Here at HuffPost Home, we firmly believe that a person's home is a true reflection of his or her personality and style. Which is why we were intrigued to not only get a house tour of Organizing Made Fun blogger Becky Barnfather's home, but to also learn about the life experiences that encouraged her to create (and maintain) such an organized living space.
The Barnfather's old house was burglarized about 15 years ago, which is surprisingly what has made it easy for her to get rid of things she doesn't need. "I realized then how little the things they stole meant to me. I realized it was more important to me that we were okay, not that I had this stuff." This incident, combined with her mother's organizational influence, has made it easy for her to part with things and de-clutter.
To teach her kids, 8 and 13, this same mindset, she tells them before birthdays and holidays that if they don't make room for new stuff, they won't get new stuff. And this "one in, one out" attitude has helped her maintain an orderly home and life, she says, because she never has to waste time looking for things.
When Barnfather and her husband bought this Burbank, CA home in 2006, all the walls were the same color. But it had a lot of great, architectural detail, like crown molding in every room. And although she has no background in design, Barnfather took it upon herself (with some help from Pinterest) to redo the entire thing.
Their cozy home was built in the 40s, so she was inspired by some of the older pieces in her home. For example, the kitchen came with an old wedgewood stove, which Barnfather has held onto and worked around when adding newer furnishings and appliances."I like to have a little bit of both just to keep the house feeling new but still keeping that vintage feel," she says.
Barnfather's favorite room is her family room, because of how it has been completely transformed from a bland space to the most comfortable room where the family spends most of its time. The walls, which were covered in dark brown wood paneling, are now a light shade of blue. The floor is actually made out of swimming pool tiles, which the Barnfathers covered with an engineered floating hardwood floor.
Although she has done something to every room, it's still a work in progress. Her next project, she says, will be replacing the kitchen floors. The home also has a 300-square-foot basement (which is really rare for a Southern California home, she notes). It houses her husband's workshop and the laundry room, which she also plans to renovate soon.
So, what's this ultra-organizer's biggest piece of advice for the rest of us? "Everybody needs less stuff than they think they do," she says. "And if you can live with less, then you should get rid of as much as you can." Keeping an organized home isn't about being perfect, she adds. It's about having fun and finding new, clever ideas to try yourself.
Check out the slideshow below and head over to Organizing Made Fun to learn more about Barnfather's home.
