Half of Americans think at least one room in their home can’t be saved

Half of Americans have at least one room in their home that they believe can’t be saved from clutter, according to a new study.

When asked about their views on space in their homes, a survey of 2,000 adults found that it’s not enough. A third of respondents feel cramped in their homes (34%), especially those who live in apartments (39%).

While 69% of Americans are satisfied with the space in their home, nearly one-fifth (17%) are not.

Most of those who are unhappy with the room in their home said they knew space was a problem to begin with, revealing that they moved into their home knowing it wasn’t ideal (73%).

On the other hand, one in five of those initially surveyed were okay with the amount of space.

Conducted by Talker Research for The Container Store, the survey found that this may have changed over time, as 30% feel like they’ve outgrown their home, with apartment dwellers feeling particularly cramped.

This feeling came earlier than you might expect: nearly half of Americans who feel cramped in their home started feeling this way within a year of living there (48%).

To make room for new things, the average respondent does three major cleanings each year, and nearly a third do so more often (29%).

Why so often? Respondents dislike clutter, with a majority agreeing that every item should have its own space (77%).

To get every item its own space, Americans have gotten crafty, with three-quarters claiming they know the best ways to use space in their home (76%).

They’ve pulled some of their best storage hacks like “using layered storage,” “over-the-door shoe racks by the entryway” to grab on-the-go items, and using mirrors to “make the room feel more bigger and brighter.”

According to respondents, the easiest rooms to organize are the living room (28%), the bedroom (27%) and the bathroom (20%).

They face more challenges when it comes to organizing the kitchen (21%) and garage (13%).

“We know that organizing can be overwhelming, and it’s our job to make it easier by providing solutions to the challenges they face in their homes,” said Satish Malhotra, CEO and President of The Container Store. “When it comes to tight spaces, we believe that a custom-designed system combined with complementary organizational products gives customers a solution that meets their exact needs and lasts for the long term.

“Our new initiatives can help overcome organizational challenges especially in the spaces they find most difficult to organize such as the kitchen and garage.”

If it came down to it, respondents would be able to part with an average of 30% of the items in their home – but just because they can doesn’t mean they want to, as more than half would like to not have to throw. take things out in their house to have enough space (55%).

In their efforts to downsize, they have the hardest time getting rid of clothes (29%), kitchen appliances (21%) and hobby items (16%).

To feel like they have enough space, the average American wishes they had three more rooms in their home.

Surprisingly, those who have more space want even more: on average, respondents who live in private houses want more rooms than those who live in apartments (3 vs. 2).

If they had to choose several rooms to make bigger in their home, respondents would choose a bigger bedroom (23%) and kitchen (19%) above all.

When it comes to creating space, the most common issue faced by respondents is problems with organizing the room in their closet (33%).

Others have items that don’t fit in the space reserved for them (25%) or struggle to find room for items that simply don’t have a designated area (24%).

“For people who don’t believe they have enough space in their home, they probably don’t realize the potential their spaces really have,” Malhotra said. “Whether it’s using the back of the door for cleaning supplies with a door and wall shelf, using the space under the bed for off-season clothing with an under-bed drawer, or designing a custom closet, office, pantry or garage system that increases the capacity of existing spaces, there is a solution. Our specialists are trained to help unlock the potential of any room in ways our customers didn’t know possible.”

INSPIRED HACKS FOR USING SPACE IN YOUR HOME

• When I buy something new, I HAVE to get rid of something
• We use hammocks from the ceiling to store toys/things for the kids up and out of the way

• We use a lot of layered repositories
• We have hidden storage in the furniture. For example, in the living room we have a footstool with a lift-up lid, and we store pet toys on it. In the mud room we have benches with hidden storage inside where we store things like sports equipment that we often take to practice, flashlights, umbrellas, etc.
• We built our house and used all available wall space as a storage area. For example, the wall space above the stairs
• The use of vertical space is important, for example you can use a loft bed instead of a normal frame to give space for a desk or storage

• Using shelves in closets, on walls and in the garage
• Large mirrors or mirrored walls can make a room feel bigger and brighter. Place mirrors in front of windows to create a feeling of outdoor space and reflect views; blur boundaries by placing mirrors in front of doors to expand your line of sight; hide corners by using tall, angled mirrors to hide tight corners; brighten up corners by using floor mirrors to brighten up dark corners
• Over-the-door shoe racks near the entrance/exit that have all the things you might need on a trip: gloves, socks, shopping bags, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottles, etc.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDING PRESERVATION FROM INVISIBLES

• When the overflow area started overflowing from that room into the dining room, then the next thing you know you can’t find the table

• When my kitchen was remodeled, the cabinets were designed to be all rounded. It turned out to be a complete nightmare to store everything
• A lot of sitcoms remind you, I opened the hall closet and everything fell out
• Storing my Christmas decorations in the attic and then not being able to take them out due to fear of heights
• Things stored in the basement and flooded
• Christmas items stored in our storage building that melted in the summer heat

• Putting things in the wrong areas and can’t remember where I put it and can’t find it
• Putting things in cupboards above the fridge that I can’t reach
• I used to store food on a low shelf and my dog ​​ate it

ITEMS AMERICANS WOULD HAVE THE HARDEST TIME LETTING GO

1. Clothing – 29%
2. Kitchen appliances – 21%
3. Hobby items – 16%
4. Shoes – 13%
5. Food/food products — 13%

1. Furniture – 13%
2. Seasonal decor – 12%
3. Memories – 12%
4. Random/single items – 12%
5. Books – 11%

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans of the general population; The survey was commissioned by The Container Store and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 16 and July 22, 2024.