Unexpected ways to make your home smarter

(NC) Home organization is an uphill battle—it’s tough coming up with a system that works for your space and family members, and even tougher to stick to it once you’ve set it up. But here are a few simple tricks to turn the tide in your favour:

Set up your family’s mission control centre. Half the battle in staying organized is keeping information all in one place. Pick a central location in your home to serve as a hub for any communication—your calendar, meal plans, mail, documents that need attention. By keeping everything together, you’re cutting down on the clutter, and also making it much easier for everyone in the family to stay on top of things. When everyone can see the others’ schedules as well as what’s planned for this week, making plans becomes much simpler.

Get your appliances talking. By upgrading to smart appliances, you can let your fridge, stove, laundry and even vacuum communicate with each other to make home management effortless. Smart home platforms, like Samsung’s SmartThings connect each part of your home into one intuitive space that responds to your needs.

Tip: The kitchen makes a great location for your family’s mission control centre because then you can incorporate your smart fridge. Some even have a screen that can display weather updates and other useful information. Plus, the fridge’s ability to scan what’s inside and talk to your smartphone makes grocery shopping and meal planning a breeze.

Think vertically. If you take a second look at your cluttered cupboards and closets, you might be surprised to see just how much empty air there is above your things. Take advantage of your full storage space by organizing vertically. Break up your pantry spaces with standalone wireframe shelves. They’re inexpensive and fit into almost any space where you’re storing tableware, glasses or food. Lazy Susans with a few tiers are a great way to store small items you have in variety, like spices or sauce bottles.

Crack the colour code. Setting up a great organization system only works if you and the family are able to easily follow it. Make things simple by designating colours for each family member’s items, or for where things go when they’re put away. Another great life hack is to colour-code your keys: match each one to its lock with a bit of paint or nail polish to make things easier for everyone.

With a bit of practical know-how, and the right technology, transforming your home into a smart space is easy, and lets you build a responsive environment that molds itself to you every time you step in the door.

Find out more ways to make your home smarter at samsung.com/bespoke-home.