Today, I have a quick update on one of my de-cluttering projects. As I referenced in my goals for the year, one of my goals is to greatly reduce the clutter in home and keep what I need AND use what I keep.
I’m continuing to work on my dining room hutch. I want to get rid of stuff that I don’t use, need, or like. It’s amazing how much stuff you can cram into small spaces!!
I previously cleared out the top of the hutch so now it’s on to the bottom cabinets. These two cabinets house my china, table linens and other stuff and the other cabinet houses my vast candle collection and candle accessories that let’s be honest hardly ever get used.
BEFORE PICTURES:
This cabinet houses my china in protective covers, various table runners, a table-cloth, a variety of place mats as well as some gold chargers that I used when I hosted thanksgiving many years ago.
This second cabinet holds a very large candle collection (most of which will be sold at a garage sale in April) as well as several candle holders in various sizes. At one time, I used to purchase from Party Lite very regularly and loved to buy items from the clearance section. While the prices were usually very, very good, I haven’t used most of the stuff that I bought on clearance!
There are also sconces and other wall decor that I have always intended to put up but quite frankly forgot that I had. I kept a few things that I plan to use now that I can see what I have!
AFTER PICTURES:
These photos are not Instagram ready but they are real life. I will probably do some more rearranging at some point but my initial goal was just to get rid of what I don’t need or use.
China remains in their protective cases though I did get rid of two punch bowls along with their crystal mugs. They are so cute but I decided that I would let them go since I haven’t used them in over 10 years. I did keep a couple of the crystal mugs that I can use as decoration but the others are going to the garage sale! I used the protective cover that the punch bowl cups were in to hold the table linens that I’m keeping. This way it looks less cluttered and they don’t get dusty!
I also brought a few items down from the hutch into this cabinet. These are special use/special holiday items and don’t need to be on display.
The candle cabinet is now much reduced and housed with items that I love and will use. I like to change out my decor seasonally and enjoy having a few pieces to choose from. The pink bin is holding the individual candles which also keeps it looking less cluttered and busy.
In an effort to get all of my candles and candle type items together, I brought some items from my linen closet to be placed with all of the other candles. This picture is a visual representation of what happens when you carry too many items at one time!
Oh well, that’s one way to get rid of items!
De-cluttering can be hard but the pay off in terms of space and peace of mind is immeasurable. Once I pulled out all of the items and just put back what I love, I started to feel excited about using them again!
What do you need to unload to feel lighter both physically and emotionally?
