What Kind of Home Organizer Are You?
Homes throughout the country are as varied as America itself, and each one perfectly represents the unique people who occupy it. So what does yours say about you? Take this quiz to identify your organizational style—and learn how to make the best of your truest tendencies.
1. While getting dressed to go out, I:
A. Browse my choices on their hangers or shelves
B. Move a few things around as I brainstorm outfits
C. Leave what I don’t choose to wear piled on a chair or bench
D. Try on all kinds of combinations and deal with the mess later
2. I think a stylish living room is one that’s:
A. Neat, trendy, sophisticated, and downright impressive
B. Clean and nicely arranged but still relaxed
C. Attuned to my lifestyle and favorite hobbies
D. Unfussy and lived-in, filled with all the things that make me happy
3. When I want to set a drink down, I:
A. Always use a coaster because I have to protect my investments
B. Only use coasters for delicate surfaces like wood
C. Will use a coaster if it’s within reach
D. Put it down wherever I want; it’s my home, after all
4. My pantry is:
A. Categorized neatly with food stored in matching containers
B. Organized by food type, each having its own dedicated shelf
C. Arranged intentionally, though some things might end up out of place
D. A bit messy—but who’s going to look in it anyway?
5. When I finish using dishes, I:
A. Scrape them off, rinse them, and place them in the dishwasher
B. Put them in the sink to soak
C. Set them on the kitchen counter, maybe somewhere near the sink
D. Leave them where I was eating to deal with later
6. My home desk is:
A. Clear of any clutter, with supplies arranged neatly
B. Decorated to feel fun and engaging with everything in its place
C. A pretty laid-back spot where I can get some tasks done
D. Where I store my chargers and junk mail
7. My bathroom counter looks like a:
A. Magazine-ready space adorned with a decorative plant or candle
B. Collection of fun beauty products and decor I enjoy
C. Relatively clean surface (just don’t look in my medicine cabinet!)
D. Practical space with all my toiletries within reach
8. When I change my clothes after a long day, I:
A. Put them all in the appropriate hamper or closet
B. Toss them in a bin but don’t necessarily hang up what I plan to reuse
C. Drop them in the laundry room or closet so I can go relax
D. Leave them right on my bedroom floor—I want to sit and unwind ASAP
The results
Tally your score by letter, find which color category you fall into, and then discover more about your organizing personality.
- Almost all As and Bs: Red
- More As and Bs: Yellow
- More Cs and Ds: Green
- Almost all Cs and Ds: Blue
Red
Your home is your realm, and like the color red, you’re passionate about how it looks and feels. You aim to not only keep each room clean and organized but also craft your spaces to evoke feelings of sophistication through eye-catching design. To achieve this lofty goal, you run a tight ship, holding both yourself and your loved ones to a high standard.
For consistent order without conflict, arrange a detailed cleaning schedule so everyone can chip in. Tackling just one room at a time or one major task per day (e.g., sorting laundry) can help take the stress out of the ongoing work of staying neat. But keep in mind that you may need to let go of perfectionism—whether for yourself or for others—especially during busier periods. Releasing this pressure can allow you to appreciate your home as a work in progress and accept that living comfortably may mean being a tad messy sometimes.
Yellow
Your approach to home care is as positive as this sunny color itself: fairly particular but not to a degree that makes you sweat. Everything has its place, and you recognize that spaces feel that much brighter when they’re neat.
You probably already have good home organization skills, but to enhance your abode’s cheery vibe even more, aim to get ahead of the clutter that tends to build up over time. Devote a spot, such as in the garage or laundry room, to collecting unwanted, broken, expired, and outdated items from around the house, and aim to clear them out once a month. You’ll love the extra space and breezy ambience such a strategy helps create, including in your typical go-to storage areas.
Green
As with outdoor enthusiasts, you prefer to let your environment lead the way rather than strictly dictating your surroundings. For example, you may feel that the kitchen and bathroom need to be clean and tidy in order to feel sanitary, but because the living room and bedrooms are for relaxing, they can handle a little more cozy clutter.
Home organization is about convenience for you, and improving your approach involves making such tasks feel more like natural parts of your routine. Try placing storage bins under your TV, swapping shelved furniture with concealing cabinets, and setting a hamper beside your bathtub. These efforts could make it simpler for you to stay consistently neat, enabling your entire home to feel more charming throughout.
Blue
If you belong in this category, you may have other priorities and passions beyond home decor and cleaning. Fitting the relaxed vibes of the color blue, your chief domestic concerns are mostly about comfort—why should remotes, chargers, pajamas, and other everyday essentials be tucked away when it’s more convenient to leave them within reach?
You might find chores to be taxing, but here is some motivation to stay on top of them: remember that your home is a major investment, and to safeguard the equity you hold in it, you’ll need to keep it in solid shape. For starters, devote at least an hour each weekend to tackling basic cleaning and organizing, relying on hacks like using a robot vacuum and electric scrubber and working to a soundtrack of great music to keep you energized. You’ll be surprised by how quickly new habits form after just a few consistent sessions.