Five Messes You Can Manage

Then, prioritize. Put things you use all the time at front and center. Seasonal items -- beach towels in winter, heavy blankets in summer -- go higher up and farther back, says Deborah Broockerd, senior designer at the Closet Factory in Waldorf.

Group lotions, potions, pills and implements together: manicure gear in one see-through container, hair stuff in another, medicines in a third. Professional organizer Kim Oser of Put It Away! in Gaithersburg recommends plastic boxes to contain leaks from sticky liquids, such as cough syrup.

Deborah Wiener, owner of Designing Solutions in Silver Spring, says narrow spice shelves work great on a linen closet door to hold bandages, bars of soap or cotton balls.

Bathroom

If you don't want to face a dreary, badly lighted bathroom first thing in the morning and last thing at night for the next year, resolve to spruce things up. Even if your budget or landlord rules out a major remodel, don't despair: Inexpensive cosmetic changes can dramatically improve the room.

"People think, 'I can only go from A to Z' " in remodeling a bathroom, says Ellen Witts, a designer at Gilday Renovations in Silver Spring. "But there's so much that can be done in between."

First, experts agree, clear the clutter of old makeup and expired medication. Then, consider a fresh coat of paint. Witts recommends painting the walls a neutral color and adding contrast with towels and rugs.

Even if you've inherited a pink-tile bathroom, using a soft, complementary paint color (such as a warm white) can tone down the tile and make it more tolerable, says Barbara Sallick, co-founder of Waterworks, a chain of high-end bath and kitchen stores.

Other quick changes include hanging a new shower curtain on a shiny chrome rod; painting the vanity and installing new knobs; replacing a rusted medicine cabinet with a mirror and shelf over the sink; and adding hanging art and other decorative objects (a small clock can be particularly helpful).

In powder rooms, Sallick likes using vintage towels found at flea markets to dress up the small space. Witts suggests hiding drab or dated flooring under sisal or other natural fiber cut to the shape of room. Many carpet stores sell bargain-price carpet remnants big enough to do the job.

Home Office

It doesn't matter whether your home office is as small as an apartment closet or its own massive space. The problems are the same: It's ugly, and you can't find anything.

Home offices -- created, ironically, to curb clutter and improve organization -- typically become dumping grounds for every piece of paper that comes through the front door or off the printer. The room should be useful, efficient and pleasant to work in, whether you run an office out of your home or run your home out of the office.

Let's start with looks. No matter how wireless the world may seem, most home offices have a tangled eyesore of electrical cords for computers and other office electronics. Try mounting a power strip underneath your desk so the cords are close to their plugs. Designers and professional organizers suggest bundling the excess wires with plastic ties or cord clips. One clever friend cut the back off a basket and coiled all the cords inside; all you can see from the front is the pretty container.

You don't have to spend much money to perk up a home office. Get a desk lamp to cure bad lighting. A comfortable ergonomic chair is worth spending money on, but you don't need to buy a new table or desk.

Then, the organization. Tossing needless paper is the first step to home office efficiency. Even if you think you might need a certain book or newspaper clipping one day, chances are you won't. Be brutal. Stephanie Winston, a professional organizer with Office Depot, recommends spending 30 minutes a day, every day, for three or four weeks to clear out the clutter. Then set up a filing system you're comfortable with.

"Once you've done it for three to four weeks, you begin to develop the habit," she said. "Now you just have to do it for 10 minutes a day, and you'll be able to find anything on your desk in 60 seconds."

There is no single correct filing system. Some people like color-coded file folders. Others prefer boxes with lids, or baskets, or an accordion file with a fold-over flap to contain what's inside. Individual files could hold current bills, medical and expense records, tax information, and loose magazine and newspaper clippings, among many other topics. Each child should have his or her own file.

If you have a spouse or roommate, get a basket to hold mail or magazines of joint interest. Sort through it a few times a week and toss what no one wants, suggests Winston. But don't let that paper invade the home office -- it's way too organized now.

Liz Seymour