How to Declutter Your Home…

…and fall in love with it again!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I love that Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year. It makes it seem even more special, doesn’t it? Valentine’s Day is a terrific reason to step back and really appreciate the people that fill our lives with love. And it’s a nice reason to think about our homes…the place we share with the people we love most. So today I thought it would be fun to talk about how to fall in love with your home again. Whether your home is bogged down by clutter, or you’re just tired of being cooped up inside your home because of a winter that is dragging on a bit too long, with a few simple tips and tricks, you can easily make your home a place you love to be. Here’s how.

Declutter items you don’t love.

One of the easiest ways to fall in love with your home again is to let go of things you don’t love, or better yet, really (really) dislike. Decluttering is a quick way to make positive visual impact in your home and best yet, it doesn’t cost a dime! So look at your home with a discerning eyes and let go of anything that looks displeasing to your eye, or makes you feel bad. Declutter items that make you feel guilty (gifts you feel bad about not loving, or clothing, food, craft supplies that you don’t like anymore but feel guilty about not using.) Set that handy-dandy timer of yours for 15 minutes at a time, and put items you no longer want into a bag to donate. As you do, keep this tip in mind:

So… if you don’t like it, let it go!

Display items you do love.

Now that you’ve created some breathing room, it will be easier to display items you love. Start with one room or a small area in a room (single bookcase, shelf, table top.) Take all the décor pieces off of that area and put them on an open table. Then, decide what to put back by asking Which item do I love the most? Which is most meaningful or most pleasing to my eye? Put that item back on display. Keep moving through this process until you feel the area is as full as you’d like it to be. Then, rinse and repeat. When you’ve completed this process throughout your home, your most loved items will be on display, which will make it easy to fall in love with your home again. (For the items you still like but didn’t make the cut this time, put them into a storage area for use the next time your home needs a pick me up. Donate anything you realize you no longer like.)

Bring into your home only things you love.

Once you’ve refreshed your home for free, you may feel the urge to bring new items into your home. Maybe some new decorative pillows, décor pieces, or (my favorite) storage containers. Make your new filters be Do I love it? and Do I need it? When you get two yesses to those questions, you’ll be sure to continue loving (your clutter-free home) for years to come.

Happy Organizing (and Happy Valentine’s Day!)