I love this post, Curt. I am so struggling with just this in my household of all places. I have various storage places, pieces of furniture that hold items we use in the course of our days. I am FLUMMOXED by trying to keep like things with like, yet greatly accessible in the place they are used. It’s like the way multiple pairs of scissors float around the house, but at times seem to be absent from their useful locations and are gathering in one particular zone. I’m managing to achieve this effect with every other kind of item that “builds up” in a house. I use the word “achieve” ironically!

I haven’t had that clean and clear feeling created by having all my papers in known places for a long time, either. We don’t look like hoarders, but I think we need to look like monks in an immaculate (multi-room) “cell” for any peace of mind to reside here.

Your article gave me a new angle on the thing.