5 Reasons to Use the Rainbow Method to Create a Vibrant Home

Bright splashes of color can brighten any space and make it more vibrant. Some organizational experts are also using the rainbow method to create a highly organized, visually pleasing home. People living amid order instead of chaos can truly enjoy the beauty of their place and add bursts of color at the same time. 

Organizational gurus Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin came up with the concept of the rainbow method for their television show, “Get Organized With the Home Edit.” The two used the order of rainbow colors —red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo and violet — to create visual appeal and functional organization. 

How Does the Rainbow Method Work for Organization?

Those who've watched the show saw the duo help actress Reese Witherspoon organize her home with the color pattern. They have shared that the rainbow order is pleasing to the human eye and is user-friendly. Because people see rainbows in nature, their brains recognize the pattern and understand it. The bright colors add a lot of cheer, even to boring and drab areas of the home, such as a closet. 

To use the system to get organized, homeowners should follow these steps:

Step #1: Group Items

First, people should group similar items. If organizing a collection of toys, the categories might include stuffed animals, hard toys, and collectibles or special items that aren’t played with.

Step #2: Sort Into Piles of Each Rainbow Color

Each group should be organized into separate rainbow color bunches. All the blue stuffed animals go in one pile, all the yellow in another and so on. For colors that fall outside the rainbow, the “Home Edit” stars suggest making a separate pile. 

Step #3: Place Items in Rainbow Order

The final step involves planning where to store items, purchasing organizers and arranging the items in rainbow order. Plan to use the rainbow method on open shelving, bookcases and other visible places where organized items can be easily accessible and add to the room’s aesthetics. For example, an over-the-door stuffed animal organizer allows the homeowner to show off favorite toys. Place them in like colors, with all reds at the top left, and go through each color of the rainbow. 

It’s best to line items like books on shelves based on the cover color and where they fall in the rainbow rather than by size or type. 

Why Should People Try Another Organizational System?

Creating an organized, functional and aesthetically pleasing home creates a soft place to land for the people who live there. It becomes easier to find what one needs when hunting for an item. Some of the reasons to use the rainbow method specifically include:

1. Create Fun for Kids

Teaching children early in life to stay organized and put things where they belong can serve them well as they enter school years with more intense studies and demands. Following the rainbow helps them know where to locate what they need and how to put things back where they go and stay organized. 

2. Transform a Storage Area

Storage areas are traditionally rather drab, featuring gray-colored totes and similar bland hues. However, ordering things like a rainbow changes that. Clear bins show what’s inside and the lineup of bright hues can draw people in and make the entire storage experience more exciting. It will become a decorator’s showcase rather than boring. 

3. Combine With Other Methods

The rainbow method combines with other organizational techniques easily, speeding up the decluttering and revamping process. Approaches like the 12-12-12 organizing method, in which people find 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate and 12 to return to their proper place allow for decluttering. The rainbow method gives them a chance to make things they do keep aesthetically pleasing. 

4. Locate Items Quickly

Organizing items by color makes them easy to find. For example, someone who needs a red hat for a special occasion can go to where the hats are stored and locate the red section. 

5. Encourage Mindful Consumption

It’s easy to buy more than what’s needed. However, when things are organized, it’s easier to know what’s on hand and double-check before buying. Doing so avoids waste and overbuying. 

Try the Rainbow Method

Try Your Own Design

Homeowners interested in getting more organized and creating visual appeal should try the rainbow method. They might just find they love the system, and their homes will be brighter and better organized.

Inspired to color-code your home? Bring your rainbow organization ideas to life — visually plan, design, and organize every room with the DecorMatters app. Try it free and see your space transform before you even touch a shelf.

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