For many people, the past year has meant working from home instead of going to the office. While convenient, this paradigm shift left little room to hide from the things in our home we would rather not see or, more appropriately, address. Like a Mudroom client who made the following observation:
“My basement is my junk drawer.”
The pandemic forced her and her husband to work from home. The need for office space in their home led to the creation of a makeshift office in their basement. There was no hiding from the elephant in the room now and that’s when they called me for some help.
We walked around the house discussing cabinets and areas that need improvement. She mentioned that she hasn’t put the Christmas bins back in the basement, a place she doesn’t like to go. And, oh by the way, the laundry machines live there.
While avoiding laundry is a subject by itself, avoiding a dank, cluttered basement is the issue at hand. Like an attic, the basement is out of sight most of the time. On a visceral level, you feel the mess and it will bother, if not haunt, you until you deal with it. For this client, the pandemic and the circumstances forced their hand.
We use the word declutter quite a bit in the organizing business. It’s a good word but a bit inappropriate for what needs to happen in most households. Organizing, filing, storing, etc. offer a temporary reprieve from what really needs to happen:
De-owning.
That means getting rid of things you are not using so you can legitimately declutter the space. Our storage areas are the best place to start.
We keep things for any number of reasons. Many times, it’s for sentimental reasons. Other times it’s for possible use for a child or grandchild. In more cases than people like to admit, it’s because they just don’t want to cut bait and go through the hassle of donating, recycling or out-and-out trashing an item.
That’s where a professional organizer can be a tremendous asset. We don’t have an emotional connection to your things. We can be clinical in our assessment and recommend. For many clients, it doesn’t take a ton of convincing to “de-own” items. People generally know.
If this sounds a little like you, call me at 508-246-6120 or drop a line.
