by Natalie Morey | Jun 3, 2016 | Home Organisation
I have met Peter Walsh a number of times and have heard him speak on all things decluttering and organising. It’s great to see an Aussie be so successful in the USA especially on a topic that I am so passionate about also. He is a lovely, down to earth guy who has some very practical tips to help you declutter and get organised. Decluttering the Peter Walsh way is fun and an easy process. After watching him on the Living Room, it got me inspired so I have included a couple of my favourite Peter Walsh declutter tips below. I hope you find them useful too.
Peter Walsh with Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser, The Lifestylers Group
He once said that “the secret to successful decluttering is this: you’ll never get organized if you don’t have a vision for the life you want”. This is so true. People have got to want to change the way they do things. They need to have a goal in mind about how they want that space to work. When I start working with a client, I get them to stand in the room and tell me how they would like to see it. It helps them develop a vision and get them motivated for the declutter process.
Another point that I think is really important to mention is that a large portion of why people need help to declutter and get organised is that they have developed bad habits. The kitchen table becomes the dumping ground for your bag, the mail and anything else you bring into the house. That pile of newspapers sits on the bench because you plan to read them at some point. When we do a declutter session with our clients we spend some time talking about this, because it’s important that people start to identify how and why the clutter is building up in their home.
Decluttering the Peter Walsh Way – The Linen Press
I love Peter Walsh’s brilliantly simple linen system. To store his white sheets, he the folds fitted sheet, top sheet, and extra pillowcases inside a pillowcase of the same set. Needless to say, he never has to ransack his linen press for an elusive match.
Decluttering a Linen Press
Decluttering the Kitchen
Image Credit: Photo: David Tsay
Decluttering the Peter Walsh Way – Plastic Food Storage Containers
To avoid accumulating a draw full of mismatched plastic containers in ten colours, Peter Walsh uses just one brand of food storage container so lids will always fit. He stacks just a few sizes in a cabinet for easy access.
However, if you don’t want to have the cost of replacing all of your plastic containers at once start with this declutter tip. It’s one of the first things I do when I am decluttering plastic containers in a client’s kitchen. Match up all the containers and get rid of any that don’t have any lids. I cannot tell you how many times I find tones of missing lids in client’s homes. They clutter up the cupboard and just get moved from one spot to another, because you can never find the matching lid. Once you have done this, stack them neatly inside each other to save space.
Decluttering your wardrobe
Decluttering the Peter Walsh Way – Wardrobe Decluttering: Reverse Coat Hanger Trick
Turn all the clothes hanging in your wardrobe so that the hangers face back-to-front. For the next six months, if you wear an item of clothing, return it to the wardrobe with the hanger facing the correct way. If you try it on but decide not to wear it, make sure you put it back with the hanger turned backward. No cheating. Be prepared for a shock; you are going to find you own lots of clothes you never wear. You should seriously consider decluttering and getting rid of anything you don’t wear regularly.
I love this quote by Peter Walsh: “Set limits for the amount of space you’re prepared to dedicate to items i.e. clothes, toys etc. – and stick to those limits. Three bins for toys, four shelves for baby cloths. Kids only need you, not all the stuff you feel attracted to”.
Keeping toys organised is a big problem many of our clients face. I am a big believer of the principal “one in” “one out” when it comes to containing the amount of “stuff” you have . So next time your child is given a toy, select an existing toy that you can donate to charity and know that you will be giving it to a child less fortunate than yours.
If you need help with your decluttering and home organising, then contact The Lifestylers Group. Based in Melbourne, we are experts at helping people to declutter and organise their homes, lives and houses.
by Natalie Morey | Mar 21, 2016 | Tips
An organised wardrobe
With the change in seasons, it’s the perfect time to declutter and organise your wardrobe with all your winter items. Here’s 10 tips to help get you started.
1. Set time aside to declutter. Depending on the size and state of your wardrobe, it may take a couple of hours to get it organised, so set some time aside – perhaps half a day.
2. What to keep. Ask yourself when was the last time I wore it? Did it make me feel amazing? Have I worn it in the last 12 months? If not, then perhaps it’s time to go.
3. Group like items together and colour code. Colour coding your wardrobe makes finding things easier. As part of the declutter process, hang your clothing within categories (i.e. all blouses together and then colour coordinate them from light to dark, then pants again colour coordinated from light to dark and so on.
4. Make more room in your wardrobe. Store out-of-season clothes in boxes up high or under the bed.
5. Maximise the space in your wardrobe Use the space (both above and below the hanging rod) to store more items.
6. Hooks are great. Hooks can create extra storage space when you hang them inside the closet.
7. First Impressions. Use colour coordinated hangers for a clean organised look. Then place all the items facing the same way so it looks neater. It is also easier to go through your wardrobe when they are stored like this.
8. Logically organised. Store your most-used items at eye level, less-used items below, and least-used items up high.
9. We love baskets. Group like items together in baskets. We use lots of the Skubb boxes from Ikea. They come in a heap of different sizes and shapes and are perfect for storing socks, underwear and small items etc.
10. Show off your shoes. Get rid of any cardboard shoe boxes which make it hard to see what’s in each box. Opt for clear, front-loading boxes like plastic drop-front translucent shoe boxes found at Howards.
by Natalie Morey | Oct 4, 2012 | Declutter tips, Tips |
Is Your Wardobe Out of Control – Perhaps It’s Time to Declutter?
As I sit here watching the Spring Carnival Races on TV (I love my racing) there is one thing that comes to mind, my wardrobe for Spring Racing. Now, it’s a pretty important issue for every girl, don’t you think.
Time to declutter and organise your wardrobe?
Having decluttered the odd wardbrobe (or a hundred or so) for clients, I think I have got some good tips to offer. Not only can it act as a spring clean, but it can help you get ready for the spring racing season or the next season ahead of us.
I think wardrobe decluttering is something that should be done at least once a year. Did you know that on average, we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time? It’s amazing when I start asking clients – when was the last time your wore that outfit. The answer is always the same. So now is the time to start decluttering your wardrobe.
Here are some tips on how to declutter and organise your wardrobe:
Assign Some Time To Declutter
This kind of declutter job always takes longer than you think. You’re probably going to need at least half a day to organize your wardrobe.
Start Small
Don’t pull everything out of your wardrobe. You will be in a bigger mess than before you started and if you get called away by the kids or a phone call then you will have to deal with the big mess when you come back.
One Person’s Trash is Another’s Treasure
I love this one. Anything that is good and you know would make a friend happy, then wash, iron and give it to your friend. (Just remember to do this within 2 weeks of your declutter session, otherwise you will find it will never leave your house!).
Make Some Money Fom Your Decluttering
For items that are designer or vintage, you can sell them on eBay.
Donate Them
For general items, they can be donated to your local charity store.
Repair Items
For items that need to be altered, drop it off for repair (and ideally within 2 weeks) otherwise you will forget and it will become clutter again and make its way back into your wardrobe!
Haven’t Worn it The Last Year?
The say bye, bye…if you haven’t had it out in the last 12 months then throw it in the “ditch it” pile. Certain classic items (i.e. LBD,) are exempt.
Keep, Throw Out or Maybe?
Be as ruthless as you can. These are the rules:
- Anything that’s ripped, stained or worn needs must be thrown out.
- Things that don’t fit must be thrown out or put in the “maybe” pile. The same applies to anything that’s less than flattering.
Maybe? Maybe Not?
If you are indecisive you might have a huge maybe pile. Give all the items in this pile a second look using these rules:
- If it doesn’t fit right now, is it likely to fit anytime soon?
- If it needs cleaning or repairs, is it worth the cost? Then ask yourself, if you do get the repairs done will you wear it within the next 2 months? If not then perhaps it needs to go out.
- If you’re emotionally attached to the item and absolutely can’t bear to part with it, put it on the keep pile. This ‘get out of jail free’ card is valid for a couple of items only, so be selective.
Organize Your Wardrobe
Now once you have gone through your wardrobe, now it’s time to put everything pack and organise it neatly. But first, give your wardrobe a quick wipe out remove and put away everything that doesn’t belong.
Organize your wardrobe with the clothing grouped by type or colour using good hangers and shoe trees and folding all non-hanging garments neatly. Leave a space between everything if you can as it helps with the tidy, ‘minimalist’ look.
Wardrobe Storage Product
You can buy some great storage product to help you keep your wardrobe organised. Ikea have some great fabric dividers that you can store all your underwear and socks in. There are also some good coat hangers that you can use to create more room in your wardrobe. Felt covered hangers are perfect for silk tops and items that are inclined to slip off standard coat hangers.
If you need some help organizing your wardrobe, then contact us at The Lifestylers Group, as we love organizing wardrobes.
Until next time, happy organising.
Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser.
by Natalie Morey | Sep 14, 2012 | Home Organisation, Tips
Organised Shoes
Shoes are a girls best friend. We love them and you can never have enough of them.
There are some great products on the market for organising your shoes. The right product for you will be totally dependent on the amount of storage you have, how many shoes you have and how often your wear your shoes. Here are a couple of my favourite storage options.
Original Shoe Boxes
Some people like to keep their shoes in their original shoe box. They then take a photo of the shoes and stick them on the outside of the shoe box. That way it’s easy to see which shoes are in which boxes. Depending on the number of shoe boxes you have, you may also like to do a register, listing all your shoes with a corresponding image.
See Through Shoe Boxes
You can replace your cardboard shoe boxes with see through shoe boxes.
Fabric Shoe Holders
Whilst they may not look that great, you can use a fabric shoe holder which clips over your wardrobe pole and hangs down. However, this is not a good option if you don’t have a lot of hanging space.
Shoe Racks – Great For Organising Shoes
There is quite a range of wooden and metal shoe racks out there. Checkout places like Ikea, Kmart and Howard storage and see their range. The extendable ones are good option.
Custom Made Shoe Racks
Now, if you are a serious shoe collector, then it may be worth having custom made shoe storage created.
There are lots of other shoe storage options out there. When selecting a storage product, you really need to assess how many shoes you have and the space available. So what are you waiting for. Its the perfect time to do a declutter and cull and organise your shoes. Then once you have organised the shoe collection, you can start on other areas of the house – perhaps your makeup draw. For some handy tips on decluttering your make up draw you can review to declutter your makeup draw another blog designed to give you some tips and inspiration.
Until next time, happy organising.
By Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser
