The Adored Abode

I am not a minimalist by any means, but I do love for my home to feel tidy and be free of clutter. I have always been a fairly tidy person, but I have my areas that tend to be dropping zones and accumulate all the things. Our office and basement are the main culprits. Since we have moved into our new house I have made great efforts to make our home as clutter free as possible. To me a home that is not filled with unwanted or unneeded clutter is a more relaxing home. When my house is cluttered, my mind feels cluttered. Is anyone else like that? I want our home to be relaxing and welcoming, and for myself minimizing the clutter is the first step to achieving that.

In my de-cluttering journey the past few years I have found myself coming back to these 5 tips regularly. I wanted to share with you in case you too are wanting a home that feels less cluttered.

1 – ONLY KEEP WHAT YOU USE AND LOVE

I used to be (and still fall prey to it sometimes) an impulsive shopper. I would buy things because they were “cute”, without a plan, or a place for items. 2019 has been my year of becoming a more mindful shopper. This is definitely common sense, but I want to share in case someone else out there needs to here it like me – being a more mindful shopper not only saves your wallet by not buying items you ultimately don’t need or want, but it also is better for the environment because it can help combat overconsumption. I try to keep a list on my phone of items I need or want, and only buy items from the list. I do allow myself some leeway and veer from the list occasionally, but overall, I have done so much better and it really feel empowered when I find something I have truly been wanting or needing. That being said, it is absolutely okay to donate or sell items that you’ve previously purchased that you don’t love or use like you thought you would. Actually, I have found it freeing to do so. I was amazed at how much physical possessions could weigh me down.

Another area this relates to is items that were gifted or passed on from others – I used to always feel like I had to keep gifts from others because I felt bad if I didn’t. I still feel a little bad giving something a new home if someone gave it to me, but if it is not something I love, cherish, or use I have learned that it is alright to re-home it because otherwise it is likely collecting dust in my house because it does not spark joy. I’m not a full Marie Kondo convert, but I do really like her ideas and principles.

How to implement: I find it easiest to take one room or area at a time. Make a list of each area you want to tackle and make a written plan to do so. Read: put it on your calendar! If I don’t schedule something for myself it won’t get done. I would physically write one area from my de-clutter list on my calendar each weekend (“organize linen closet”). Do one area a weekend. If you feel like you have a lot of possessions to go through you may want to start small (junk drawer, linen closet, or even a crowded bookshelf) and work your way out from there.

2 – HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

A place for everything is something I strive for in our home. If an item doesn’t have a “home” or a designated place to live in your home do you really need it? We still really need to find a designated  home for items that are currently dumped in our office, basement, and garage. I have been itching to get this completed, but it does take time, especially in larger areas like these. Hoping to get to them this summer! I know we will have few “lost” tools and trinkets after we designate a place for everything. 

How to implement: Take time to really evaluate your possessions. If you really do need it or love it FIND a place for it and keep it there always. You will thank yourself later.

3 – STORE ITEMS WHERE YOU USE THEM

This goes right along with #2. When you find a “home” for an item make sure it is a home that makes sense with how you use the item.

How to implement: Think through how you use each item. If you use it in the bathroom, keep it in the bathroom drawer. If you use it in the living room, keep it in the living room. For example, my purse, work bag, and one seasonal coat live on a hook in our make shift mud room in the entry from the garage entry. The only time I need these items is when I am leaving the house, so this area is a very convenient location to keep these items. Other special occasion purses and the rest of my jackets live in the closet and I rotate them out as needed.

4 – EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

This tip goes along with #2 and #3. After you find a home for an item that makes sense (i.e. where you use the item) try to only put this item away here, unless it is in use – make it a habit. You will always know where to find things and it will result in fewer lost items.

How to implement: Try very hard to make yourself only put each item back in its designated location after each time you use it. This one really just takes practice and if you are diligent about it, it should become habit. Just make sure both you and your partner or roommates are on the same page with this one, other wise you still might find that items get “lost”, when they are really just not put away in the place you designated. I may be speaking from experience here 😊. This would be much harder with little ones in the house – I don’t have any tips on that yet!

5 – REEVALUATE REGULARLY

Once you complete an initial decluttering you will probably want to reevaluate each area at least once a year. Your needs and wants change, so your definition of “clutter” will change with that.

How to implement: I keep a “donate” and a “sell” box in our basement. If I come across an item that I no longer want or need I will put in the appropriate box. I do this ad hoc, but I also have set a reminder on my phone for every 6 months to go through certain areas of our house that I know are trouble zones for us. When I do these larger declutterings I will also take the time to list the items in my “sell” pile on Facebook Marketplace (my preferred selling location) and take any donations to our local thrift store. I want you to keep in mind that decluttering your home will not happen overnight! It’s a process that takes time if you are going to do it right, so don’t get discouraged! Like I mentioned before, take it slow, super slow if you need to. Over time you will start to notice a major difference. I have been on my clutter free quest for going on 3 years now! That may sound like a long time, but the initial “big” declutterings happened shortly after we moved into our house (we should have done it before we moved…) and I have been tweaking my process ever since. My needs, wants, priorities, tastes, and style have changed even just over these 3 short years so I am always re-evaluating.