Wishful Thinking

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could wave our hands and the room before us transformed into the space of our dreams. And yet, you don’t have to be a designer to clear out years of junk. Or rethink a decade’s worth of photographs that have become part of the shelves. Or clean out the kitchen cupboards of unused and chipped crockery. A little focused time and effort and you can transform a tired, unloved space.

To achieve the ‘Designer Look’ of organised, clear and calm spaces the secret is quite simply: little and often. We have to put in effort to tidy clutter from living spaces. Keep on top of cleaning as you go, then you won’t have to psyche yourself up for ‘huge cleaning days!’

Little and Often

It’s a great mantra to live by, ‘Little and Often’ will help you focus and feel in control. And once you’ve created good habits the overwhelming feeling will cross your mind less often.

But even with good practices, clutter can wiggle its way back into the décor of daily life—especially with children! As American comedian Phyllis Diller once said, “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shovelling the sidewalk before it stops snowing”.

Whatever Works

Find the motivation that works for you and realistically allocate your time. Involve the children and bring out the inner-designer in them. Make achievable lists and tackle one task at a time. If there are any tasks left on the list at the end of the day, put them on the top of the new list for another day. Therefore, no list ever becomes overwhelming and unachievable.

Remember, the designer look may have been staged to perfection for photographic shoots. Apply the concept of little and often and you’ll feel like you’re one step closer to your ideal.