When we moved into this house last year, I tried really hard not to stow things in the closets and other storage places unless they really belonged there. Unfortunately, I gave in and stashed a bunch of stuff in the under-stairs closet. In a search for something tonight, I pulled out everything that didn't belong there. Now it's lined up along the entryway walls, and I don't want to get comfortable with that (been there done that shudder), so I have about 48 to 72 hours in which to sort and toss.
All this to say, I looked in that under-stairs closet later and it was a pleasure to see... (a) what belonged there, and (b) open floor space. It reminded me that earlier today I'd peeked under our bed, and realized there were — only — two underbed storage boxes, and lots of bare carpet. It was great. And quite unfamiliar to me — she who has no empty corners or tables. Sigh. I am thankful that I'm much improved at this; mostly I do toss and streamline rather than shuffle stuff around the house. Yet, it's a huge effort to tackle the old stuff.
Stuff, stuff, stuff. Arrgh. George Carlin says when it's yours, it's stuff. When it's someone else's, it's (er, animal droppings). Yeppers. Gotta let go of the stuff.
I read some books on Feng Shui when we were househunting. One of the few things I used (imperfectly) was the advice to keep the area under your bed completely clear. It really is a wonderful feeling to see open space under my bed (and in a closet) (and in our living areas) (and in the playroom) (and...!). It feels like a big "Ahhhhhhh!" As though my psyche is relaxing. Peace?
Next thought: Use this, and get rid of more stuff. The idea of decluttering right into streamlining was already rattling around. Now my goal is to simplify the corners and tables and closets, to edit this place into a peace-filled house and life. I think I might be onto something here. I'll start with that old under-closet stuff.
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The way I got a clear under-bed space was to move into a new house and not put anything there, lol! I spent some time thinking about what we do where in the house, and what we *could* do where, and therefore how could we use the closets and other storage spaces.
Truth: we still have lots of boxes in the garage. I expect most of them to be either (1) books (we need more bookshelves for the books we end up keeping), (2) long-boxed-up Stuff we will toss/give away, and (3) some keepsakes, which I plan to go through ruthlessly.
The hardest stuff in the house to figure out where to put was the keepsakes and things we use very occasionally, but that need to be indoors rather than in the attic or garage. Arrgh. Some of that is in the back of the understairs closet tucked under the stairs' halfway landing.
I plan to put our storage boxes of china there because I want to use the china more often. That means I'd rather it be more accessible than it was on the top shelves of the kitchen cupboards (ie, way too much bother to get down!).
Truth: two of the china storage boxes are currently stacked and being used as a living room side table! I don't mind that for the long term, actually, if my dear husband is willing to rout (looks funny; I mean use his router to make a nice edge on) a nice piece of wood to put on top, and I come up with a fabric skirt to hide the boxes, hehe.
Form follows function? Closet follows contents? And getting rid of wayyyy more stuff than we thought we ever would is great. It creates room for the things we keep, or so it seems in the places I've managed to do that.
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