Just what makes a well-organised home? Does yours feel like it has some ground to make up? Perhaps it’s time to step away from the plastic storage tubs and think a little more creatively, designing solutions that reflect your household and its many different activities and life stages. Try these ideas for starters…

Create an organised station for outdoor gear using smart modular shelving, like the String range – it’s been around since 1949 for a reason. Allocate a bay for each person and use drawers and trays for sports kit, school bags, keys, dog leads, toys and more. Add hooks to keep coats and even scooters in check.

If space is tight, create a similar look with a narrow bench with wall hooks and a shelf above. Stash baskets underneath – one for each member of your household (pets included). And make sure you do a regular edit, especially as seasons change, storing winter gear elsewhere and freeing up space for sunglasses and sun hats. 

When the crafting bug hits, be organised and ready to go with a dedicated crafting zone. Use curtain poles, towel rings and butcher’s hooks to hang fabrics, scissors and yarns (if you have kids, keep any dangerous kit higher up). Reusable cotton vegetable bags provide inexpensive accessible storage, as does a large basket, which is home to rolls of paper.

Fed up of having to tidy away mid project? Try using a large tray to gather your materials and work in progress on, which can slide under the sofa when it’s time to pause the creative energy. Again baskets are a must – try keeping one for each project, making it easy to pick up and craft.

Not just for drinks paraphernalia, easily transportable trolleys work well in a host of unexpected scenarios and are great for a temporary organisational fix. Need to control the working-from-home clutter? Load up a trolley with stationery and supplies for a portable office that can be wheeled away when work is done. Use jars and bowls to keep small items tidy. You can also stash your printer on one too.

Lack storage by the side of your bed? An elegant trolley makes a stylish alternative to a bedside table, and can often make the most of a narrow alcove. Use on-trend brass, which pairs beautifully with softer shades such as blush and flax. Make sure you edit regularly though to avoid it becoming your new dumping ground.

Indoors or out, a trolley is a great way to keep your planting kit to hand, making a mini potting station on wheels. Use canisters for trowels, forks and dibbers and decorative bowls for string. Make it look stylish and it will look at home in the corner of your kitchen, ready to wheel out when the sun shines and you fancy doing a little potting on.

Use simple storage and household items in unexpected ways to keep things neat and tidy. Group and store make-up essentials, such as brushes, lipsticks and eye shadows, in clear glass kitchen storage jars for at-a-glance identification. Need a solution for your jewellery? Arrange a series of decorative bowls on a chic tray for easy, everyday access to favourite pieces. Fed up of towels and clutter spoiling the look of your spa-like bathroom? Fit in a sleek and minimal coat stand to hang roves, towels and other bathroom accessories.

Remember, the key to keeping everyday bits organised is to put everything back in its place once finished with. You’ll also need to edit regularly and clean anything that’s open, such as the bowls. And don’t be tempted to buy any storage before you’ve worked out what you need to store, otherwise you’ll be dazzled by the range of storage tubs and baskets without addressing the organisational problem your home has.

Make the use of wall space with a pretty and practical peg rail, which can be used to hang toys, instruments and decorative items. Repurpose a doll’s house as a mini library, and keep small toys, puzzles, paints and crayons in clip-top kitchen storage jars for easy identification.

Invest in a piece that will out-last a playroom, such as a sideboard with both cupboard and drawer space to store books and media if the room becomes a teenage den. A well-organised home continues to evolve to meet the needs of its household – and that’s the real key to keeping calm and on top of the clutter.