Making my house a home I want to live in
I have been a homeowner since 1995, and in all of that time, I have never really had my home the way I want it.
Often, by the time I get around to doing something, like updating my textiles or buying a new piece of furniture, they are out of fashion, unavailable or I am just not “feeling them” anymore.
Another issue I have is that I am a big fan of lists and micro-planning.
This means that while I have some very grand plans and thoughts as to how it should look, I am always working on the preliminary ideas rather than actually executing them. I’ve got vision boards for days!
Now I’m realising that I have spent the last 20 or so years accumulating so much stuff that before even thinking about redecorating, the house will need a darn good declutter.
Marie Kondo has a point; why do we have so much stuff in our homes that we don’t really want?
There are loads of websites, books and T.V shows that will tell you how to make your home ‘Instagram worthy‘, but what if all you want is for it to be comfortable, tidy and homely?
Make room for yourself
Sometimes you just want to have a clear space where you can sit and read without having to move the ironing first. What if you all want is to be able to find things when you want them? Maybe you just need a few ideas to get you going.
This part of the site is where you will be able to see all my sorry attempts at finally getting my house together; I’d like to be refitting a tiny bathroom, attempting to decorate on a budget and planning a bedroom for my sons to share. But first? I need to do a bit of decluttering.
My house feels like it has been a permanent work in progress, and I just want to get to a place where I can be happy with it.
So I am starting over and clearing everything out. Come join me on my mission.
Decluttering posts
5 reasons why you should give your home a declutter:
While having a picture-perfect home may be your end goal, there are a lot of other benefits to giving your home a major declutter. In this post, we look at 5 good reasons why you should give it a go.
5 things you can do today to clear the clutter
As the title suggests, here are 5 things you can do now that will start you off on your own decluttering journey. I even give a few book suggestions…
Why you should declutter alone:
After reading an article about decluttering with other people – and then realising that that just makes the whole process more difficult, I wrote this piece on why it is definitely easier to go it alone.
Three tips for dealing with your post-clear out clutter:
There are 3 main things you can do with that big pile of clutter once you have finished tidying – and we look at all of them here.
Minimalism posts
My journey into Minimalism – Making a Start:
I think my main problem with minimalism is that it doesn’t really gel with my current lifestyle. While I love the aesthetic, realistically I can’t have a near-empty house – there are 3 other people here!
This post is where it all begins; how I made my start and who inspired me to do it.
Some ‘must-reads’ before you start your declutter:
It feels hard sometimes; we’re overwhelmed by the sheer job ahead of us and feel guilty for any time we spend doing something that isn’t directly connected to our goals. Well, you don’t need to beat yourself up. Reading about your goals is almost as good as working towards them; consider it research!
Good Bye Things – How compatible is minimalism to family life?
Fumio Sasaki is an extreme minimalist -he doesn’t even own a chair! Perhaps this works for a single man in Tokyo, but can his ideas be adapted to work in an average family home?
Houses & Home Interiors
Houseplants: Why you should have a few in your home
Brighten up your life – and home – with a few plats. You will be surprised by the benefits.
5 things the charity shops definitely don’t want:
After a chat with my daughter Hannah, who is the manager of a local charity shop, I was disturbed to learn what some people consider to be suitable donations. Do not put these things into your charity bags!
