By Kylie Harding
Styled to Sell
Perfection is overrated – it’s not just something I tell myself and my clients; it’s something I truly believe.
Most of us don’t want to live in a display home devoid of personality – our homes should reflect who we are and show off things we love. Living in clutter, however, has been shown to affect our mental and physical health, so how do we find balance?
DECLUTTERED DOESN’T MEAN MINIMALIST.
Decluttering is not the same as stripping everything back to essentials.
It is removing unnecessary items from an untidy or overcrowded place, and only you can decide what is unnecessary.
DON’T MISTAKE CLUTTERED FOR COSY.
Hygge is the Scandinavian concept for cosy – time away from the rush, time to enjoy simple indulgent pleasures like candlelight and comfort food – it is more about slowing down and relaxing; cosy doesn’t involve surrounding yourself with ‘stuff.’
MY SELF-IMPOSED DECLUTTERING RULES.
As a stylist and a sentimental person, I am tempted by beautiful things every day… So I have strict rules I follow – rules my family loves reminding me about (often). I also call in the experts sometimes.
ONE THING IN, ONE THING OUT
No matter what it is – whether it’s a new dress or a vase, if I bring it into the house, something must leave.
A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE.
Scissors in the kitchen drawer, passports in the filing cabinet – life is less stressful when you know where things are and saves you money by not buying multiples of one thing – sticky tape anyone?
If your rice cooker needs to live in the laundry, then it’s time to clear a space for it in the kitchen where it belongs.
If your house doesn’t have good storage there are beautiful baskets for children’s toys, vacuum bags for excess clothes, and beds with base storage – make storage your friend.
HORIZONTAL SURFACES ARE FOR DISPLAYING, NOT STORING.
Have a lovely console in your entrance? Display a bunch of flowers and bowl for keys – not every book you own or everyone’s hats and shoes. The same goes for dining tables, bedside tables and chairs in bedrooms – they are not wardrobes.
WE ALL HAVE EXCUSES NOT TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND GET STARTED. “I HAVE NO TIME”.
Set your timer and put on some music – start with 15 minutes and one area, like the dining table. I promise you the sight of a table set for a lovely meal with friends will put a smile on your face every time you walk past it.
Make sure you take before and after photos too – it’s good to be reminded of your progress.
“I’M TERRIBLE AT MAKING DECISIONS”.
You don’t always have to throw things out – sorting them and putting them into a box and then out of sight to make the final decision later is ok. 12 months later, if you haven’t missed anything it’s highly unlikely you want or need them.
– move them on.
“MY WARDROBE IS A MESS, AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START”.
Fantastic Finds and Fabulous Things personal stylist Meaghan Smith suggests taking time to think about what clothes represent who you are now – pieces that work for you and your lifestyle. Once you’ve identified this, letting go of things is easy.
“I HAVE SO MANY SENTIMENTAL THINGS; I WANT TO KEEP THE MEMORIES ALIVE”.
Mel McNamara from A Place to Call Home came across this situation so many times over the years in her role as a stylist – she created a company that takes professional photos and documents the stories of the people and the memories created in the home and compiles a beautiful coffee table book that honours the memories and can be passed onto future generations.
GIVE BACK
There are many local charities that will be grateful to receive your donations. Regularly decluttering my boys’ toy boxes was easier once I explained to them that there are many children in our society that would love to receive things they had duplicates of or had outgrown.
In my role volunteering for a charity that sets up havens for women and children displaced by family violence I have seen first-hand how your donations change lives.
SURRENDER AND ACCEPT.
For those of you who like to be surrounded by walls full of photos, get lost in a mountain of cushions on the sofa and have your entire library of books piled up around you – embrace it. It’s your space and it should feed your soul.
I’m off now to take a bag full of clothes to the local Salvos. Happy Styling!
