The Difference between Tidy and Organised

When they hear I’m a Professional Organiser, people often ask “So, is your house always neat and tidy?”  The answer is no, not always.  But it is always organised.  There’s a significant difference, and this morning I came across a blogpost which perfectly demonstrates this.

Take a look at Organize in Style’s What the Fort?  Here’s a wonderful example of an organised home.  The family is able to use it for living in.  It only takes a moment to create this look, and another moment to restore it to Tidy.

Now here’s the part most folks find hard to believe… a tidy home can be disorganised.  Imagine a beautiful living room with built-in cupboards.  Nothing seems out of place.  Until you open those cupboards.  Inside they’re crammed full of loose photos, wrapping paper, a few Christmas decorations, batteries (are they new or used?) and CDs out of their cases.  And that’s the difference between Tidy and Organised.

3 Responses to “The Difference between Tidy and Organised”

  1. Sany Says:

    I was having the exact same discussion with my daughter just the other day!

    A home that is lived in, organised and yes, even messy at times is quickly tidied up. A picture perfect house is not a home, it’s a museum.

    I recently decluttered when I realised that my home was a tad too lived in!

  2. How to get an Organised Family « Organised Thoughts Says:

    […] we are not perfect.  There are plenty of things we could improve on, like tidiness.  Check out The Difference between Tidy and Organised for insight.  But I am pleased so say we are pretty organised.  And it does come as a surprise to […]

  3. Listening to My Stuff « Organised Thoughts Says:

    […] After years of listening to my stuff there is very little in my home which I do not use, love or need.  Therefore there is no clutter.  That doesn’t mean my home is perfectly tidy – there’s a big difference between cluttered and untidy.  Read more on that here. […]

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