by LAURA FENTON photos VIVIAN JOHNSON
When you imagine an organizer’s home, you might expect perfect stacks of labeled bins, all neatly ordered, but the home of organizing expert and author Shira Gill is a little more laidback. The 1916 house, which she shares with her husband and their two daughters, is uncluttered yet layered and lived-in, a style Shira calls “warm minimalism.”
Her devotion to keeping what’s essential and stripping away the excess has resulted in a space that feels sophisticated and looks spacious, despite its relatively modest 1,200 square feet.
She knows how a cluttered environment can impact someone’s mental outlook, so Shira chooses quiet colors and natural fibers to bring a sense of calm to her rooms. Art, mementos, and everyday objects are beautifully displayed, and the rest is kept tucked behind closed doors and within bins. She says maintaining order creates beauty.
While her home is a product of her professional experience, it also demonstrates that getting your home in order isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime event. Rather, it’s a constant evolution. “You have to be flexible and take stock once every year or two about what your family needs,” Shira says. “Things can always be improved.”
REMOVE DOORS
Shira removed the upper cabinet doors in her kitchen, top left. She found when you see into a space, you’re less likely to keep things you won’t use or don’t want to see.
DECANT SUNDRIES
With limited pantry space, Shira decants her staples into matching clamp-top jars, above left, which eliminates bulky store packaging.
MAKE IT VISIBLE
A shelf built between wall studs, top right, puts everyday spices within reach. To display your spices, dark glass jars with screw-top lids keep flavors fresh.
CREATE A SYSTEM
Small bins and boxes in the dining room cabinet, above right, contain office, art, and entertaining supplies. Shira stores these where they will be used—by the table.
Try these ideas from Shira’s home, clockwise from opposite, top left.
CUSTOMIZE A CLOSET
A shared 3×6-foot closet in the primary bedroom convinced Shira to try California Closets to take advantage of every inch. She and her husband both love shoes, which informed their design of short shelves.
RECESS SHELVES
When she renovated her bathroom, Shira added niches to eliminate the need for a caddy. Hooks are an affordable way to max out storage in a snug room.
CONTAIN THE CHAOS
Fabric bins hide toiletries and linens. “I’m not one of those rare unicorns that can fold the fitted sheet nicely,” Shira says.
DIVIDE THE SPACE
Shira outfits vanity drawers with bamboo dividers from The Container Store, making obvious what she has and where it is.