Peter Walsh's 7 Secrets of a Master Organizer

1. Make Your Rooms Multitask

In a small house, each room can serve more than one purpose, says Walsh. Take his guest room/TV room/office. The couch—a pullout that's perfect for guests—faces a flat-screen TV that Walsh and Greenblatt watch alone on quieter evenings.

To create a cozy home office, Walsh removed the closet doors, installed a desk and shelving, and added venetian blinds from Ikea that he can pull down to hide the workspace when visitors arrive.

Even Walsh's furniture serves more than one function: This ottoman, a handy footrest and coffee table, moonlights as storage for Walsh and Greenblatt's DVD collection, leaving the room's media console clutter-free.