How to clear your home (and mind) according to an interior expert
While you’re stuck at home self-isolating during these challenging times, it’s the perfect opportunity to clear your home and help maintain a positive mindset.
Image: Vanessa Arbuthnott
When your space is clean, put together and organised, you may be more likely to partake in healthy habits such as exercising and eating healthy. The relationship between your mind and living space is circular, so it is important to begin the journey of decluttering. Interior designer Vanessa Arbuthnott has shared her top tips on all things decluttering and how a clear mind equals to a happy life.
Set goals
It can be overwhelming to decide on which room and area to begin with. Even if you only have a few rooms or a minimum amount of clutter to sift through, specific goals will help to create a plan which will reduce any frustration on the way. Write down which rooms in your home you wish to tackle and set this as your goal. Ensure you only attempt one room and space at a time so you can keep an order in your head.
Keep flat surfaces clear
Image: Furniture Choice
Flat surfaces such as table-tops, home office desks and kitchen islands are magnets for clutter. It is inevitable for things to be left there but maintain a rule to not let things build up. Clear out any drawers you can and insert small boxes or folders to easily store any paper items. This is vital to implement straight away so you don’t fall into bad habits.
Start small
You should start small and declutter something which is used daily – this way you will immediately see an impact. Clothing could be a good place to begin. Organise your wardrobe and prioritise what you will be wearing most by making it the most accessible. This creates ease each morning when you’re getting dressed.
Be committed
Once you start decluttering a room, ensure that you have the time and patience to commit to completing it. There is nothing worse than half-finishing things, as this leads to mess and clutter multiplying as opposed to condensing.
Kitchen box test
Image: Wren Kitchens
When you’re cleaning out your kitchen, it can be hard deciding what you use daily and what has been sitting in the drawers picking up the dust. A tried and tested way to find this out is to empty the contents of your kitchen utensils into a box, for a month only put the utensils back into the drawer if you take it out of the box to use it. Anything that has been left in the box should be passed onto charity.
Take before and after photos
Choose an area in your home that is a smaller scale such as a bedside table and take a before photo. Clean all the clutter off and find the items a new home, then take an after photo. This allows you to see what your home could look like once you implement decluttering. This will give you satisfaction much like the ‘Tap to Tidy’ trend on social media – you can even share your own transformations with friends!
What are you going to do around the home in your spare time? Let us know on social! Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.