Can you see the wood from the trees?
Did you hear the news?
Marie Kondo, the Japanese organising consultant whose book 'The life changing magic of tidying up’ made a generation aspire to become ultra organised and live minimally, has apparently ‘given up on being tidy’ now she has three young kids.
This struck a chord not just with me - a hectic mum - but millions of others across the globe as we rejoiced in the honesty and realness of someone willing to admit our homes are barely ever Instagram perfect.
Maybe occasionally when people are coming over and we frantically shove all clutter into the nearest cupboard. In fact, this is so common, there’s even a name for it - scuryfunging - but that's a discussion for another day.
Embrace the mayhem
So with the knowledge even the most organised aren’t as organised as we once thought, it’s time we loosen our shoulders and lean into the chaotic cloud of laundry, toys and paperwork. Perhaps even enjoy it.
Because this is where families grow, laugh, cry and love. It’s where memories are made and real life happens.
And while I’m all for this, I very much recognise the cathartic impact of having a sort out to declutter, reducing the pile of unplayed with today, moving on the unloved cardigans and finally recycling the random phone chargers we’ve been holding onto.
And what better time to do it than when there’s a shift in seasons, when spring offers the opportunity to put a spring in your step.
See the wood from the trees
This week, I held the first of my Home Design Series, a programme of five interactive workshops.
And you know what we began with?
Yep. Decluttering.
Because before you begin to update your home you have to be able to see the wood from the trees. And the best way to achieve this is by giving your home an edit.
Here are the questions I ask myself and my clients when we begin this process:
What sparks joy? Items, spaces, a feeling…
What can’t you live without?
Everything in your home should serve a real purpose AND make you feel fabulous.
Edit edit edit.
Take unusable and broken items to the tip
Sell items you know longer want on Facebook Marketplace or eBay
Donate to charity
If it’s useful but not beautiful, can you make it beautiful?
Can you paint it, change the handles, pop some wallpaper on the doors?
Can you let it live on rather than going to landfill?
This process will also help you uncover trinkets of joy you’d forgotten about, lurking in the back of a cupboard.
I’ve got a delightful china tea set my Granny bought me. It’s probably the most precious and sentimentally valuable thing I own, but where is it?
In a box in the garage.
Do I ever use it? Not really, I’ve probably had it out once or twice since she died a decade ago. And that’s now what I want for it.
So, it’s coming out and going on display. Because even if I don’t use it, it will spark joy every time I see it.
So this is your invitation to begin your home edit and embark on what could be a glorious interior design journey and fall even more in love with your home.