I subscribe to English designer William Morris’s advice from 1880: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Even the most beautifully appointed homes can suffer from excess clutter. So how do you decide what stays and what goes? And how do you pull it all back together? Here are a few of my ideas for keeping clutter in its place.
- Love it? Need it? Value it? – If the answer is not yes to at least one of these questions then it’s time for “it” to go. Don’t hold onto things and lose valuable storage place in your home just for the sake of keeping stuff. Get yourself excited to purge your unwanted treasures by boxing up a few items to gift to loved ones or by making donations to local charities that may be better suited in someone else’s home. One way I personally celebrate de-cluttering is by rewarding myself with something really great and unique. I myself, often visit Casabella for that one-of-a-kind statement piece that says “job well done!”
- Keep your Eye on the Prize – For some people, the idea of cleaning and organizing the rooms of your home might not be all that motivating. It can be very easy to start a project and get distracted before you cross the finish line. To ward off distractions, I like to make a plan for one room and stick to it. Starting and completing one area, instead of wandering from room to room doing a little here and a little there, helps keep me organized and on track. Plus, once one room is finished, I feel a sense of accomplishment which helps motivate me to start (and finish) the next room. However, there are those days where it’s too overwhelming and I’m lacking both creativity and motivation. Enlisting the assistance of a knowledgeable designer, like the fabulous designers at Casabella, is an easy alternative to doing it all yourself—and can give you some creative insight into how best to tackle a purging project.
- Embrace Good Habits – There are some rooms, like your home office, that will always have a little extra paperwork just by their nature and function in your life. But some other rooms, like your living room and your bedroom, should feel like a safe harbor from the clutter and chaos of everyday life. Start making it a habit to go through magazines, mail and anything else that tends to gather in these rooms. You may even want to designate one reading chair for yourself so that you don’t spread the clutter around as the week goes by. Making a habit of doing this every few days will not only cut down on the “extra” but it will become part of your routine making it easier keep the piles at a minimum.
- Form into Function – Once I have purged and started the process of putting things back in order, I like to find things that can help me stay organized while still adding beauty to my spaces. Turn your bookcase into both a gallery and extra storage. While showcasing your favorite titles, use other parts of your shelves to show off a few of your favorite pieces of art or family photos. Don’t forget to mix in other stand-out accessories to help finish the look. And, don’t forget the back of your bookcase. By adding a mirror or attractive wallpaper, you can easily add visual interest. Purchase a coffee table or side tables that have an area where you could add some beautiful rattan baskets – you will be able to neatly stack your magazines or books, hide TV remotes or even cell phone chargers that are not in use. Finish off the tops of these tables with decorative boxes that give your living room a polished look.
Visit Casabella to chat with one of our knowledgeable associates about how our pieces and design services can help add beauty and function to your home!