There are many how-to’s out there in the world of decluttering and organization. Whether it’s your home, office, closet, or computer, there’s a lot of advice on how to do it. I’m really into this stuff and love learning about it, but I’ve started noticing a pattern that doesn’t feel like it’s been explicitly pointed out.

Every blog, video, podcast, or any other type of content that I’ve personally consumed on the topic implies what I’m about to share, or talks about it as an aside, but I thought it would be fun to share this core knowledge on its own, because it can transform the way you organize:

Storage is not just about stashing things away; it's about strategically placing items based on their frequency of use and impact on your daily life. 

Simply said: When deciding where to put things, consider how often, when, and where you use them. As you read this, it might not really sound like anything groundbreaking, this stuff is often implied in content related to organization. In this post however, I will share the framework I have created to make it easier to apply this concept to any organizational task. 

Rather than approach organization from a “where should I put this thing?” perspective, you approach it from a “this is how I use this thing” perspective, making it much easier to put it away correctly the first time around. Don’t worry if this feels too abstract, I'm going to use examples!

Three Types of Storage

I have identified three key types of storage—Active, Passive, and Archive—and how they can be used to get your stuff organized once and for all. 

Active storage

Active storage is where you store things that are most frequently accessed. Think bathroom cabinets, nightstands, easy to reach kitchen cabinets or even the kitchen counter, and drawers. Active storage is generally found in areas of the home or office where people a) spend the most time or b) use a lot of things. For option a an example might be the bed, and so the nightstand would be the active storage by the bed. In the case of option b, people use a lot of things in the bathroom, so the storage in the bathroom is considered active. 

Things that tend to be stored in active storage are things that are almost certainly going to be accessed when using that space. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and maybe two extra rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom. Plates, pots, and utensils in the kitchen. Journal and charger in the bedroom. 

In the digital realm, active storage finds its home on our computers—files and documents organized might be available on your desktop, as a shortcut, or in your sidebar, readily available with a few clicks. 

Of course all of this depends on your own habits and preferences of use, but you get the gist: keep what you need close to where you use it most. This type of storage is all about efficiency and minimizing the time spent searching for essentials.

Passive storage

Passive storage is where things are stored that are less frequently accessed. This might be a linen closet, book shelves, a china cabinet, a guest room, kitchen cabinets that are further away from the stove or sink, or a decorative storage box in the living room. Passive storage is generally found in areas or the home or office that aren’t as actively used but still easy to access. 

In passive storage you will find things that you don’t use daily, but would like easy access to when you need them. This is stuff like small kitchen appliances in a cabinet on the far side of the kitchen, the rest of your extra toilet paper stored in the garage, vases stored in the dining room, or winter clothes stored in boxes under the bed during summer.

Digitally, this means folders and files that are not used as often can be less center-stage, perhaps tucked away within each other. I generally recommend not going deeper than 5 folders by the way, that’s too much work to maintain. If you’re interested, I cover that in my files and folders workshop.

Once again, this is all up to you, your preferences, and the space you have available.

Archive storage

Archive storage can easily be confused with passive storage (and active because the names look similar), but the main difference is that archive storage is storage that you don’t plan on accessing, really ever. People who know me might be surprised that I’d add this type of storage to the list, I am a huge advocate of letting go of anything you don’t use, and this definitely goes against that. 

The thing is, most people (if not all) have stuff they can’t let go of right now. These might be sentimental things, things they are holding on to for a friend or family member, or things that belong to the landlord. This post is about organization, and storing these kinds of things is part of organizing.

So, archive storage. A place to store things you don’t plan on using but need to keep. It's a practical solution for managing belongings that, for sentimental or contractual reasons, can't be discarded. Archive storage exists in the deepest recesses and forgotten places in your space. Deep in the attic, the back of the basement, or in my case (because I live in an apartment) the back of the utility closet and an incredibly hard to reach cabinet in the corner of my kitchen. 

The things that I am storing in my archive storage are things I have to hold on to for the landlord. The kitchen archive storage holds things like a drying rack, a serving tray, placemats, and the tiniest but thickest wine glasses you've ever seen. The utility closet archive storage holds things like an ugly trash can, a questionable hamper, and table lamps that had strong dorm-room energy. 

It’s important to have good boundaries around your archive storage. I see a lot of people get into trouble here because they use it as a crutch to not get rid of the difficult stuff. My advice around archive storage is to really limit it to a small place and only store things for other people if you absolutely have the space and heart for it. If you feel a twinge of negativity every time you see the stuff you are storing for someone else, it might be time to think of alternatives.

How this works in real life

I like to think of these three types of storage on a spectrum. Even within a storage solution there can be a range of active to passive storage. For example: the front of a drawer is much easier to access than the back of a drawer. Take this into account when putting things into your different types of storage. 

If you’re into learning about storage, you’ve probably heard about keeping similar things together, this is where the subtlety of active to passive is noticeable. Think about a utensil drawer in the kitchen, you might have your wooden spoons in the front of the drawer, but a can opener in the back of the drawer. Both are used for cooking, so it’s good to group them together in a place that’s easy to access, but the one is more frequently used than the other, so even within the drawer you can separate them. 

Any time you think about organizing something you want to consider how often you use it and where you are most likely to use it, and then store it accordingly. This might mean you’re storing things in places other people don’t, but that's the beauty of user centered design, you’re setting up your space in a way that makes it easy for the user of YOUR space to use it. I’ve seen people keep their nail polish collection in a pretty box in the living room because they always do their nails when watching TV.

Some tips to help you use this concept:

1. Regularly assess the items you use most frequently and notice when you might be using them less. Allocate prime storage real estate to the items you use most, physically and digitally.
2. Periodically review items in passive and archive storage. Discard or donate things that no longer serve a purpose or hold sentimental value.
3. Keep an eye on where messes tend to happen, might certain things be left hanging around because they aren’t making it back to their passive storage? This might mean they need to be in active storage.
4. Declutter regularly. Let go of items that no longer align with your lifestyle or bring you joy.

One last practical thing: whenever you store anything, especially in very passive or archive storage, make sure you're storing things in a way that they don’t get damaged by water, mold, or pests. There’s nothing worse than opening something after months or years of storage only to find that it all has to be tossed. Only store things when they are completely clean and dry. To prevent any residual moisture use some sort of desiccant like silica gel packets, or keep things well ventilated and dry. Use moth repellents for any natural fibers that are being stored. There is no guarantee that things won’t deteriorate over time (that’s the nature of stuff, and why I generally recommend letting go of things you don’t use), but it’s good to make an effort to preserve things.

In conclusion, the art of storage is a dynamic and evolving process that adapts to the ebb and flow of our lives. Understanding the principles of active, passive, and archive storage, empowers us to create organized, functional, and aesthetically pleasing living spaces. So, use these principles to get to the bottom of your storage needs, and let your space reflect the balance between accessibility and intentional design.

Coming soon

I’ve gone in depth about the three types of storage, but I have a small spoiler for an upcoming post: there’s another part to this framework, the hidden-display spectrum. Keeping things (storing them) comes in many forms, hidden away in a box, but also displayed proudly on a shelf. In a future post I will be covering how to decide whether to store something in a box or drawer, or whether to keep it visible at all times. Sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss anything!