What better time of year to think about decluttering than Spring? A time of new beginnings and a fresh start, it’s the perfect opportunity to chuck out the clutter and chaos and take a more ordered and calm approach to your surroundings.
If like me, however, you may need a bit of encouragement and inspiration, worry not. Little Beau Sheep recently met up with home organising guru Kate Ibbotson from A Tidy Mindfor some top tips on discovering how less can mean more – especially in that all-important wardrobe zone…
LBS: Tell us a bit about yourself and your business Kate.
“No problem. I’m Kate and I run a decluttering and home organising business called A Tidy Mind. It’s my mission in life to help people struggling with too much stuff or battling disorder at home.”
Is that a modern dilemma? I can’t remember my mum or grandma worrying about it.
“These days, cheaper retail leads to an abundance of choice. Not necessarily a bad thing but it means we’re in danger of acquiring too many items which don’t really add value to our lives. Everyone needs a calm, functional home and it has a knock-on effect to a calm, content mind too.”
That’s so true. Everything seems so much better when the house is tidy.
“Tidying has always been a bit like therapy for me – I find it so relaxing. Some people go for a massage – I tidy out a wardrobe! As a youngster – and like most kids – I was not tidy. But it didn’t take long before I made the connection that if my bedroom was chaotic, that affected my mood.”
What affect does tidiness have on you?
“I remember being quite young and feeling inspired to give my bedroom a makeover. I cleared out the clutter, ensured everything had a place and colour coded my clothes. I immediately felt more inspired, energetic and secure. It felt like my own refuge – a place to centre myself and a hub of positive energy. I see my home the same way today and I believe everyone deserves their own little sanctuary.”
So where’s a good place to start?
“If I’m working with a client and we’re doing a whole house declutter and organise, I often suggest starting with the wardrobe. It’s one of the first places you see in the morning and the last you see at night. When you open your wardrobe, you’re seeing a representation of yourself. When you dress, you’re putting on your armour for the day.”
“It has so much power over how you feel and how you present to other people. You need ‘go-to’ outfits that you knowmake you feel and look good. You need storage to work for you so you can see what you own. You need habits and routines which maintain that order.”
Okay, so how do we begin re-working our wardrobes?
“Getting the right storage is key. I normally suggest waiting until the end to look at storage but wardrobes are the exception to the rule. They’re a limited space so it’s easier to see and there are only so many storage products that work well with wardrobes.
What type of storage solutions are we talking here?
| “In drawers, use dividers so you can separate small items like socks, underwear and accessories. Consider putting ‘out of season’ clothes in enclosed boxes and storing on top of a wardrobe or under the bed – but do label so you can see what’s in them at a glance. ‘Skinny hangers’ save 30% space and create a uniform look.” |
A helping hand from Little Beau Sheep When storing washed woollens over summer, a spritz of lavender linen spray or a laundry ball or two with a dab of lavender fragrance will keeps things fresh and moths at bay! |
“Then, look at your wardrobe, drawers and the space you have around them. Would you benefit from adding an extra rail, additional shelving or hooks on the wall which you could use for bags or scarves? Are you utilising every inch of space?”
How do you choose what to keep and what to let go?
“Decluttering is not about depriving yourself or losing anything. It’s about learning to cherish what you have! When you declutter your wardrobe, keep in mind that everything you keep should make you feel fabulous and bring you joy.”
Are we looking at a weekend’s work here?
“Carve out some uninterrupted time to have a sort out but don’t try to sort everything in a couple of hours. You’ll exhaust yourself. So split things into categories and finishing one category before starting on another”.
“Start with sock drawer. Or your knicker drawer. Or your jeans. Dresses etc. Have charity bags and bin bags ready, plus an ‘action pile’ for things which need mending/cleaning etc. Ask yourself: Do I feel good in this? Would I buy it if I saw it today? Do I have something else similar I would choose above this?”
What’s the best way to organise and store the clothes you keep?
“Once you’ve streamlined down your clothes into only those which add true value to your life, you can look at how to organise your wardrobe.”
“People tend to think hanging clothes saves room but actually, even with skinny hangers, you can get a lot more clothes into drawers than you can on a rail. But forget folding clothes and then piling them on top of each other, this will just create a crumpled mess over time. The key is to fold each garment so that it basically stands up on its own, aka the Marie Kondo technique”
You mentioned categorising clothes earlier. How should we go about that?
“Turn your attention to your hanging space in the wardrobe. Think about whether you want to separate out clothes into work, occasion and casual.”
“Colour coding can work well though. We normally chose what to wear based on colour, so coding makes it simple to find what you’re looking for. It also creates a deeply aesthetically pleasing look. And it stops you buying another black top if you don’t need one. Simply start with dark colours on the left, working your way up to lighter colours and white. You might want to have a section somewhere in the middle for patterned clothing.”
Any other tips to stay on top of the clutter?
“Absolutely. Develop effective habits and routines. Most of us do laundry every day, particularly if we have kids. Where a lot of my clients struggle is putting dry clothes away, resulting in a build-up of clothes just hanging around taking up space.”
“Make it a rule that one load of dry washing has to be put away before the next load gets done. It makes a 5-minute job a 10-minute job but if you see it as one task, it’s never too onerous.”
“Another routine might be choosing your outfit for the next day and laying it out. It means one less decision to make in the morning and creates more headspace for the day ahead. You might want a hook, clothes horse or mannequin to lay your outfit on to. The rest of your bedroom can then be straight with everything in its correct place, to prepare for a restful night’s sleep.”
Thanks so much Kate. Some great ideas and inspiration for a wardrobe workout!
If you want to conquer the clutter in your home, why not find out more about Kate’s company A Tidy Mind?
