Clear the decks before the fun begins
Christmas can be stressful enough as it is without feeling like ‘stuff’ is getting on top of you and your guests. Why wait until the new year to make time for a proper clear out? Create the most harmonious festive season you can, by making room way before the post-Christmas lack of motivation sets in.
Here are my top tips to getting started:
1. Identify Clutter Zones
Look back at the year and focus on the spaces that have tended to be your clutter zones.
Assess why this is and be ruthless in your endeavours. Anything you haven’t used in 2023 needs to go to charity.
Make sure you empty your drawers and wardrobes as those neglected items will be sulking at the back.
Clutter-free bedrooms, for example, are incredibly important in promoting a sense of calm and well-being, and are spaces where we go to recharge at Christmas.
Try to prioritise these rooms that provide a sanctuary, along with the most used areas of your home, so you can feel the impact sooner, however small.
Remember this is about making a start, so try not to bite off more than you can chew.
You won’t be able to re-organise your entire home before Christmas so try and select the smaller jobs that help relieve stress rather than cause it.
2. Love Labelling
Group similar items together when sorting through what it is you’ll keep. You may know in your head what and where these groups are, but if you live with other people, they may need some help.
Labelling baskets, cupboards and drawers on the inside gives everyone a helping hand and will make it more likely you won’t need to spend so long decluttering next Christmas.
I personally like to put things into three piles when having a clear out: keep, consider and donate. The consider pile often needs reassessing multiple times but that’s all part of the process.
3. Plan to Regift
It can be incredibly useful to reserve a cupboard or some underbed storage for unwanted gifts.
Let’s be honest, we all get them and by creating a dedicated space where we can store them to regift at a later date – will not only save you money but also valuable space, by planning ahead.
If you’ve run out of cupboard space, baskets and boxes lend a structured form, so great for underbeds where I keep most of mine.
4. Extend the Invitation
It’s amazing how small our homes can feel at Christmas time as we fill every inch with decorations and yet suddenly feel the need to invite everybody over.
Maximise space within living areas where most people congregate and find a balance between display and practicalities.
Media units with integrated shelving are great but if you don’t have one of these, then regular shelving can also house storage baskets that go a long way in hiding any unsightly clutter that builds up.
5. Cherish The Guestroom
Christmas is the perfect excuse to tackle the guest room, which can often be neglected or become a dumping ground.
Rather than letting it fester and shoving everything under the bed when somebody comes to stay, how about really taking the time to make the use of this room?
Guests don’t generally need a huge amount of hanging or drawer space as they’re only there for a few days. Organised properly, the guest room can become the home for out of season clothes or other items that you don’t need daily access to.
6. Banish Shoe Mountain
Take a good look at high traffic areas like hallways. Is it merry or just messy? If you’re too close to the problem then ask a friend for their opinion to get a fresh pair of eyes.
Hallways are often most impacted at Christmas by huge winter coats and a lack of shoe storage. Utilising dead space underneath the stairs can be most effective with dedicated shoe racks providing further organisation.
Try also to make use of the top shelves in cupboards which can offer invaluable storage if organised properly.
7. Prepare for 2024
Make sure you have appropriate storage in place in all rooms so you don’t get in a mess again in 2024.
If there just isn’t the space for everything you have, you may need to be even more ruthless and accept that you just don’t have the capacity.
Going forward you will need to be unyielding when it comes to the clutter you’ve accumulated. Chances are you won’t ever actually need half the items in your drawer, but that extra space will allow you to breathe and relax more within your home.
Declutter and transform your home this Christmas
If you want to begin your clutter free transformation, Sharps have lots of tailor-made solutions so all your beautiful things will have a place to call home. Our fitted furniture is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside with colour-matched interior storage that maximises every millimetre of space.
Every Design Visit is absolutely free, so if you need advice on how to achieve the clutter free space you want, book your appointment today.
