When my husband first saw my high school bedroom, he thought we were broke. We weren't. I'd swapped my bed frame for two twin mattresses along the wall so my friends and I could hang out. We had a very small house and no where to watch TV or have sleepovers so I got creative.

As a teen I owned very little. I've always lived this way.

Since then I've lived in eleven homes: a 900 square foot barn with no storage, a colorful DIY foreclosure, a five bedroom custom built dream house, four rentals, and the 1960s ranch we love now.

Every size, every style, every budget.

Here's what every one of those homes taught me:

• Space is never the problem. More storage is just a bigger place to put off the decision.

• Everything you own is asking you to take care of it.

• Give everything one home, marked so clearly nobody has to come find you.

• A tight budget doesn't stop a system. You build it instead of buying it.

• Decluttered doesn't mean beige. You can have any style you want, any colors you want!
  
  

I'm not doing this for a perfect house. I do it because I refuse to spend my life putting things away. And I refuse to be overstimulated by the clutter in my home.