How to declutter your home
Knowing that we are thinking about doing some ‘home improvements’, our next door neighbour kindly lent me some of her vast collection of interiors magazines to inspire us.
One of the magazines (called Inspirations for Your Home) has a feature on ‘ways to declutter your home’, and knowing some of the interests of readers of this blog, I’d thought I’d share a few of them so you too can be inspired:
- Edit your CD collection as your taste changes. You probably don’t listen to the same music now as you did at 17, so get rid of those old tapes and records.
- People think that books are trophies that show how smart they are, but that’s not true! If your shelves are too full for new ones, then give away or sell your old books.
- Keep one photograph of an event and delete the rest. Get rid of anything that makes you look bad.
- One of the most important things is to reward yourself for having a clear out, whether its taking a bath, enjoying a glass of wine, or inviting friends round to see your decluttered rooms.
Right, I’m off to get rid of my clutter then. When I’m done, I’ll invite you all round to look at the lovely, neat spaces where my life used to be.
Tags: defensive, spic and span
April 5th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
tee hee thanks for this I’m of to do the opposite off all the above
April 5th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
And can you think of anything more dull than being asked round to look at and celebrate someone’s clutter free surfaces?
April 5th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
I’m still laughing at the thought of trying to find a good picture of me that’s worth keeping! I try not to be ruled by my stuff but this vogue for surfaces is usually popular with people who magically have lots of storage to hide stuff in. i do fancy tracking down the author of the piece though and showing them my collection of photos with those “this is a rubbish picture” stickers on them that chemist used handily add to your prints they’d have a seizure!
April 6th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I just shove everything in the loft – or under the stairs. Trouble is the ceiling is bowing and the cupboard is bulging..
April 6th, 2009 at 11:01 am
The way I look at it, BLTP, is that if you’re the photographer you don’t need to worry about there being any pictures, good or otherwise, of yourself. There are probably more pictures of our front room than of me, and that’s how it should be. The writer would probably have a fit at cluttering pictures of clutter too.
Ah the loft, PM, the loft is the last refuge of the clutterer… It did annoy me in the article though, that there was a focus on books, music, DVDs etc. being clutter rather than collections of vases, porcelain or unused kitchen appliances.
April 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I am the reverse in the kitchen if a gizmo is in a draw it should be chucked and try to have the bare minimum of knives etc so that I have space to use them but kitchen is more of a work space in my tiny flat not the “heart of the home” it is in design mags.
anyone after vinyl storage can I reccomend i-cubes i’ve got 4 and they are great
April 6th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Ah yes, lifestyle tips for people who barely exist as it is…………….
April 6th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Speak for yourself, Ill Man. I’m taking them very seriously indeed. I clearly need need all the lifestyle tips I can get. And I’m really beginning to get a complex now about still liking music from when I was 17. I always knew there was something wrong with me…
April 7th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I think I might do up an alternative to those particular tips. The ones I find most ridiculous are 1 & 3. Three in particular, that sent a chill through me…..
I mean, if it said “Hoover a bit more regularly and tidy up at your arse”, then I’d be all in favour, and yes, we all need to get rid of stuff from time to time, but you need to hold onto a bit of the past.
Mind you, my place is like Steptoe’s gaff. =D
April 7th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
If you want surfaces, Ill Man, you can’t afford to have a personality.
I just hope no-one takes this stuff too seriously.