declutter your way to a home that’s more you-pg电子官方
when it comes to clutter, there’s no shortage of advice on how to quickly tame it. but according to ikea interior designer chiara effroi lutteri, the best way to stay on top of things is to take a deeply personalised approach.
while you can renovate or paint your way to a homelier home, it turns out, it’s the objects you choose to keep which make a home truly feel like yours. the life at home report 2022 revealed that 42% of people say it’s things they’ve brought themselves that make home a reflection of who they are.
but there’s a flipside to keeping all our beloved belongings. four in five people regularly feel frustrated at home. and that’s often down to having too much ‘stuff’.
what to do with our ‘stuff’?
interior design expert, chiara effroi lutteri, is all too familiar with this scenario, having inspired hundreds of customers to redesign and rearrange their home to better suit their needs.
“storage should be functional, beautiful and work to your lifestyle, ” she advises. “people tend to just hide things away because that’s what they think a tidy home should be. but the right storage should also allow you to put your prized possessions on display.”
of course, how much to display depends on your personality.
minimalist tendencies?
according to chiara, you should display objects with clean silhouettes and monochrome colour palettes.
more of a maximalist, or have lots of sentimental things you want to celebrate?
show off what you love, she exclaims. memory-laden belongings and unique personal taste can bring a wealth of character to a home.
how to get started
mess can be overwhelming. but like most things in life, the easiest way to start is to start small. “take a small area and have a goal that feels achievable,” says chiara. “maybe you can divide tidying that small area into even smaller steps.”
“by concentrating on one small task, or one small area, you can feel a happy sense of accomplishment once it’s done. and never try to do too much, because you can get lost in the process and lose track of what needs to be done next.”
the benefits of tidying away clutter are more than just emotional. there’s a sustainability aspect too, chiara explains. this is because the more you can see your belongings – the more inclined you are to use them, maintain them, or even sell them on if they’re no longer needed.
tips for decluttering at home
so, ready to banish the clutter? here are some practical tips that can help streamline your home – and allow it to better celebrate who you are.
1. consider unexpected storage spaces
look at your space beyond its four walls. rather, search for what makes your home a bit unique. high ceilings? consider vertical storage cabinets. or even the ceiling itself can be utilised for storage. awkward unused corners? turn it into an area to store and display.
this is about taking a step back from how you normally see the home, and instead, really taking it in from all different angles.
2. keep calm and group things
whether it’s travel mementos, family photos, or knick-knacks around the home – these items can look (and become) clutter when they’re spread out in different rooms.
however, instead of throwing them away, turn them into collections. this can be applied to anything you have an abundance of. the act of grouping makes them become more of a ‘single’ object, and therefore less clutter-like. and, by placing similar things together, you’ll be more inclined to know what you have too much of, or can live without.
3.make decluttering fun
it might feel like an onerous task while you’re at it, but for most people, it brings about a huge feeling of relief once it’s done. so, why not have a decluttering party?
set a plan for the day (or evening) among housemates or family members, and once you have that shared vision of what you want, get the party started. music and snacks will help everyone in the household come together and get the job done – with a positive mindset.