The January blues…There is something about January, that always makes me want to de-clutter. A like the feeling of a brand new start. Except, finding time to actually do all the jobs that have been on my de-clutter list, for about 5 years now, have rarely materialised…When I decided to write about de-cluttering I did some research for the best tips out there…and I reached saturation point! In summary-
Image from swamimamiteas.com
We are in the process of selling our house, and had a viewing booked for Jan 2nd. I ran around like a headless chicken, bagged up 10 bags of toys for charity, dumped them in the car and stuffed everything else in any cupboard that had any remaining space. We are trying to sell a dream here right…
Image from brides.com
But I just want you all to know, that whilst I do believe in a regular clear out, don’t beat yourselves up if your house isn’t looking like it stepped out of a magazine. Mine has been photographed by numerous magazine’s now, but most of the time, it looks like a mess. A lovely mess. And that is OK. I have children, I work full-time, I have a life…
No-one has a house with immaculate cupboards, no clutter and looks like they stepped out of a magazine. It is not real. So don’t beat yourself up thinking that anyone out there has the perfect life or house.
However, I do take pride in my house, because I love having a home that inspires and revitalises me.
My bedroom. I copied the picture from a magazine.
This is how I deal with my stuff and keep vaguely on top of it.
1. I have alot of storage. Both on show and hidden. I love simply beautiful stuff. Currently the storage is all full up. But this year, if you bear with me, as it’s a busy year, I will be showing you my de-clutering as I go. Before and after pictures that show that we are all the same. I would love it if you send me your projects as we work alongside each other?
2. I always have a charity bag in my hall cupboard, I regularly fill and donate it.
3. I group collections of curious and interesting things together. En-masse they create impact, spread them around too much and it’s a bit meh.
Image from our pinterest page
5. I write lists. Alot.
Image from freshgloss.com
6. I regularly re-decorate or just move furniture around. This ensures that I tackle de-cluttering areas that I have been putting off. It also allows me to be really creative, often, with a minimal budget. When an area bugs me to the point I can’t stand it anymore, I make a plan. I start by doing a mood-board on pinterest. (This an on-line pin board, it’s addictive and I love it). Then I fully de-clutter (See number 7) that room. I don’t buy anything until I have de-cluttered. Here are some images of the rooms I tackled last year, whilst in the process of applying to go on The Great Interior Design Challenge. I will do another blog about decorating them
7. When de-cluttering I am ruthless. I have a suitcase for each child’s artistic treasures. If it gets full, I have to throw some stuff. I take a picture so it’s stored digitally if I’m finding it really hard to throw. I have a place for everything, and as I tidy every week, it always gets put in its approximate place…but to be honest those places are all over-flowing, hence I am massively de-cluttering in the next few months. I will only de-clutter when I have approx. 2 hours time. Personally I like to start and finish a job before moving on to the next thing, and if you struggle with de-cluttering you should start at a lower threshold of time. Do something easy like clear out your mug cupboard. A nice easy feeling of satisfaction. Then slowly build to bigger and bigger tasks. But trust me start small, then there is little to feel guilty about.
Finally, William Morris’ quote, which is much overused, yet extremely helpful to me.
Image from www.e17arthouse.com
Happy New Year!