The longer we live, the more things accumulate that need to be well organised to avoid clutter. With the basic rules of tidiness in the home, you avoid unnecessary searching and your home looks tidier.

1. shelves are a good way to store collections of books. But photos, magazines and souvenirs can also be stored and displayed well on shelves. It is important that you divide the items into groups of the same type. Items that you use frequently should be within easy reach. A collection of magazines or similar items can be better packed in a pretty box and placed either at the bottom or higher up on the shelf. Figurines and holiday souvenirs should all be placed together.

2 Decorative baskets are a good way to store everyday items such as firewood, pens or fruit. Choose the right size for the items in question and place them in the centre of a table or in the corner of the room.

3. the kitchen needs more organisation than any other room in the home. Food should be stored in matching containers. Glass containers are best so that you can see what's inside.

4 The living room contains everything from DVDs to TV guides and games consoles. If you have a living room cupboard with drawers, dedicate each drawer to a theme. Once again, you can fill the shelves with beautiful boxes and store one type of item in each box.

5 The wardrobe should have as many compartments, drawers and hanging rails as possible so that you can organise your clothes. A shoe cupboard is also useful so that shoes remain separate and don't clutter up the hallway.

6 If your desk doesn't have enough drawers, add a small filing cabinet or a few file drawers. Paperwork should not be left lying around openly, but should always be neatly packed away.

7. the hallway is the first thing your guests see, so a good impression is important. Keep only the necessary items here permanently and distribute them over a side table, shoe rack, coat rack and umbrella stand.

8. choose furniture that is both practical and decorative.