2024 Organizing & Decluttering Trends You Need To Know About

The organizing world has been leaning towards a new era and what you’re used to seeing is starting to phase out. Here’s the big trends in organizing and decluttering for 2024 and how to implement them in your own home.

I’m about to ruffle some feathers, but the days of perfectly styled aesthetic organization are out. We all got sucked into the TV shows and Pinterest boards during the pandemic and believed the lie that everything needed to be color-coordinated and stored in clear plastic containers to really be organized.

But over time, we started to realize that these “methods” aren’t really methods at all. They’re interior design. And they’re not functional for a real-life family with a real-life busy schedule. Things are changing in the organizing world, and it’s a lot less overwhelming than it has been over the last few years.

So if you’ve been putting off getting organized because of the cost or aesthetics, you’re in for a reality check. 2024 is the year of simple and functional storage. Nothing more, nothing less. Here’s what you can expect to see this year.

Organizing Trends For 2024

1. Less plastic, more sustainable materials

Back when The Home Edit’s show on Netflix first aired, people were in a frenzy to grab all the clear plastic containers they could possibly find and put them on every shelf in their house. But as their storage needs changed and they either outgrew or swapped those containers, a lot of that plastic ended up in landfills. Plus, the demand for more plastic meant using more resources to produce them.

In 2024, you’ll see a bigger focus on more sustainable materials for containers that can be recycled and are more likely to be reused. Materials like acacia wood, bamboo, and recycled felt are stronger and won’t break as easily, so you won’t be replacing them. And if you do need to replace them, they are much more likely to be reused by someone else versus end up in a donation center’s dumpster. (More on that later)

2. More affordable containers

Another trend I’m seeing already is budget-friendly companies upping their storage product lineup. In the past, cheap containers were, well, cheap. They cracked easily, stretched so they wouldn’t stack anymore, and were honestly kind of ugly. The only way to get a nice container that would actually last was to buy a $30 bin from The Container Store. But $30 for one container really puts a damper on your organizing resolutions, right?

In 2024 you’ll see stores like Walmart, Target, and even Dollar General coming out with better quality storage products that compete with higher-end brands without the high price tag. This makes organization much more attainable for everyone and a lot less overwhelming.

3. Less Focus On Aesthetics

As someone who has always stressed the importance of drowning out the “aesthetic noise” from big-time influencers, I am beyond excited that this trend is fading away. People are finally calling BS on the cabinets full of cleaning products that all have the same beige color and the pantry with food arranged in rainbow order (that were clearly only purchased because of their packaging).

Sure, aesthetics are nice. But you can’t get there until you have a functional system that you’re able to maintain. In 2024, people are more focused on buying products they actually like using and finding functional storage for those items. The color of the bottle or the font on the packaging doesn’t (and shouldn’t) matter.

4. Multi-functional furniture

We only have so much space in our homes, and maximizing that space is so important. As we start to be more intentional with our purchases with the changing economy, we are more aware than ever of what our furniture can (and can’t) do.

In 2024 you see a rise in multi-functional furniture like coffee tables with hidden storage, beds with drawers underneath, dining tables that expand and fold away, Murphy beds, and rolling carts that double as mobile desks. When you’re shopping for furniture, look for pieces that have at least two jobs. You may not ever use the additional function, but it’s nice to have it if you need it.

5. Semi-custom closet systems

Years ago, a custom closet was the height of luxury. Having a company come in and design individual shoe cubbies, one-foot-wide divided sections for all the different types of shirts, and display cabinets for handbags was what every homeowner dreamed of. But as people started to actually get these closets, they realized that they weren’t created to suit them long-term because they couldn’t be changed.

2024 is the year of more affordable semi-custom closets, and I am 100% here for it. A semi-custom closet has towers and shelves just like a custom closet does, but they can be rearranged, customized, and replaced in sections if needed. You can add and remove drawers by the season, adjust the hanging bar heights anytime you want, and even take them with you if you move.

PS: See how I used semi-custom closet systems in my own house here.

6. Charging stations are a priority

We have more electronic devices than ever, and the average family of four has at least three devices per person. That amounts to charging cords being scattered (and lost) all over the house. As we start to crave simplicity in our homes and routines, these devices are being put away more often in the evenings in exchange for quality time together.

Charging stations are going to be a big priority for most families in 2024. Having a dedicated spot to not only change all your devices but keep them safely stored away is a project we will all be focusing on at some point this year. Whether you go all out in converting a drawer with built-in outlets or you just choose a shelf and plug in a power strip, the important part is building a habit of using the space daily.

7. Digital planning

Move over, expensive paper planners, there’s a new calendar in town! No, digital calendars are not new at all, but the way we are using them is. The “paper or digital” debate will never end, but more and more people are ditching physical planners due to the cost, upkeep, and wastefulness of throwing them away (or finding storage) at the end of the year.

The big planning trend for 2024 are digital planners that look just like the paper versions but are used on a tablet instead. These planners can be written in with a stylus, synced with your phone calendar, and have links and searchability functions for easy reference. You can find tons of options on Etsy, and they work with both Apple and Android tablets when paired with a compatible app.

8. Serious decluttering

Ever since the pandemic, people have acquired a lot of stuff. Random gadgets influenced by social media, storage for our storage, specialty tools we don’t have time to use, beauty products that don’t yield results, the list goes on and on. All this impulse buying is leaving us feeling like we are drowning in our own homes.

One of the biggest 2024 New Year’s Resolutions in America this year is to declutter and simplify the home and lifestyle. People are more ruthless than ever on which items deserve a spot in their homes and which ones don’t serve them anymore. Seniors are looking to decrease the amount of things their children will need to deal with after they pass, and younger generations crave experiences over ownership of items.

9. toy rotations

Studies have shown that kids play more deeply and creatively when they have less toys to choose from. The over-consumption of toys has led to rooms full of stuff that kids rarely touch, much less even know they’re there. Parents are feeling overwhelmed with messy playrooms and kids feel overstimulated with the clutter.

2024 is all about the toy rotation trend and I really hope this one is here to stay. The concept is only having a small collection of toys out and available for kids to play with while other toys are packed away. Every so often, the toys are swapped for the ones in storage. To the child, it’s like getting all new toys and they’re less likely to be bored. And for the parent, it’s less things that need storage space.

10. Donation center alternatives

In the past, we’ve loaded up boxes full of the things we don’t want anymore and dropped them off at Goodwill without a second thought. “I’m donating them” we’d say, and we’d feel great about doing it. But recent videos have emerged of just how much of those “donations” get resold at Goodwill versus how many get thrown in a dumpster—and it’s a lot.

Our unwanted stuff deserves a second life, so in 2024 we are more focused on alternative ways to get rid of things. From neighborhood buy-nothing groups, local non-franchised donation centers that give away items to those in need, Facebook Marketplace, and even resale sites like Poshmark and ThredUp, we can responsibly re-home things so they’re more likely to actually be used. It only takes a few minutes to research donation center alternatives in your area, and you can feel good about not contributing to landfills.

What Trends Do You Want To Go Away In 2024?

The old 2020-2023 organizing trends are moving out quickly, but some are still hanging around for now. Are there any trends you’d like to see fade away in 2024? Let me know in the comments what you’d like to change in the organizing and decluttering trends and what you’d like to see replace them.

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