Tuesday, August 7, 2012

De-Cluttering Your Home

In Southern California, the number one design mistake I see others (and myself - to be totally honest) make is to let interior clutter take over in any given room.  When clutter gets the opportunity to fester unchecked, it seems to multiply.  Leaving one book on a table, or your keys on the counter, or an unfolded blanket on the couch eventually leads to a giant, ugly, disjointed mess.  So, then, what are some ways to combat this?  We have a few ideas

How to De-Clutter Your House Step by Step

I enjoy breaking things down into pieces - taking monumental task (de-cluttering my home) step-by-step.  As an interior designer, here is how I would banish the clutter. 

1.  Find a place for everything.  Clutter happens when small things in your home don't have their own home.  Is there an unused appliance taking up space on your kitchen counter?  Find it a home in a drawer or cabinet - or better yet, give it away.  Find a home for everything! 


Plan a massive giveaway.  Be ruthless!  Go through your home, and cut out the stuff you do not use or need.  How many summer dresses do you really need?  How many pairs of your shoes to you actually wear?  Whey are you holding onto all of the outdated Reader's Digest magazines?  Get rid of the clutter you can not find a home for.

 

For the things in your home you use, but are unable to find a nesting place for - get creative!  Find solutions, including bins, underneath the bed rolling storage, closet organization tools, etc.  I'd love to help you in your quest to de-clutter your life, just give me a call


Control the "important" clutter.  Place important, sentimental objects in a pleasing way on a book shelf.  Make the shelving cohesive by painting the backing of the bookshelf a vibrant color or think about using some wallpaper.  Anytime something special enters your life, figure out where to put it on display in a pleasing manner. 





Put everything away on a daily basis before dinner.  I find the 30 minutes - 1 hour prior to dinner to be my most productive.  Enlist the help of others in your home, and get everything cleared away before the evening festivities begin.  If this time does not work for you, find one that does.  Make a de-cluttered existence part of your daily routine.  



PS - The fabulous Container Store is one of my favorite locations to find organizational tools.  In fact, each one of my clients has a zippered presentation folder from this fun store.  It allows me to carry my jobs with me when designing without worrying about loosing any special swatches, paint samples, hardware, etc.  Love it! 

Now, off to organize the stacks of paper in the studio.  

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