Organizing, Redesign & Staging

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Decluttering the Decor

Decluttering doesn't just apply to closets and pantries. Think about visual clutter -- that which makes a room look cluttered, messy or chaotic. To get a more serene look, you need to simplify. It can be as easy as removing magnets and notes from the front of the refrigerator. Or you could take out the bulk of little decorative tchotchkes, and instead focus on larger pieces that make a simple statement.


Don't overaccessorize. Leave places for your eyes to rest -- blank wall or floor space -- and allow the decorative items to pop out better. Too many times, I see clients putting out lots of stuff they love, but the irony is that because there is so much for the eye to take in, you don't really notice any of the stuff. None of the pieces gets the special attention you want it to attract! If you have large, striking furniture, you want to keep extra distractions to a minimum.

A interior design rule of thumb is to gather items in groupings based on similarities. For example, put items of the same color, material or type together (think: a collection of glass; a trio of vases; all the primitive dolls in one spot). Instead of spreading them out, putting items that are similar together makes a bolder statement, and draws your eye to a group of interest. If you look through home or decorating magazines, you'll notice that accessories are kept to a minimum but that the items have weight and substance. They generally avoid too-tiny knick-knacks.

Keeping things less cluttered allows special things to shine through and giving the impression that the room is cleaner and larger.