a huge fan of Real Simple magazine, so of course, I must read their book publications. Plus, I am a total organizer and read all the organizing/ cleaning/ shelter books I can get my hands on. This book was full of beautiful, inspiring pictures. There was some helpful information, but not much that was new. Of course, I read these books a lot. The main difference in this one was the spare style of the photography. Very visually pleasing and inspiring.
February 17, 2009
I usually love the ideas from Real Simple, but this book was a little depressing to look through. It pretty much confirmed for me what I've been suspecting for a while: in order to have a house that looks like the pages in this book, you have to have a lot of money, time, and no children. (SIGH) I think it's going to be a while before I can look at another decorating/home organization book with any real pleasure...
December 31, 2011
A really great book for practical tips and ideas to organize your home. The photographed spaces were absolutely beautiful, and the text was laid out in an easy-to-read and eye-pleasing format. The end of the book also included basic decluttering and donation tips. Some of the text made me feel that the book was aimed primarily at women, but I think it was fairly gender-neutral overall. Most of all, it just made me want to organize!
February 15, 2008
I found Real Simple's examples of organized rooms to be a bit too distracting for my taste. For example, I think books should be placed either vertically or horizontally on one bookshelf, not both ways. And, how many of us really need a description of the 5 things you should have in a bedroom? Captain Obvious suggests a bed as one of them...oy!
September 14, 2010
This was a light read, had some good ideas for space optimization that can be applied to an apartment, but it's really aimed at a house. Some is inspiring, some is obvious, but I found it worth reading, and at $9 at Fry's it was a pretty good value as well.
Still looking for a good modern apartment organization book.
Still looking for a good modern apartment organization book.
February 21, 2011
I think I found my new favorite book, except it's just the tiniest bit depressing because no room in my home will ever look like any of these pictures. I didn't find any earth-shattering suggestions on organization, but I did like the ideas and I definitely liked this book even more than their magazines because it didn't have all the ads.
November 5, 2011
I picked this up at the library hoping to get, you know, some actual organizational tips. Instead, it's basically a compendium of crap I can buy for rooms I don't have. I was given advice to purchase a 17-inch coffetable for my living room, but a "less formal" 15-inch coffeetable for my family room.
So that storage trunk in front of our futon, not so good?
So that storage trunk in front of our futon, not so good?
June 28, 2013
The pictures were pretty but the book itself wasn't very useful. I suppose this is mostly my fault for not picking something more apartment-specific up. The homes in this book seem to have no shortage of space, whereas my fiance and I have several small kitchen appliances stacked in our laundry room. Obviously we are not the target audience for this book.
November 11, 2013
This is really a reference book, not a book that’s meant to be read. If you have read the magazine, you will understand the layout of the book, which is arranged by room. So if you’re house is totally organized (ha ha) except for the kitchen, you can just turn directly to the kitchen section. Good ideas, lots of references and helpful tips. One to buy, perhaps.
August 8, 2016
Saw this book at the library so I picked it up as I used to love REAL SIMPLE magazine and I'm in an organizing frenzy right now. I did get some good tips and ideas from this book, but nothing too significant. Some of it was kind of "common sense"... And most applies to people with bigger homes and budgets than I have.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews