"(At every start of a new year, people resort to coming up with all sorts of resolutions they would like to accomplish. Some of these promises range from becoming fit and healthy, to mastering financial strategies. So in line with this, Sun.Star Cebu Live! dedicates every Wednesday of January to presenting a series of how-to stories. Enjoy!)"

ONE of the more popular items that often finds itself as a New Year’s resolution is getting the house tidied up.

And unlike a few others, it does actually get done! Partly thanks to a superstition of how it’s supposed to symbolize getting rid of bad luck. In any case, the challenge lies in how to keep this goal until the end of the year—and no, asking your housekeeper to do it doesn’t count.

Here are a few tips, paired with insights by budding interior decorator Erika Joan Ong, on how to do it right—that is, create a home that’s cleverly organized and clutter-free, and how to keep it that way for the next 11 months.

There’s certainly no room for mess—or excuses—this 2015.

Don’t be a packrat

See those paper bags you left lying on the floor because you haven’t decided if you’re throwing them or keeping them because “they might be handy someday”? Well, someday is too vague of a word, and the next thing you know you just piled up an eyesore in the middle of your bedroom. “Give away or donate things you do not need or see yourself using anymore,” Erika comments—or sell them perhaps. A clever trick of achieving this is through the “Four Box Method” come cleaning day. Get three boxes; label each one with “storage,” “give/sell” and “put away”; place them next to the trash bin (the fourth “box”), and simply toss whatever item to its respective box. Keep only the essential!

Label it

Compartmentalize your shelves, drawers and cabinets; designate a specific space for a group of items and label it. Shoes go there, cleaning supplies go here. It makes putting things away faster, and unlike just stuffing it all inside the storage closet, it’ll make it easier for you to find things when you need them.

Without everything in sight, Erika says, “You might just be amazed on how your room can actually look and feel!” This doesn’t mean that you have to start nailing in dividers in your cabinets, though. Erika notes that a lot of stores are selling space solution items nowadays—containers and trays in all shapes and sizes. Mixing and matching containers of different colors and styles will do the trick.

From trash to treasure

If you really must hold on to all those knickknacks and whatnot (See the first tip), why not repurpose them as decors in your home? Empty wine bottles and mason jars, old tin cans and laundry clips can just be what you need to create that quirky charm. Let your creativity run free, or you can also seek inspiration online in sites like Curbly, Pinterest, Craftgawker and Instructables.

Maximize storage on walls

Maximize vertical space from top to bottom. Spaces on top of bookcases and under the bed are often left underutilized, when they can be used to hold things you use regularly. Erika suggests acquiring floor-to-ceiling shelves that function as storage for both the essentials and some decorative elements. Or you can also make use of hooks, hanging organizers, stackable baskets and tiered shelves. Experts recommend putting your most used items at eye level, less-used ones below and least-used topmost. Then, play with a color motif throughout the room to make it eye-catching.

Make it a habit

“De-clutter at least once a week. Arrange things in a nice, orderly fashion,” Erika says. Are you one of those who devote one day to doing it all, often done after long intervals (once a year, maybe), all under the name of general cleaning? Now that’s exhausting, and it becomes an overwhelming chore you greet with aversion. Doing it all in one day also makes you less efficient as the hours go by, and wanting to just get it over with, you’ll be tossing everything to the “storage” box without care. You can avoid this scenario by tidying your space regularly. Practice the habit of putting things away as you go. It lessens the load considerably in the long run—and who knows? Messy spaces just might be the last thing you think about as you plot your resolutions list next year.