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The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin Review: A Celebrity-Approved, Room-by-Room Organizing System
Published by Clarkson Potter in March 2019, The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing is a practical home-organization guide from Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, co-founders of The Home Edit and stars of the Netflix series Get Organized with The Home Edit. The book walks readers through a room-by-room philosophy that merges conventional organization principles with interior design sensibility, covering spaces from the entryway and kitchen to the bedroom and bathroom. It draws on the duo's signature color-coded, label-everything approach — the same system that earned them a devoted celebrity and social-media following — and translates it into accessible steps for everyday households. Praised by outlets including Real Simple, Architectural Digest, and Good Morning America, the guide is designed for anyone ready to tackle clutter with a method that is both systematic and, by Shearer and Teplin's own intent, fun.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers who want a visually guided, room-by-room home organization system and are drawn to the aesthetic dimension of tidiness — particularly fans of Shearer and Teplin's Netflix series or social-media content who want a structured, humor-laced framework to apply at home.
Worth it if
You're ready to invest in organizational supplies (matching containers, labeled bins, color-sorted arrangements) and want a friendly, step-by-step entry point that treats tidiness as both a functional and design practice.
Skip if
You're looking for a minimalist or purely low-cost decluttering approach, or your living spaces differ significantly from the aspirational, product-forward interiors the system was built around.
What readers & critics say
Econogal praised Shearer and Teplin's straightforward, conversational approach — noting the book reads like a dialogue between the authors rather than a prescriptive manual. Times of India described their signature method as explaining decluttering in an easy, aesthetically pleasing way, with items grouped by how they "flow" through a space.
Sources: Econogal, Times of India4.7from 14,698 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and How It's Structured
- The Signature Philosophy and Its Cultural Moment
- Strengths: Accessibility, Scope, and Tone
- Limitations and Honest Caveats
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Room-by-room structure makes the system approachable, covering everything from entryways and kitchens to bathrooms and bedrooms in distinct, targeted sections
- Praised by Real Simple as illustrated with photos and clear steps, supporting readers who benefit from visual guidance
- Shearer and Teplin's signature color-coded, label-forward philosophy is translated from high-profile celebrity projects into guidance designed for everyday households
- Architectural Digest noted the duo's philosophy is delivered with humor, giving the book a lighter tone than typical decluttering manuals
- Directly addresses notoriously difficult spaces — including the junk drawer — rather than limiting its scope to easy wins
What Doesn't
- The system is built around specific organizational products (matching containers, labeled bins, color-sorted arrangements), which may require a meaningful investment in supplies that not all readers are prepared to make
- The book's roots in aspirational celebrity homes — clients include Khloé Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow per Good Morning America — may set a visual bar that is difficult to replicate in smaller or less uniform living spaces
This review covers the content and verified reception of The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing from published sources; it does not reflect hands-on use or personal application of the methods.
What the Book Is and How It's Structured
The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals by Clea Shearer, Joanna Teplin front cover
The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing, published by Clarkson Potter on March 19, 2019, is a room-by-room home-organization guide written by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the co-founders of The Home Edit professional organizing company. The book is organized space by space: it opens with the entryway — often the first impression a home makes — then moves through the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and beyond. Each section presents storage strategies tailored to that specific room, including suggestions such as pull-out shelves and drawer organizers in the kitchen, over-the-door shoe organizers and wall-mounted shelves in the bathroom, and under-bed storage containers in the bedroom. The overall framework is built on Shearer and Teplin's goal of merging conventional organization with interior design, treating tidiness not as a chore but as a considered aesthetic practice.
“not hard to do — in fact, it's a lot of fun.”
The Signature Philosophy and Its Cultural Moment
What distinguishes this guide from a generic decluttering manual is the specific, branded philosophy its authors bring to it. As Today has noted, Shearer and Teplin are the professionals behind the impeccably organized pantries and color-coded closets that appear in celebrity homes across social media — clients have included Khloé Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow, as Good Morning America reported. The book translates that same rainbow-coded, matching-basket, labeled-jar system into guidance any household can apply. Architectural Digest observed that The Home Edit has cultivated its loyal following through a streamlined philosophy delivered with humor, and that the book functions as a room-by-room guide to exactly that philosophy. The result is a title that arrived at the peak of a broader cultural enthusiasm for visible, aesthetically pleasing organization — the moment when a well-arranged refrigerator became a social-media genre of its own.
Strengths: Accessibility, Scope, and Tone
Several major outlets pointed to the book's accessibility and breadth as genuine assets. Real Simple highlighted that the guide is illustrated with photos and presents clear steps, positioning it as practical support for readers tackling organizing resolutions. The coverage spans even notoriously stubborn spaces — the junk drawer is addressed directly — and the publisher's own framing promises that the process is "not hard to do — in fact, it's a lot of fun." The tone Shearer and Teplin bring, consistently described by media coverage as laced with humor, sets the book apart from more clinical organization manuals. Architectural Digest specifically noted the "hilarious punch lines" woven into their philosophy, suggesting the writing is designed to lower the psychological barrier that makes decluttering feel overwhelming for many readers.
Limitations and Honest Caveats
Because this is a functional how-to guide, its ultimate value depends on whether a given reader's home, budget, and habits align with Shearer and Teplin's system. The approach is built around specific product categories — matching containers, labeled bins, color-sorted arrangements — that presuppose a willingness to invest in organizational supplies and to maintain a particular aesthetic standard over time. Readers seeking a minimalist or purely low-cost approach, or those whose spaces differ significantly from the aspirational interiors the authors typically work in, may find the framework less directly transferable. The book's roots in high-profile celebrity projects are a selling point for many readers, but they can also set an aspirational bar that everyday kitchens or entryways don't easily match.
Who This Book Is For
The Home Edit is aimed squarely at readers who want a visually guided, system-driven approach to home organization and are drawn to the aesthetic dimension of tidiness — not just functionality, but the look of an organized space. It is a natural fit for fans of the Netflix series Get Organized with The Home Edit or the Hello Sunshine production Mastering the Mess, both of which feature Shearer and Teplin, as well as for readers who follow home-organization content on social media and want a structured framework to apply at home. Those already familiar with the duo's work will find the book a codified version of the methodology they've seen on screen and online. First-time organizers looking for a friendly, step-by-step entry point into the practice will also find the room-by-room structure a manageable way in.
Frequently Asked Questions
is The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing by Clea Shearer, Joanna Teplin worth reading
It's worth it if you're drawn to the aesthetic side of organization — not just tidiness, but the look of a well-arranged space. The review notes that Real Simple highlighted its clear steps and photo illustrations as genuine assets, and Architectural Digest praised the humor woven throughout, which helps lower the psychological barrier that makes decluttering feel overwhelming. That said, if you're after a minimalist or purely low-cost approach, the system's reliance on matching containers, labeled bins, and color-sorted arrangements may not translate easily to your situation.
What is this book actually about
It's a room-by-room home organization guide from Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the co-founders of The Home Edit professional organizing company. The book moves space by space — from the entryway and kitchen to the bedroom and bathroom — with specific storage strategies for each, like pull-out shelves and drawer organizers in the kitchen and under-bed storage containers in the bedroom. The underlying philosophy merges conventional organization with interior design sensibility, treating tidiness as a considered aesthetic practice rather than just a chore.
Does this book actually work for regular homes or is it just for celebrity houses
The book is explicitly designed to translate Shearer and Teplin's celebrity-client system — which has included Khloé Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow, as Good Morning America reported — into steps any household can apply. However, the review is honest that the method's roots in high-profile projects can set an aspirational bar that everyday kitchens or entryways don't easily match. Readers whose spaces differ significantly from those aspirational interiors may find the framework less directly transferable.
Is this book good if you've never tried organizing before
Yes — the review specifically calls out first-time organizers as a natural fit, noting that the room-by-room structure provides a manageable entry point into the practice. The publisher frames the process as "not hard to do — in fact, it's a lot of fun," and the tone Shearer and Teplin bring is consistently described as laced with humor, including what Architectural Digest called "hilarious punch lines." That friendliness sets it apart from more clinical organization manuals that can feel intimidating.
Is this book similar to the netflix show Get Organized with The Home Edit
Very much so — the review describes the book as a codified version of the exact methodology Shearer and Teplin showcase on the Netflix series Get Organized with The Home Edit, as well as the Hello Sunshine production Mastering the Mess. Fans of either show will find the book to be the same rainbow-coded, matching-basket, labeled-jar system they've seen on screen, now laid out in a structured, room-by-room written format. It's essentially the show's philosophy in print.
Does this book require you to spend a lot of money on supplies
That's a real caveat the review flags — the approach is built around specific product categories like matching containers, labeled bins, and color-sorted arrangements, which presuppose a willingness to invest in organizational supplies. Readers seeking a purely low-cost solution may find the system less accessible. It's worth going in knowing that the aesthetic the book promotes isn't free to replicate.
What makes this book different from other decluttering books
The review points to two main differentiators: the branded, signature aesthetic — the same color-coded, label-everything system behind the impeccably organized pantries and closets that earned Shearer and Teplin their devoted celebrity and social-media following — and the humor embedded in the writing, which Architectural Digest specifically noted as "hilarious punch lines" woven throughout. Unlike more clinical organization manuals, it treats tidiness as a design practice and consciously makes the process feel fun rather than overwhelming.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
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- 2
- 3
- Further reading
- 4
- 5
5minutebooksummary.com
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econogal.com
- 7
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