There are many reasons why a space loses its sense of order – its small size, too many things, lack of time to put things back in their places, procrastination, lack of ideas on how to manage space and so on. Thankfully, these are not problems without practical solutions. A decluttering and organization expert can bring much-needed balance to your life by finding the right strategy to get organized. A professional organizer can help keep spaces as well-arranged as possible, for longer periods of time.
Recently, a client approached us to declutter and organize specific spaces in her home. Let’s take a closer look at what the problems were and how Arrange It All solved them for her.
The Client
An expatriate, residing in Chennai, our client was still immersed in the process of moving back to India from abroad. Space was definitely not a problem for her. She has a number of hobbies, including stitching, knitting and jewellery-making that she pursues simultaneously. She was overwhelmed with clutter in her room, especially the wardrobe and dresser, and needed a professional organizer’s help to bring order to the chaos. She wanted to minimize, restore a sense of calm to her place, enjoy her things and also be able to find the things she needed at the right time. She also hoped to cultivate a more efficient and resourceful approach to her interests.
The Problem/Client’s Requirements
1) A cluttered dresser that had make-up and personal care products spread out haphazardly. The client wanted the dresser top to be cleared and she requested a calm space, where she could sit down and get ready.
2) The chest of drawers holding jewellery and some clothing items were congested, and many things were stored in an unsorted manner. The client wanted her jewellery to be stored neatly, so she could find them quickly.
3) Wardrobe was disorderly, and clothes for various occasions and seasons were mixed up, making it difficult to find appropriate pieces for any immediate requirement.
4) Footwear was stored in their boxes and kept on top of the wardrobe, giving zero visibility and making day-to-day access difficult for the client.
5) Hobby items spread over large spaces. The client was engaged in multiple hobby projects at the same time. This led to hobby items going missing and projects getting abandoned midway.
The Approach
With individuals who have a lot happening in their lives, it’s natural to lose focus on smaller objectives because they are so centred on the larger picture. In her attempt to get her family and herself more settled into the scheme of everyday life in India, the client was submerged in clutter. Her varied hobbies and interests were also falling behind because of the disarray. After analysing the problems, we decided that our approach should target decluttering. The client needed the breathing space to direct her attention to her hobby projects and also save time from looking for things in the midst of the clutter.
Clearly, the space also needed a simplified approach to organizing – a place for everything – so that she could find things easily.
The Solution
As always, our aim was to tackle the clutter step by step.
1) The dresser – we discussed and then sorted the make-up and personal care items that needed to be discarded and kept. We had to categorise brushes, personal care items and make-up products. We used the client’s own containers to store categorised items and fit them neatly into the drawers of the dresser, ensuring that each item was stored with similar ones – make-up brushes together, lip products in one jar, eye make-up in another, etc. The idea was to enable the client to find items instantly when she was getting ready. At times the professional expertise we bring is also in deciding the right organizer for the right space and the right items.
2) The jewellery – chest of drawers – we collated jewellery pieces, focusing on items that could be kept or given/thrown away. Next, we had to find ways to store the jewellery. After categorising the various pieces, we used some delightful frames and mini-drawers (the client’s own) to store them. Some pieces were put neatly within the chest of drawers to eliminate visual clutter.
3) The wardrobe – The wardrobe was chock-a-block with clothes and accessories. It had clothes hanging in no particular order of style, usage, colour or preference. The other spaces were crammed with boxes spilling over; these, along with the clothes, were pulled out and analysed to get a good picture of what had to be discarded and what could be kept.
We segregated the clothing based on categories like work wear, winterwear, regular clothes, etc., and hung some of them on hangers and folded others, such as gym wear, t-shirts and scarves, and put them into labelled boxes for quick access. We created space in a different wardrobe for her travel-specific clothing; pieces that she and her family used only when they travelled out of the country. Removing these out of the regular wardrobe ensured that there was more space and less confusion on a daily basis.
The client’s shoes were taken out of the opaque boxes and moved to transparent boxes and stored inside the wardrobe so that she could see them and use them, as she wished.
4) The hobby items – the client’s hobby items like yarns, sewing kits, tools, beads and other articles, including half-done projects were stored at random locations. These were collated and studied closely. Projects that were left incomplete for shorter periods were given a timeline for completion, after which they are to be discarded. We decided to let go of projects that were unfinished for a long period. Hobby items were categorised and put away in labelled storage boxes and pouches.
5) Counters, mini stand shelves and bedside drawers – all flat counters were cleared, leaving only décor pieces and a few essentials for quick access. Our aim was to remove any items that caused visual clutter. We wanted to keep open surfaces clean, just as the client requested. Personal care products, kept on mini-stands, were segregated and put into trays to prevent them from toppling over. Bedside drawers were emptied and only essential items like spectacle case, night cream, etc. were stored in them
The Highlights/Results
This project was a case in point on how clutter can be emotionally overwhelming for an individual, and why decluttering can help create an aura of structure, inspiration and personal growth.
With methodical decluttering and some basic organization, we helped the client regain her sense of positivity and comfort. An added highlight was how the exercise left her overjoyed at finding a piece of jewellery ( her wedding ring) that meant a lot to her and that she believed was lost for years.
Our client found the process fluid, and it helped her get past the feeling of being stuck and “brain-fried”. She also found the experience therapeutic and uplifting; “I feel comfortable and not crowded out of my space by my possessions.”
It’s amazing how a simple decluttering effort can be a harbinger of clarity and sweet surprises. If you’re facing a home organization challenge, or wish to declutter specific areas of your home or office, call us or drop an email to [email protected]. Decluttering and organization projects can also be done virtually. Get in touch now!
