January is all about feeling a bit more in control. I don’t believe in setting demanding OTT resolutions (they just make you miserable in my opinion), but I know we all strive to do a little bit better and feel like we can be our best selves happier, more productive, less stressed, more organised… I could go on and on! This year I’m going to start as I mean to go and cast a critical eye over areas in my pad that could do with a bit of a tweak.
First up – the hallway. The big thing for me here is organising. I kind of love how the hallway looks really, it’s all painted Mulberry Red with dripping chandeliers, a burnished gold table and my favourite Keep Calm + Carry On giant canvas! So it’s not that that’s the issue, but how often it’s used as a dumping ground. I know it l0oks pretty fab underneath the clutter, but what’s the use in that if I can’t see it?? So here’s how I intend to get that little bit more organised in the hallway…
Storage, storage & more storage
I can’t deal with mess. Obviously my pad is no way minimalist, but I still need order so that I can think. Some people (namely two in particular in this house, ahem AHEM Mungo and G,) are the messiest people on the planet. Toys, bones, paperwork, socks, stuff on the floor, dumped on the stairs. Drives me potty. Leaving things lying around is a recipe for a mental break down I reckon. So storage is pretty key for the hallway, whether you’ve got a cabinet or even baskets stashed beneath a console. At least some storage has to be closed off with doors or drawers so I can shut away all the ugly stuff such as parking permits, leads, bits and bobs basically – necessary but ugly so they need to be stashed out of the way.
Declutter (at least a little)
When do you know if you have too much stuff? This is a question I am continually asked. My answer is a simple one, trust your intuition! If you walk into a space and feel like it’s looking and more importantly feeling a little bit too clogged up it’s time for a clear out!
I have a in built radar if I’m honest when it comes to adding stuff. The minute I put something on a shelf, table or bookcase and it feels wrong is the second it comes off. The hallway table has a lamp, a sculpture, a bowl of my favourite pot pourri (can’t get enough of it!) a brass bowl for my keys and spare change, a plant… and that’s it. Nothing else gets dumped there, otherwise it tips over from gorgeously styled entrance way to a mass of letters and paperwork. I’ve played with all sorts of arrangements but that’s what works for me – not too much, not too bare, just right.
Decluttering is quite cathartic I kind of quite like pottering around, editing things around and switching things up. Not forgetting however that you get rid of too much and then things will look bleak. It’s a fine line!