From Sparking Joy to Creating Rainbows: Books to Help You Get Organized

Woman Standing in Hat Closet
Opera singer Anna Moffo posing in closet in her Eastside brownstone filled with fur hats (New York)  1970. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: swope_1317105

Whether you feel that "life is too complicated not to be orderly" like Martha Stewart or you relate to Kate "Puck" Connolly in the Scorpio Races by Maggie Siefvater when she says that "Clutter is my natural habitat," you are sure to find something to inspire your next cleaning or organization project here.  

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The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

This book sparked a home organization frenzy world-wide. The Japanese author shows readers how to simplify and organize their homes using an unconventional method, which she named KonMari, by organizing in one fell swoop instead of little by little so the home gets accomplished and stays organized.

 

 

 

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Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Home, Life and Routines by Martha Stewart

An expert in clever home and kitchen ideas, Martha Stewart is at it again. This time she organizes spaces room by room with creative DIY projects. She also provides detailed checklists and calenders to not only organize your home, but your schedule as well.


 

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1001 Ideas for Kitchen Organization: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Storage Ideas and Materials by Joe Provey

A guide for professionals and novices alike.  This book will help you make the most out of your kitchen space by guiding you in organizing your pantry, cabinets, recycling, and more.

 

 

 

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The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning : How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson

There is a specific type of cleaning that is called "Death Cleaning" in Sweden. In short, it helps eliminate the clutter that you don't want your relatives to deal with after you are gone but keeps the items that you would like them to have.  Margareta tackles this subject with humor and gives insight to her life in Sweden. 

 

 


 

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Small Space Living: Expert Tips and Techniques on Using Closets, Corners and Every Space in Your Home by Roberta Sandenbergh

Roberta Sandenbergh is a small space architect, and therefore a small space expert. She gives ideas on how to use every inch of space, even when you think you don't have any space left.  For apartment dwellers, people who live in tiny houses, and people sharing a larger space with roommates or family. 


 

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The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker

Joshua Becker is a minimalist lifestyle blogger. He explains how having less possessions can lead to a more streamlined and ultimately more fulfilling life. He also addresses the reasons why people think they need so much stuff in their lives to begin with.

 

 


 

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Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room and How to Keep it that Way by The Real Simple editors 

No matter how much time you have, Real Simple will help you organize your space with tips and tricks to create and maintain a happy home environment.  

 


 

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Home Hacks: Cleaning, Storage, Organizing, Decorating, Gardening, Entertaining, and More  by Reader's Digest

A comprehensive guide to home management, this book not only contains tips and tricks about cleaning and organizing your home, it also gives you ideas for entertaining, decorating, maintained, and  more.

 


 

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The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good by Elizabeth Cline

If you are interested in both fashion and saving the environment, this book is for you.  Cline shows you how to mindfully clean out your closet and create a wardrobe that is both fashionable and sustainable. 

 

 


 

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The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What you Want and Organizing Everything by Clea Shearer 

Instagram famous celebrity organizers Shearer and Teplin show you how to organize your belongings using their specialized storage containers and rainbow color system. They want you to keep what you love by keeping it tidy.

 

 

 

 


Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!