Why I Don't Love Decanting - Refining the Chaos

If you love organizing, you’ve probably heard of decanting in regards to an organization project. If not, let me fill you in: decanting means moving something from one container to another. For the sake of this post, I am specifically referring to it in the sense home organization and decor (not alcohol—lol). Many professional organizers use different containers than the original packaging for a more cohesive look. Therefore, in the organization world, decanting usually means organizing to the point of making it beautiful. (Check out some beautiful examples below!)

Khloe Kardashian's Pantry via The Home Edit — Credit: The Home Edit

Decanted Pantry via The Home Edit — Credit: The Home Edit

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily dislike decanting… I mean, look at how pretty these spaces are! I definitely appreciate the purpose and outcome, and I aspire to this level of organization in some spaces of my home.

However, what I don’t love is that being organized has become synonymous with decanting. Because here’s the thing: Decanting requires money. And time. And space (…which usually costs more money). Is decanting beautiful? Yes. Is decanting necessary to be organized? No.

Be organized means having your items arranged in a systematic way. And usually we would want that system to be useful to you–meaning that you can find what you need when you need it. And for many people who don’t have the time, space, or money to organize to decant items, you can still have a functional system for your items that serves you and your space. It doesn’t have to cost money, and it doesn’t have to be beautiful. (But if you want it to be, then all the power to you!)

Containers are useful when it comes to organizing, so I’m not entirely against buying them when it’s appropriate and within your budget. But often, it’s a lot easier to get organized by GETTING RID of stuff rather than by acquiring more. Decluttering is far more important than buying containers.

So next time you tackle an organization project, ask yourself these questions before buying anything:

Am I trying to make this space functional or beautiful?
What can I declutter from this space?
Can I find a container around my house for these items?

Here are some helpful resources for organization when you’re organizing on a budget:

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below—what do you think about this? Are you at the point of wanting to make your space beautiful, or are you just simply wanting it to be functional?