TL;DR
A Veranda report published ahead of the 2026 holiday season lists 12 types of household items that organizing and design professionals recommend sorting or removing. Their advice focuses on guest-facing spaces and practical clutter, while preserving meaningful belongings and avoiding an ambitious whole-house purge.
Veranda has published a list of 12 things to sort before the 2026 holiday season, drawing on advice from professional organizers and designers about making room for guests, food, gifts and decorations. The recommendations target everyday problem spots—not a full-home purge—and include unused coats, worn linens, excess accessories and damaged food-storage containers.
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The experts recommend focusing on spaces that will see regular use or visitors: the entry, living and dining rooms, kitchen, powder room and guest bedroom. Kerrie Kelly, CEO and creative director of Kerrie Kelly Studio, suggests spending 20 or 30 minutes per space to identify items to donate, discard or relocate. Her stated aim is to make room for holiday activities, rather than simply reduce possessions.
The list also covers old magazines and books, winter accessories in poor condition, surplus gift wrap, and candles or home fragrances that are no longer wanted. In the kitchen, Amelia Meena, owner of Appleshine, Organization + Design, recommends removing stained or damaged food containers and those without matching lids. For guest rooms, organizer Ann Lightfoot says to clear away items that have taken over the space and leave guests a bed, a clear surface and some storage.
Donation is one option for usable items. Lightfoot says coat drives and shelters need gently used goods during the season, and suggests checking whether animal shelters accept worn towels or sheets. The report advises contacting organizations to confirm what they can take; unusable or damaged items may need another route for disposal.
Make Room for Holiday Routines
The advice is aimed at reducing friction during a period when guests, gifts, food and decorations compete for storage and usable space. Clearing an entry closet, for example, can make room for visitors’ coats; sorting food containers can make it easier to store leftovers. These are practical suggestions from the professionals quoted, not evidence that decluttering will produce a particular measurable result.
The report also connects household sorting with seasonal giving. Usable coats, linens or other goods may help donation programs, but acceptance rules differ. Checking with a local organization before dropping items off can prevent unwanted donations from creating extra work.
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A Focused Pre-Holiday Sort
The report’s central qualification is that homeowners should not try to clear the whole house at once. Amelia Meena advises doing one or two rounds before the holiday rush and not worrying about unfinished areas. The suggested approach is to prioritize rooms used in daily life or likely to be seen by guests, then make decisions in short, manageable sessions.
It is also not a call to discard belongings simply because they are old or do not match. Kelly says family china, inherited linens, collected ornaments and other meaningful objects can give a holiday home character. The article frames the goal as removing items that no longer serve the household, while keeping possessions that matter to the people who live there.
“I like to think of it as making room for the experience rather than simply getting rid of things.”
— Kerrie Kelly, CEO and creative director of Kerrie Kelly Studio, as quoted by Veranda
What the Advice Does Not Establish
The report offers professional recommendations, not a survey or a tested comparison of decluttering methods. It does not establish how many households follow the advice or whether a short pre-holiday sort changes stress, hosting outcomes or donation levels. The source material also ends partway through its discussion of old candles and overpowering fragrances, so it does not provide the complete rationale for that item or the full explanation of all 12 categories.
Donation policies vary by organization. The article mentions coats, linens and other gently used belongings, but it does not provide a directory of local programs or confirm which items each group will accept. Readers will need to check with nearby drives, shelters or animal welfare organizations before donating.
Choose Rooms and Check Donations
The report’s practical next step is to choose a few high-use rooms and spend a short, defined period sorting items to keep, relocate, donate or discard. Households can check existing gift-wrap and food-storage supplies before buying more, and set aside usable donations only after confirming that a local organization accepts them.
The source does not announce a follow-up report, deadline or scheduled event. Its advice is intended for readers preparing for the 2026 holiday season; what to tackle first will depend on each household’s space, guests and routines.
Key Questions
What does the Veranda report recommend clearing before the holidays?
It covers 12 categories, including excess decorative accessories, old magazines and books, unused coats and worn winter accessories. It also points to surplus gift-wrap supplies, worn linens, guest-room clutter, damaged food containers, and candles or fragrances the household no longer wants.
Does the advice call for a whole-house declutter?
No. The experts recommend focusing on rooms used every day or likely to host guests and working in short sessions. Meena says to do what is manageable before the holiday rush rather than worry about finishing everything.
Which rooms should people prioritize?
Designer Kerrie Kelly names the entry, living room, dining room, kitchen, powder room and guest bedroom. The best priorities for an individual household depend on where visitors will go and which areas need to function during holiday cooking and hosting.
Can old towels and sheets be donated?
The report says animal shelters may welcome towels and sheets, but recommends calling first to ask what a local shelter accepts. Donation policies vary, and not every organization can use every item.
Should meaningful or inherited items be removed?
Not simply because they are old or do not match. Kelly says family china, inherited linens and collected ornaments can be part of what makes a home feel personal. The advice is to remove clutter that no longer serves the household while keeping belongings that matter.
Source: veranda.com
