Do you have a closet full of decor stuff? Do you have boxes and boxes of seasonal decor? Is your basement full? Is your attic full?
I know we love to rotate things so that our rooms always look fresh. I know I am moving things around a lot. And I do enjoy adding new (old) things to my home. But you know what? When I add something new, I get rid of something old. I sell it or I give it away. Yes I have some seasonal decor that I store, but very little, only my favorites.
How do I store my decorating supplies? I don’t. That right, I don’t.
My personal rule is that if it is going in a closet or the attic, I have to get rid of it. I am not saying you have to live by that rule. I’m just saying that if I don’t have room to display it, then I truly try to get rid of it. When we moved to the current house, I got rid of a ton of things. We downsized from 5 bedrooms to 3. Did it bother me getting rid of stuff? No, it was so freeing. I kept my favorites and got rid of the overflow. Did I regret it later? Well there might be a few things I wish I had kept, but I am so happy I got rid of 99% of what I did get rid of. Yes there is the risk you might change your mind down the road, but I think it is still worth it.
So what if you truly love your stuff, and you just want to store it. Well you can use baskets under tables, armoires instead of dressers, and you can put baskets on top of the armoires or cupboards.
My suggestion is to set out fewer things. The way to make that work is to set out the best things, the things that you love. If you don’t love it, get rid of it; sell it or give it away.
Of course I cheat. I buy new things all the time, and then I sell the things I am tired of, and give some things away. This way my collections gets more and more curated. I don’t sell the newest stuff, I sell the stuff that I am not attached to.
The point is to CURATE your collection. Only keep the very best things and sell or give away the rest. I know it seems scary, but I was so happy after I did it. Those things I didn’t really like were weighing me down, having to find a place to display them or store them.
So my advice to you is only decorate with the stuff you love. You don’t need as much stuff out as you think you do. If you want a new look every few months you can rotate things in your house, or buy new things and sell the old. It’s easier than you think if you have a consignment shop nearby.
i’m getting ready to take a lot of stuff to a consignment shop that moved closer to me in a large warehouse and they don’t work by appointments anymore. I can’t wait to start cleaning out!
I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on this. If I need to store it, then I don’t need it. The only exception is when I rotate my seasonal clothes. I allow myself one tote to store shorts, bathing suits, etc. And, as you said, it is so freeing.
I did that when we moved and then after we got settled. I am happy I did it too. Now if I buy something new it is only because I really love it and I want to add to my collection.
Cindy
The older I get, the more I live by this rule, it is freeing. I only keep what I love!!!
I agree and I need to get started!
I’m also trying to do this but I get really attached to things!!!!
I am struggling wit this very issue…. WAY too much stuff…. Thanks for encouragement to ‘let it go’ !!!
I Love this! I’m 56 now and spent my life collecting and have found that after a while your stuff starts owning you! It becomes to much to manage and you forget you even have it! I’ve found that the less you have in a room the more you see it and enjoy it!! So yes keep your favorites and let the rest go so it can be a blessing to someone else!
This is great advice. I think by keeping only the things you love you’ll end up finding your decorating style (if you haven’t figured it out). I know I’ve stopped buying items from big box decorating stores because I just don’t think they have the character something does that I happened upon at a flea market or in an antique shop. I keep one box of containers I think are beautiful. Things I’ve picked up on my travels in thrift stores but may not be my style. I use them as hostess gifts filled with flowers. That makes everyone happy.
I think your idea of giving away containers you don’t love as a gift with flowers in them is a great solution!
I love this idea of giving away old items as gifts with flowers in them! So clever! I love it! Thanks for sharing this idea!
I do like to rotate my favorite things ….but I tuck some away for variety.
Thanks for the tips!
Good tips to live by…after a health scare, downsizing was done…and the kids chose the overflow, we sold and donated items and it felt good! And, they don’t worry about having to clear out a ton of items down the road!
Keeping only what you love in all cAtegories is a great way to live and enjoy what you have without hording! I love giving things to others who will enjoy them too! Great inspiration here!
I’ve actually been doing this very thing this weekend. It’s a great feeling. I’m only keeping stuff I really love and have a sentimental attachment to.
I’ve been doing what you suggested because of downsizing. There are a few things I wish I wouldn’t have given away, but like you said I’m 99% happy of being free of this “stuff”. I also loved what you said about curating your collection. It made those pieces I kept even more special. Thank you.
I love decorating like this, my problem is I have way too many things to choose from!
What great tips! The less I have, the less I have to dust!
that’s the craziest thing I have ever heard of! Lol, no really I can’t imagine!
Anita,
this is a well timed post for me. My Mother also says that the first half of our life, we accumulate; the 2nd half we get rid of our things. I need to cull I go. It is not easy.
I’m interested in how you decorate for holidays. Do you only use foliage, flowers, fruit/veggies etc to use for particular seasons and not store reusable items?
I am definitely ready to rid my house of extra stuff!
I seem to always think I can make something out of the nothings I keep around, lol. But I do discard a lot – donating to the humane society thrift shop.
Great tips, I try to get rid of things I no longer use, ohhhh but I have a long way to go…….lol……
Smiles~
Maritza
I started this process about a month ago andI feel so much better. This article was exactly what I needed to continue the process. Thanks.
I also am currently working on this very task…going through each room and clearing stuff away. This is probably the fourth pass since we bought this home 8 yrs ago, and each time it is easier to do and I actually am enjoying it! I can’t wait to only have the things I can use or want to have around. A friend (who did the same thing) pointed out to me that there will always be more stuff, and if you REALLY miss something or wish you had it back, you can probably find one. That was a freeing comment to me as it no longer felt so “final” to get rid of the things I didn’t think I wanted any more. And this post was so appropriate to me as I’ve just been doing some renovations on the house and plan to hang less on the walls and display way less, too, when finished. Thanks for the pep talk!
That’s fine getting rid of items but who has the money to continually buy new items all the time. If I have seasonal items, I am definitely going to keep them and display them when the season for it comes around. Why continue to buy and then give away again or sell it at 90% off of what you paid for it originally -that’s a waste of money as far as I am concerned. Hope much do you really get from a consignment shop -think about it. After all, if you bought the item originally, didn’t you “love” it as you say! Attics and basements are exactly meant for storage. Thanks for the advice but I’ll stick with storing my “treasures”!!!
Garage Sale scheduled at the end of the month ~ I CAN’T WAIT!!! The house AND garage are full of things we no longer need or want, and both my parent’s and in-laws things we inherited… it’s so much work but will be freeing in the end… thank you for the downsizing encouragement!
Great ideas. I need to rethink why I have so many things! Many are items passed down from grandparents. Those are too difficult to let go.
My problem is 2 little hoarders that bring everything back into the house. I’ve been decluttering for 4 years and just last week I found 5 things I thought I had literally thrown in the trash 4 years ago. Yesterday I had a long conversation with my 2 sons about why things are thrown out versus discarded and why the world won’t fit inside the house.
This is hilarious Ericka!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing – definitely a subject we can all benefit from!
We are about to downsize so I need to learn the art of curating what I love. Thanks for this great post.