you can transform your current space into your dream space with just a little decluttering.
Trash, Treasure, or Transfer
First things first: let’s ditch those items that didn’t make it into your dream room. Life is short—so why live with things that don’t make you happy?
Common advice says to start small, and build up to larger tasks. Not a bad idea, but let’s do something different here—let’s do something BIG. Your living room houses some substantial items, and offers a great opportunity to start with a bang. Purging just one piece of unnecessary (or unloved) furniture can make a dramatic impact—and provide wonderful incentive to slog through smaller items. It’s like that ratty old chair or orphan end table is a giant plug in your stopped-up sink of stuff; and once you yank it out, it clears the way for a gush of clutter.
So focus first on your big stuff. Is every piece of furniture used regularly, or are some items there for no better reason than “they always have been”? Consider how you and your family use the room. Do you congregate on the couch or the floor? Does anyone ever sit in the corner chair? Does the console serve a useful purpose, or is it little more than a repository for junk? Would you have more room for activities (lounging, playing games, gathering for a movie) if you had fewer pieces of furniture?
By all means, don’t feel obligated to own certain items simply because they’re expected (as in, “My goodness, what would the neighbors think if we didn’t have a recliner?”). When my husband and I lived overseas, we decided we didn’t need a couch. Although we’d never seen a home without one, it simply didn’t suit our lifestyle (we had neither a TV, nor frequent visitors, and spent our evenings and weekends out on the town). Therefore, we furnished our living room with just two lounge chairs and a coffee table. Those three pieces were enough to meet our needs; anything more would have been too much.
If you target a major item you’d like to toss—but still feel a little hesitant—move it out of the room for a few days. Temporarily stow it in the basement or attic, and note if anyone misses it. Does its absence hinder your enjoyment of the room—or enhance it? Sometimes, simply moving a piece out of the way gives you a better perspective on it; and once it’s left its spot, it’s easier to sever ties with it.
After you’ve dealt with the large items, it’s time to move on to the smaller ones—and depending on your living room, there may be quite a few. Don’t panic; this is where we’ll break things up into smaller, more manageable tasks. The best way to tackle it: go shelf by shelf, drawer by drawer, pile by pile. (One shelf doesn’t sound so bad, does it?)
Simply clear off the contents (or dump them out), and sort them into your Trash, Treasure, and Transfer piles. Clean up any garbage that’s accumulated (like packaging, junk mail, and food wrappers), and send plates, glasses, and coffee cups to the sink. Comb through your collections of CDs, DVDs, and video games, and donate those that have fallen out of favor. Clear the magazine rack of outdated issues. Go through hobby supplies, board games, and books to make sure they’re in “active” use. Size up your knickknacks and decorative items, and pinpoint those that are truly Treasures (you know what to do with the rest!).
Most importantly, don’t rush through it. Take the time to do a thorough job—even if it takes weeks, or months, to sort through every last drawer. Such attentiveness will bring far greater rewards in the long run.
Reason for each item
Because of its public nature (and proximity to the front door), the living room can be a dumping ground for clutter. Therefore, you’ll need to be particularly vigilant that every object in the room actually belongs there. Remember, it’s a living room, not a storage room: only those things that are used by you (or your family) on a regular
Trash, Treasure, or Transfer
First things first: let’s ditch those items that didn’t make it into your dream room. Life is short—so why live with things that don’t make you happy?
Common advice says to start small, and build up to larger tasks. Not a bad idea, but let’s do something different here—let’s do something BIG. Your living room houses some substantial items, and offers a great opportunity to start with a bang. Purging just one piece of unnecessary (or unloved) furniture can make a dramatic impact—and provide wonderful incentive to slog through smaller items. It’s like that ratty old chair or orphan end table is a giant plug in your stopped-up sink of stuff; and once you yank it out, it clears the way for a gush of clutter.
So focus first on your big stuff. Is every piece of furniture used regularly, or are some items there for no better reason than “they always have been”? Consider how you and your family use the room. Do you congregate on the couch or the floor? Does anyone ever sit in the corner chair? Does the console serve a useful purpose, or is it little more than a repository for junk? Would you have more room for activities (lounging, playing games, gathering for a movie) if you had fewer pieces of furniture?
By all means, don’t feel obligated to own certain items simply because they’re expected (as in, “My goodness, what would the neighbors think if we didn’t have a recliner?”). When my husband and I lived overseas, we decided we didn’t need a couch. Although we’d never seen a home without one, it simply didn’t suit our lifestyle (we had neither a TV, nor frequent visitors, and spent our evenings and weekends out on the town). Therefore, we furnished our living room with just two lounge chairs and a coffee table. Those three pieces were enough to meet our needs; anything more would have been too much.
If you target a major item you’d like to toss—but still feel a little hesitant—move it out of the room for a few days. Temporarily stow it in the basement or attic, and note if anyone misses it. Does its absence hinder your enjoyment of the room—or enhance it? Sometimes, simply moving a piece out of the way gives you a better perspective on it; and once it’s left its spot, it’s easier to sever ties with it.
After you’ve dealt with the large items, it’s time to move on to the smaller ones—and depending on your living room, there may be quite a few. Don’t panic; this is where we’ll break things up into smaller, more manageable tasks. The best way to tackle it: go shelf by shelf, drawer by drawer, pile by pile. (One shelf doesn’t sound so bad, does it?)
Simply clear off the contents (or dump them out), and sort them into your Trash, Treasure, and Transfer piles. Clean up any garbage that’s accumulated (like packaging, junk mail, and food wrappers), and send plates, glasses, and coffee cups to the sink. Comb through your collections of CDs, DVDs, and video games, and donate those that have fallen out of favor. Clear the magazine rack of outdated issues. Go through hobby supplies, board games, and books to make sure they’re in “active” use. Size up your knickknacks and decorative items, and pinpoint those that are truly Treasures (you know what to do with the rest!).
Most importantly, don’t rush through it. Take the time to do a thorough job—even if it takes weeks, or months, to sort through every last drawer. Such attentiveness will bring far greater rewards in the long run.
Reason for each item
Because of its public nature (and proximity to the front door), the living room can be a dumping ground for clutter. Therefore, you’ll need to be particularly vigilant that every object in the room actually belongs there. Remember, it’s a living room, not a storage room: only those things that are used by you (or your family) on a regular
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