It’s that time of year again when it’s time to tackle the spring cleaning. I think everyone has those times when they fall out of love a bit with their homes, things feel a bit stagnant and un-loved. We can become obsessed with needing to change everything – the colour scheme, the furniture, the curtains. Unfortunately all these big changes come with a fairly hefty price tag so probably not an ideal solution to over come your monthly home funk. Instead I’m going to give you my 7 top ideas for de-cluttering your space. I’m not talking about a little dust and a hoover – no this is a serious spring clean and sort out. 

The matter of the fact is that life gets busy and things end up falling to the wayside, namely the tidiness and organisation of your house. So these ideas are here to help you, have a refresh and re-assess the situation and get ready to inject some love back into your home. 

1. Function over faff

When de-cluttering it’s really important to focus on the functionality of the space. For example in the kitchen have storage jars to contain things that use these every day and have these somewhere within easy reach, there’s no point using nice decorative objects that have no use as the kitchen needs to operate smoothly and efficiently. Also try freshening the kitchen up with potted fresh herbs and a big bright fruit bowl.

2. Avoid a nightstand nightmare

I bet many of you have experience at some point a bedside table that essentially becomes the home to every piece of essential but equally totally disposable item that has no home. Personally I really value my bedroom being a calm and tranquil place where I can relax so waking up and looking at a messy nightstand isn’t really ideal. 

So keep it organised and efficient. The main point to remember is make this a space that is practical but stylish. A trinket dish or small jewellery box is perfect for storing jewellery you take off at night. If you have a shelf under your nightstand then a basket or box is a great option for storage if you really can’t whittle down the bits and bobs you normally have sprawled everywhere. 

3. Style up your shelving

Shelving units are a great way to create an eye catching feature but at the same time provide a really great amount of storage. Intertwine decorative objects and photo frames with storage boxes and books. We love this Ashcroft box by Neptune and used it to style our recent Cotswolds project as see below. Rather than shoving your books onto the shelves create small piles with an object on top to create more of a styled look.

4. Take it back to the start

If you really want to have a proper sort out then I really advise getting everything out from all the shelves and worktops and put it all in a pile in the middle of the room. Then really think about what you want to keep and what no longer needs a place. Also have a play around with putting things in different places.

5. Re-use or re-cycle

The point above leads me onto the next tip. Once you have considered whether things have a use or not then we very selective and if something no longer works then give it to a new home. When you’ve collected bits over the years it’s easy to feel like you have to keep everything but it doesn’t hurt to have a sort out now and then and really think about what fits the space. Also don’t be afraid of empty space – you don’t have to fill every tiny gap. A bit of minimalism can be enough to transform a space. 

6. Don’t buy before you try

It can always be very tempting to think that the key to a tidy house is simply going out and buying every new storage system and box you can find. Unfortunately this is like buying new gym wear and thinking it’s the same as going to the gym – it doesn’t actually work. You’re much better to do the sorting out first so you’re able to know what storage you actually need to buy. 

7. Live in your living room (but tidy up afterwards!)

Naturally the lounge is a place where you want to relax, get cosy and probably not worry about the mess that’s created. I’m all for having lots of blankets sprawled out on the sofa and several mugs of tea of the coffee table. But my top tip for keeping this space de-cluttered is to have a quick whip round and tidy it up each evening.

This can be made so much easier by having a big basket for blankets – quickly fold them up and pop them in and it looks very tidy and purposeful instantly! Also it helps to have a bit of order to your coffee table. Follow our simple steps to styling your coffee table and it will make what used to be a bit of a mess instead look curated and intentional.  

Sources: Kitchen Styling | Bedside Table | Coffee Table