Do you dream of having a calm and beautiful home? Is peaceful living a goal of yours? The beautiful Kirsty Greentree from Project Sort has shared with me some helpful hints for how to make a relaxed home possible. I hope you enjoy this week’s Q&A blog post. Click here to let me know what you’d like to hear about in my future blogs.
Why do you do what you do?
Hi! I’m Kirsty from Project Sort. My passion is to help you to say goodbye to overwhelm in your space by creating an organised and functional, yet beautiful home or office - yes you can have both!
How can I manage my living room so that it serves the kids during the day and the adults after bedtime?
I have three key pointers for you:
- Depending on the age of your children, get them involved in packing away items. Instead of “cleaning up”, approach it as a reset for the next day.
- Find yourself some hidden storage solutions that also function as décor like large woven baskets that can contain visual clutter quickly.
- Toy storage is an ongoing battle for many families – I can completely relate! Sorting toys and activities into baskets, containers and tubs is a great start. You can then encourage your children to have only one or two tubs out at a time.
I work from home a few days a week and I know some of my readers do too. How can I make sure my home office doesn’t take over my house?
I love this question!
Portability and organisation is key. Decide which items are essential for your work day and corral them together to create your “Office in Box” (or tray or bag). Choose the storage solution that best fits your essential work items. This will allow them to be easily packed away at the end of your working day, and brought out again the next morning.
Separate your items inside using clear document wallets that allow you to quickly and easily see what you have.
Some other ideas to consider:
- Invest in a wireless printer. Clear the clutter and pop it inside a cupboard or wardrobe (power point permitting).
- Power up. If you find yourself becoming frustrated at moving your laptop charger every day, invest in a better solution. You can purchase portable chargers that will allow you to charge on the go or you may even decide to purchase another charging cable altogether to minimise the “unplug and replug.”
Do you know any ways to make my home feel calm and relaxed?
Clear the clutter. This really does help calm the mind and will free up space in your day. Less clutter = less cleaning! Minimising excess clutter has also been found to stimulate creativity. You can create a beautiful and calming space by stripping everything back and only adding in what you love, like a cherished piece of art for example.
Do you have any tips for organising art materials?
This really depends on the space you’re working with and what you’re attempting to store.
- My favourite way to organise kids craft is using a trolley to store everything in one place.
- Declutter first, organise second.
- Set Space Limits. A space limit is a self-imposed limit on how much room a category of items is allowed to take up. Once the space limit is reached, it’s then time to declutter.
What is your number one tip for maintaining an organised home?
Ruthlessly edit what comes into your home. Do you need it, will you use it, what does the object mean to you? Can I be without this item for a while?
Keeping organised truly is an ongoing journey which requires constant maintenance. Once you’ve got systems in place it becomes easier to answer these questions when choosing what you bring into your home.
And I just have to ask, what do you think of Marie Kondo’s approach?
I’m a total Marie fan girl! I even stayed up to wait for her Netflix show to be released so I could be one of the first to binge watch it. I actually found myself getting emotional watching people find joy in their homes.
A quote I love:
“Once we rid ourselves of the unnecessary, we’re able to decide what will define our lives" - Joshua Becker.
This is true for our homes as well. By clearing away unnecessary clutter, you will free yourself to appreciate the items that spark the most joy like this gorgeous original artwork.
To see more from Kirsty, follow here on Instagram, Facebook and check out her website here.
Ros
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