I’m a great believer in hanging on to the stuff you own, for you never know when you might need it. But decluttering my home recently taught me an important lesson. Your stuff can take over your living space and make your home ugly and cramped. Even your decor can add to the clutter.
My declutter decorating makeover didn’t cost any money. It was all about donating some things or storing them away in my garage. In the end, my home looked and felt cleaner, roomier and more beautiful. And to my surprise, I didn’t miss the clutter one bit.
My Living Room Declutter Makeover
I removed the bookcases from my living room and packed up the books. Many of them I sold at the used book store, receiving $74. My favorite books were stored in cupboards in my garage. I could still get to them when I wanted them, but they were no longer cluttering up my living room corner.
Next, I removed my grandfather clock from my cramped dining room and placed it in the empty living room corner.
I stored the chair and ottoman in my garage for later use. I also decluttered my decor, removing the colorful pillows and the silk shawl decorating the living room table.
Finally, I made the heart wrenching decision to donate my old piano to the Salvation Army, who picked it up for free. It was 38 years old and limited the quality of my playing. In fact, I had stopped playing the piano because I didn’t enjoy the instrument. Donating the piano decluttered the entryway to the living room. When I can afford to buy a new piano, I’ll buy a smaller one and place it in a different room.
My declutter decorating makeover opened up the living room space, making it look beautiful and bright. I now enjoy the room so much more than before.
My Basement Declutter Makeover
My basement became the depository for exercise machines, my massage chair, toys, DVDs and more. This part of the project would not be easy, but I wanted to reclaim the space.
I began by moving the exercise chair and treadmill to the garage, where I made room for them to be used. I then disassembled my elliptical and gave it to my son. I packed up all the DVD’s and toys and placed them in boxes in the garage.
Now that the room was mostly empty, I moved the massage chair to one corner, and, opposite, I placed the chair and ottoman that had been in my living room. I decluttered my decor by removing the paintings and hat from the fireplace wall.
My basement became a spacious room ideal for relaxing in the evening, enjoying a good massage or reading a book.
Tip: I stored the items in my garage in such a way that would allow me to access them again. Items that could be folded when unused (like the treadmill) didn’t take as much space as they otherwise might, while still making it easy to unfold them when needed.
