5 Flat Surfaces You Can Declutter Today
Flat surfaces attract clutter. By being aware of this you can actively declutter and bring some serenity into your home
Benchtops, tables and desks in your home are clutter magnets… and the biggest culprit is usually paperwork that belongs elsewhere. Clear your flat surfaces to restore calm to your home. Here’s a quick guide on where to start.
Have you noticed it too? By every afternoon the bench is covered in mail, discarded jumpers, empty lunch boxes, dirty dishes, school work, paper bills, craft supplies and birthday invitations. How is it that the kitchen bench becomes the catch-all for so many items in the home?
Browse excellently organised pantries on Houzz
Browse excellently organised pantries on Houzz
A kitchen is the hub of family activity; it also becomes the place where we leave items when we either don’t know where they belong, or can’t be bothered putting them away at the time.
Having a clear kitchen bench will help you feel relaxed and in control in your home, so set aside 15 minutes today to completely clear the bench and make a decision to keep it that way with regular maintenance.
Having a clear kitchen bench will help you feel relaxed and in control in your home, so set aside 15 minutes today to completely clear the bench and make a decision to keep it that way with regular maintenance.
Bedside table
Bedside tables are a beautiful addition to any bedroom. They create a space for storage as well as somewhere to display special or decorative items. The right bedside table can balance a room perfectly and is critical to functional styling. In home design magazines there is always a bunch of fresh flowers and a perfectly styled vignette on the bedside table. Truth be told though, bedside tables rarely stay that intentional, and they quickly attract unread books, crumpled receipts and bookmarks made by our children.
Bedside tables are a beautiful addition to any bedroom. They create a space for storage as well as somewhere to display special or decorative items. The right bedside table can balance a room perfectly and is critical to functional styling. In home design magazines there is always a bunch of fresh flowers and a perfectly styled vignette on the bedside table. Truth be told though, bedside tables rarely stay that intentional, and they quickly attract unread books, crumpled receipts and bookmarks made by our children.
Having a decluttered bedside table will help create the sanctuary you need in your bedroom to get a great sleep and feel properly rested. So tonight when you head to bed, take the time to clear the clutter from your bedside table and keep it clear for the things you actually need to access every night.
Coffee table
When we moved into our house, we made the decision to abandon the traditional coffee table in our living room. We found they took a lot of space and so often were covered in toys, books, magazines and papers. What does your coffee table attract? Do you find that clutter not only gathers on the top of the coffee table, but also underneath?
Minimalist Storage Solutions to Hide Your Naughty Clutter Secrets
When we moved into our house, we made the decision to abandon the traditional coffee table in our living room. We found they took a lot of space and so often were covered in toys, books, magazines and papers. What does your coffee table attract? Do you find that clutter not only gathers on the top of the coffee table, but also underneath?
Minimalist Storage Solutions to Hide Your Naughty Clutter Secrets
My suggestion is to be very deliberate about what (if anything) you keep on your coffee table. Do you have the time or inclination to monitor it for clutter and to style it whenever you have someone coming over?
Have a look at your coffee table with fresh eyes and declutter it to reduce both the physical and visual clutter in your living room.
Have a look at your coffee table with fresh eyes and declutter it to reduce both the physical and visual clutter in your living room.
Laundry bench
Australians love a big laundry bench – we enjoy having space to not only fold and sort laundry but somewhere where sewing projects, items for mending and pet supplies can go. A cluttered laundry bench will result in time being wasted because not only will you put off doing the laundry, but when you tackle it, it takes longer as you don’t have a clear bench to work on.
Australians love a big laundry bench – we enjoy having space to not only fold and sort laundry but somewhere where sewing projects, items for mending and pet supplies can go. A cluttered laundry bench will result in time being wasted because not only will you put off doing the laundry, but when you tackle it, it takes longer as you don’t have a clear bench to work on.
I suggest to all my clients that they keep their laundry bench as clear as possible at all times. You want it to be a really functional work space for when your family needs to use it. Consider using shelving in the laundry to lift items you would otherwise keep on the bench up to a space where they can live out of the way.
5 Decisions That Can Lead to Clutter
5 Decisions That Can Lead to Clutter
Dining table
I love it when I visit a home and see a clear dining table that is easy to access and use for family meals. Both my husband and I were brought up in families where the evening meal was always shared sitting around the table together. We do that now with our children, but I’m aware that eating meals together without the distraction of screens is no longer a given in our culture. If you would like to eat together more as a family, I highly suggest clearing the clutter from your dining table.
I love it when I visit a home and see a clear dining table that is easy to access and use for family meals. Both my husband and I were brought up in families where the evening meal was always shared sitting around the table together. We do that now with our children, but I’m aware that eating meals together without the distraction of screens is no longer a given in our culture. If you would like to eat together more as a family, I highly suggest clearing the clutter from your dining table.
Realistically there isn’t any item in the home that needs to live on the dining table, so aiming to keep it clear is a realistic goal. Now obviously during the day your table will get used for different tasks; homework, craft, work, board games etc, but all these things can be tidied away once the activity is complete.
Flat surfaces in your home will always attract clutter, so keeping them clear has to be an intentional decision, and is one I believe will reduce the stress in your home and increase your sense of freedom and joy.
Tell us
Did you give this a go? If so, don’t forget to like, bookmark or share this story. Join the conversation.
More
Need help with organisation? See the range of decluttering professionals on Houzz
Tell us
Did you give this a go? If so, don’t forget to like, bookmark or share this story. Join the conversation.
More
Need help with organisation? See the range of decluttering professionals on Houzz
Every home has a kitchen bench; some so small it’s hard to prepare dinner, and others so large you could seat a dozen hungry teenagers at it. Regardless of the size, there is one thing that all kitchen benchtops have in common – they share a magnetic power to attract clutter.