Declutter to Design
The biggest mistake I see in my initial home visits is clutter. The wrong item, in the wrong place just to fill the space. I think as humans we all want a comfortable living space. Some more full of items and others more simple, but we all want our kind of comfort. Many of us can not live with a blank wall and so we throw something up to fill the space. Usually it is something that has little thought, is not sentimental and most likely has little monetary value or value to the home. I don’t fault any client for this because it is such common mistake and I understand. I did meet a dream client (in this category, I honestly have a lot of dream clients for one reason or another). She had lived in her home for two years. She did not place anything just to fill a space. In fact she said when she had company they would ask if she was about the paint. She values putting the right item in the right place. Therefore she will not just buy what she can afford now or through up an old handy me down. She will patiently wait to fill the space with the right item. As I said in my previous post I personally always have a running list. I’ll be honest it does not sit to well with Taylor. But it gives me goals, dreams, things to look forward to, achieve, and save for.
When we moved in to our home a year ago we lived without drapes for three to six months including in bedrooms. I rolled up and pinned my fashionable black, paper shades daily. Yes black you see less from the street than white. We also had no headboard, dust ruffle, side tables, decorative pillows and we used a queen comforter (or I did) on our king bed for six months plus. I didn’t want the wrong thing in the wrong place. So I searched, saved, waited and the result was worth the wait.
Back to your plan to declutter. Set aside ten minutes a day to walk in a room and look around. Do you love it? Do you need it? Is it sentimental? If “the answer is NO, NO, NO” (sorry couldn’t help it) then it is time to get rid of it. I do not care how whether you sell it on this trading site or that, have a garage sell or donate it….JUST GET RID OF IT. This will provide you with a mental, fresh start and a starting point to design your home to its best ability to serve you and your family both visually and productively.
Finally, Declutter your home and call me so we can get busy with design.
"This project was a study in editing. What would stay, what would go. As with any relationship, there was extra baggage that need to go." Ray Booth, Milieu Spring 2016 Issue
No comments:
Post a Comment