 |
| Aside from the three baskets of laundry I need to fold today, our living room almost always looks like this...give or take some toys depending on the time of day. :) |
Let me tell you...sometimes getting rid of your stuff is painful (I just said goodbye to a Hidden Acres sweatshirt I had in the top of my closet and hadn't touched in nearly five years) but the end result is so worth it! Closets that aren't jammed full...drawers that aren't spilling over. It just eliminates the stress STUFF can so easily cause.
As I look around the main living area of our home (kitchen/dining/living) every surface is empty and clear of unnecessary stuff. Things are put away in their place. I keep things in arms reach that we use daily and if it's not something we use daily, I'm always evaluating if that item is really even necessary in our home. Maybe I've said this a million times, but I feel like spring is always a good time for a refresher course. :)
When I say 'every surface is empty and clear' I don't mean it to be like I'm bragging and my house is perfect all the time, I'm just verrrry diligent about putting things away...which isn't that hard if you stay on top of it. I also cannot speak to you full-time-working mom's on this topic. There is no way I'd want to come home at 5 or 6pm and then tackle dinner, laundry, bathtime, and also organize a closet. I salute you for doing what you do. Seriously. Spending a day helping my sister-in-law who has been back at work full-time for a month was enough to show me how easy I have it. And made helping her tackle her garage and the basement on a Saturday a super fun project I was happy to help with!
This week I found some new motivation to fill my trunk with stuff for Overflow and I sit here completely dumbfounded that I was able to fill my trunk with stuff YET AGAIN. Why do we have 20 beach towels taking up valuable space in the hall linen closet? Why is the black bike I've had since I was 12 (and not ridden for 7 years) taking up ULTRA-VALUABLE space in Josh's shed amongst his mowing equipment? I haven't used red serving bowls in two years, they should clearly be donated. I'm not sure why, but this week I was looking at everything with a fresh set of eyes.
My best friend and I were talking yesterday about how small houses are actually kind of a blessing. You WILL fill the space you have. And sometimes that can lead to becoming a 'slave to your stuff.' Because we live in America and stuff seems to be really important, it's so easy to get sucked into that mindset and just go about filling your house with All The Things whether you need them or not. So I spend a fair amount of time FIGHTING AGAINST that mentality. I want our house to be a sanctuary of hospitality, rest, peace, and beauty. Not a place where we're surrounded by so much stuff we can't even enjoy where we live.
 |
| Even looking at this post-Christmas picture, I see something I decluttered last month. The big, gray, paned window on the left side of the picture was given to my sister when I decided (after studying this picture) that I thought it cluttered the focus I wanted on the architectural statement the corbels make. I liked it, but I didn't have another place for it, so it was fairly easy to get rid of. |
In our house now, it means our furniture has room to 'breathe' a little...it's not jam-packed in next to each other to fit more stuff in each room. I like to keep end tables an inch or two away from the couch so things don't look so visually cluttered. I leave space to let curtains hang behind furniture (in our next house I'm planning to eliminate curtains in all living areas, if possible) and I spend a little time each week 'adjusting' our furniture pieces that have gotten bumped around out of whack.
Along with that idea...I pick furniture that fits easily and makes sense in our space. YES I try to choose versatile pieces that will work from home to home, but I believe that means smaller, neutral items that are easily moved in and out, can stand good wear and tear, and be easily adjusted if we end up with a living room that's a different shape (ie: a leather sectional is something Josh has always wanted that I've adamantly steered clear of...or a 10-foot farm table that is my 'dream' but is NOT sensible or practical for most people). The shelves we have in our living room are on the smaller side, but if we had anything bigger I think the space would be overwhelmed with too much BIG furniture. Plus, with more shelves, it's easier to collect THINGS! And that's not what I want to be doing.
Like I said, all of our surfaces are essentially empty. There is only a centerpiece on our dining room table at Christmastime so we can fully use it in our day-to-day life without always disrupting an annoying fancy centerpiece. The only item I keep on each of our two end tables is a lamp. And our third small end table usually sits empty. This just makes entertaining easier (nothing to knock over, always a place for a coaster and a drink!). The coffee table in the middle of our living room has a galvanized metal Magnolia tray to corral the books and mags I'm currently reading, and if I'm being honest, to add a little 'pretty'.
Be strategic with gallery walls, focal points, and texture pieces. This one took me quite a bit of trial and error, but I think I've finally hit my sweet spot. You can scroll back through my Instagram if you'd like to see some of the felonies I committed on the walls in this house or you can just take this advice here and now. ;)
If it's 'ugly' but also useful and necessary...I try and figure out a creative way it can be stored inside a basket or bin or a jar of some kind. Keeping alike things together is still my go-to phrase in this area and I'll tell you...storing colorful games and awkward purses and baby gear is HARD. It's taken a ton of time for me to get my head around how to store those things an efficient way. I find when we have LESS stuff overall, it suddenly makes storing what we need/use/love that much easier. Just yesterday I went to town on our guest bedroom closet and I was somehow able to free up an entire shelf of space. My ultimate goal is always to declutter and consolidate to the point where I find myself with empty drawers and shelves in the house. Then when birthdays and Christmas and another set of sheets are purchased, there's already a stress-free spot waiting for them.
 |
| Aside from the crazy pillows and the crazy man playing with his toys, this space is easy to pick up and keep clean because we keep it so simple. |
Did I mention all of these suggestions will make cleaning a breeze?! Ok, that's a lie...cleaning always takes a little effort if you're doing it right. But when there is less stuff to dust around, it literally takes 5-10 minutes to dust every surface in our house. The countertops, island, buffet, and table are empty and easy to wipe down and keep clean. I'm living proof you don't have to sacrifice the design/decor/pretty element in order to have a clutter-free home.
You guys I could go on and on but this post is already way too long. And I'm not even sure I imparted anything new and helpful but do with it what you will. Now that we're decluttered here, I'm planning to take on a couple projects I've put off (the kitchen island is calling my name) so stay tuned for before, during, and after pics of that. ;)
MmB
If you're interested in any of the other blogs I've posted about getting organized...here they are:
How I keep Maverick (and all of his crap) ORGANIZED
House Organization: A Love Story
12 Organizing Commandments
No comments:
Post a Comment