Conquering the Scary Room: A Professional Organizer's Guide

Is there a room in your house that you’re afraid to enter? Do you open the door, look away, and just chuck things into it? Are you scared of what you might find lurking under the piles in there?

Even when it’s not close to Halloween, I get calls to tackle what clients call “The Scary Room.” Do you have one?

​Whether it's your basement, garage, attic, or that spare room tucked away from prying eyes, this space has become the go-to spot for all the things you don’t know what to do with. You probably don’t even know what’s in there anymore. Let’s tackle this challenge together!

AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH A SCARY ROOM?
Let me normalize this situation for you. Every home has, if not an entire room, a scary spot — a place where items go to live when they're not immediately needed, liked, or sorted. It's where things end up when someone’s at the door and you’re doing a rush tidy. But don't worry; transforming this space from "scary" to "sanctuary" is truly possible.

HOW DOES A ROOM BECOME SCARY?
Decision Avoidance: We throw things in here because we can't decide what to do with them.

Emotional Attachments: Items that have sentimental value but no current use end up getting stashed here.

Procrastination: Sorting and deciding takes time, so you put things here thinking you can decide about them later. But later becomes farther and farther away.

SCARE YOUR SCARY ROOM
In order to get a handle on this space, you will become your Scary Room’s worst nightmare. You will vanquish it by turning it from the Scary Room into a Room with a Purpose

1. Visualize Your Goal
Before you start, imagine what you want this space to be. Is it going to be a hobby room, storage for seasonal items, or maybe a workout space? Giving the space purpose makes it less likely for the clutter to build up later. Having a vision will motivate you to persevere.

2. Conquer Clutter with CALM
Use my CALM organizing method to cut through the clutter.

• Clear: Go through everything in the space, taking it out to another room or even the driveway to sort.
• Assess: As you sort through what you have, decide what to keep, donate, or throw away.
• Locate: Decide what items fit your new vision and choose where to put them in the reorganized room. Create zones for different types of items and activities. Add shelving and bins to make it easy to store and retrieve what you need.
• Maintain & Modify: As you start to use the room, keep up with the new arrangement and make changes as needed to make it more user friendly.
  

3. Quick Clean-Up Strategy
For those moments when guests are about to arrive, have a designated "last-minute" bin or box. A laundry basket works well. It's okay to temporarily move things there, just as long as you set a reminder on your phone to ping you to deal with the stuff once the guests have left.

Now that you’ve tamed your Scary Room, you’ll want to keep it in check. Dedicate time once a month to give the room a quick scan. If any stray items have found their way in, round them up and put them back where they belong.

Remember, your goal isn’t perfection, it’s just not to have a Scary Room again. Knowing what’s in the space and keeping tabs on it regularly will maintain the new order. Having conquered the Scary Room and turned it into a space you’re proud of will feel immensely satisfying.

If you run into any snags along the way, feel free to reach out for ideas and motivation. Here's to creating spaces that work for you and don’t scare you! Boo!