Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

What Do You Like?

Maybe it’s the arrival of spring. Or the feeling that we’re finally turning the corner with COVID. This week, the people I was working with were full of energy and hope, and ready to shed years of accumulation. Interestingly, three different clients observed that they had never really planned their homes, they’d just evolved, and now, they saw how the work they were doing to declutter was creating an opportunity to fashion their homes into something that they really like, because they were finally understanding what that was.

Of course, these clients know what they like; they have very definite opinions about art and music and food. But part of the reason their homes were an afterthought was because they were out and about, living their best lives. Interior design wasn’t a priority. They’d inherited stuff from family or ex-partners or neighbors who’d moved away, and didn’t give much thought to whether it was what they really needed.

Decluttering is a wonderful way to learn what it is you like—and what you need. And even though not everyone is concerned with décor, per se, it is nice to have a home that pleases you, reflects your taste—and is perhaps a space you want to invite friends to, if you choose.

That doesn’t mean going out and buying a ton of new stuff.

As with all things, I advise balance. Ask yourself if you really like your stuff, or if it is just what you ended up with. If you hate something, but you need it, replace it with a solution you like.

None of my clients were really looking to get more stuff. But as they were letting go of old stuff, their spaces were coming together. Less clutter let them focus on the things they really cared about more, both artistically and practically. One client let go of her late husband’s posters and hung up a painting she always loved. Another was able to organize and display a collection better because he got rid of stuff he didn’t need that was crowding cabinets.

It’s always amazing to me that despite how many years I have been doing this work, and as well as I know some of you, I can never gauge what you are going to keep and what you are going to let go of. And that is kind of the point: It isn’t my home, it’s yours, and it should reflect your taste, and your history.

When you ask yourself what you truly love in your home, and let go of things that no longer move you (if they ever did), you will create a home that’s more conscious, more planned and more you.