1. ACCEPTANCE IS KEY
The first step to downsizing is accepting that it must be done in the first place. If you’ve become overwhelmed by how to organize a room with too much stuff, then it’s more of a need than a want. Ben Soreff, Professional Organiser at House to Home Organizing explains that ‘downsizing is about accepting and embracing why you are downsizing in the first place. Acceptance is a large part of the transition’.
2. DO YOU ACTUALLY USE IT?
Downsizing is all about separating the items that you need and use from the items that no longer serve you. ‘We want to base everything on frequency of use. How hard is it to get again and how expensive,' explains Ben. 'These questions come in handy when considering storage ideas. Often if someone has lived in their space for a long time there is a large volume of stuff.’
‘The attic and basement may have not only the homeowners items, but items from their grandparents, parents and then on the flipside, items from their kids and possibly grandkids’. You have to be brutal and either donate or get rid of these multi-generational items if they’re no longer of use to you.
3. CURATE YOUR CLUTTER
Getting rid of your belongings can be an emotional detachment. To make sure you aren’t compromising on style once you’ve decluttered, be sure to take time to curate your items in a conscious way. Joshua Smith, Principal and Founder of Joshua Smith Interior Design says ‘to live our busy lives with family, kids, and pets, there's bound to be a lot of stuff! The important thing to keep in mind is how you corral the clutter, or in a collector's case, how you curate it’.
4. BE PROACTIVE
To avoid being too ruthless when it comes to how to declutter a room, try and be aware of continually downsizing. When you introduce something new to your home, consider what you could perhaps get rid of at the same time. Joshua suggests ‘making a habit of clearing clutter as you come across it and being proactive in putting things away. These small organizational actions can help you from blocking your joy in everyday life’. Downsizing also doesn't mean getting rid of every tiny item in your home. It can often mean finding the appropriate spot for something.
5. LEAVE NEGATIVE SPACE
How we decide to display our possessions once we’ve downsized can be the difference on whether our space looks considered or cluttered.