How To Clear Your Clutter & Freshen Your Home Decor In One Weekend

Still not grasping the de cluttering idea? Here is my no nonsense approach that also involves some creative thinking and decorating.

First a confession I have not looked at or read any info on de cluttering. Why? Because as a decorator I feel like I should certainly know how to create a clutter free home. But…. I don’t always make the time for it. Hence my challenge that you can get this done in one weekend!

If there is one thing I have noticed (unwittingly and unwillingly) during all of these Zoom calls we have been privy to during and after Covid, it is this… people have way too much clutter going on inside their homes. There is stuff everywhere, covering every surface. Stuff and clutter we’ll call it. Even with all of these de cluttering videos [making people famous] I am still seeing this problem.

And I get it, for people who are not visual like me. Maybe they don’t even see this, or if they do they don’t care. They are so used to having all of their things about and just don’t notice how messy it looks. But..? have you ever toured some model homes in new developments? Doesn’t it feel like you could just move right in and be happy? Doesn’t it feel more calming, less stressful. It is completely free of clutter!

Here is my easy 4 step plan

Schedule a weekend. Take one room or several rooms. Put every single stray object lying around on surfaces such as hall tables, bookshelves, consoles, dining table, nightstands etc. (from a vase to a box of kleenex) into a pile in the middle of the room (or somewhere). Then go through each item one by one using the following criteria.

Step 1 – Do I need this item? What purpose does it serve? Am I attached to this item? Do I want it? If not then toss this in a thrift shop box. Hint: take as many things as you can to the thrift store as this is a more sustainable way to deal with things. Someone else can likely use it. If yes continue..

Step 2 – Can this be put away in a cupboard, closet, or drawer or pantry in some sort of organized fashion? If yes then put it there. If no continue…

Step 3 – If the item is something you want and cannot put away, then do you want to display it? If yes set aside

Step 4 – Put all items to be displayed in one big group. This is where we can renew the look of our home. Take a look at all of your display items and decide if you can re arrange these to create all new displays in different rooms. I find that most items in my home are of a similar style and can be “mixed and matched” so to speak, in different places.

Put any necessary items where they need to be on surfaces.

Play around with colors, grouping, and height when arranging until you find the right combo. Take a look at my post on How To Create Flow In Your Home using one color.

Do this in each room that needs it, yes, even the bathroom! Here we can alleviate visual boredom and create a whole new look for our home without spending any money.

Now you may decide that you need a few new items to finish off the display for example some frames or pillar candles or a faux (or real) plant are things that you can always add to a display to freshen it up.

STAY TUNED for my companion post on how to decorate/arrange display items on bookshelves, consoles, mantels and any other such flat surfaces. Hint: I will be including helpful diagrams.

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