From a Squabble to a Redecorating Overhaul

I am particular about how our house looks, I like to keep things minimalist and decluttered and it’s not a good idea to cross me on that. 

About a month ago my boyfriend Jamie went out on plant shopping spree. I love the botanical look, so I was delighted until I realised that all of the plants were so huge and unwieldy that they made the house look messy.

I’d had a glass wine and I just couldn’t hold back on my irritation: ‘Jamie, the house doesn’t look streamlined anymore and I don’t like it – we need to do something about those plants’.

Jamie, not best pleased that his generous plant contribution was being attacked retorted with: ‘I find it ironic that someone as messy as you is so bothered about the house being streamlined’. This admittedly was a valid point.

However the tension of  ‘plant-gate’ did lead to better things.  It got us thinking about how we could declutter the house so the plants wouldn’t look so overwhelming.

It started with a fancy ‘string’ shelving system and a dumping of an unnecessary chest of drawers in our bedroom, which immediately lifted the room.

We loved the changes so much that we started to get high on our new interior success.  What could we do next? The minimalist (and rather expensive) shelves did highlight how cheap everything else in the room looked, so an Ikea, John Lewis and garden centre trip later we had some new chic shelving blocks, a dusty pink throw and even more plants than before.

The new improved bedroom

And the decorating frenzy didn’t stop there, we took our fervour into the guest bedroom – giving it the botanical feature wall treatment we’d planned since we bought the wallpaper nine months ago.  And then of course, we need a new bright blue lampshade to ‘pull the room together’.

Botanical feature wall

And it’s definitely not over yet – I’ve been eyeing up macrame plant hangers in the Northern Quarter’s Form Lifestyle Store, and all of our sudden our front door looks very tatty, not to mention the mouldy wall in our living room.  I’ll keep you posted!

I Bloody Loved Marie Kondo-ing The Hell Out of my House

Everyone should Marie Kondo.  Oh my god, I’m high on Marie Kondo!

For anyone who hasn’t heard of this lady, she’s a decluttering expert.  The main principle of her book ‘The Magic Art of Tidying Up’ is literally chuck out any of your possessions that don’t fill you with joy or that you haven’t used in the last 12 months.

This clear out challenge was week four or my six week reboot. So far I’ve done yoga, meditation and a week of drinking herbal tea and water, and without a doubt, this has been my most transformative week yet.

I was supposed to be doing 15 minutes of the Marie Kondo method per day for a week.  It didn’t quite work out as planned, but that was quite alright.

It went something like this:

• Monday night: decluttered my bathroom cupboard for 15 minutes, chucked a load of toiletries out I don’t use. End result – amazing looking cabinet and easy access to all the products I use.
• Tuesday/Wednesday: in Belfast for work.  Zero streamlining.
• Thursday morning: spent 90 mins auditing, organising and colour ordering my wardrobe. Concluded that there are a number of clothing items that are nice enough, but as I haven’t worn them for 12 months they need to go to the charity shop.  Feel liberated.
• Friday: 7am – 2pm embarked on a ‘tidying up’ frenzy.  I attacked my office – books, files, paperwork all came flying off the shelves.  If the books didn’t light a little fire in my heart when I looked at them, I put them in the charity pile. I found it addictive and exhiliarating to be just left with the stuff that truly sings to my soul.  I consulted Pinterest and figured out how to organise my bookshelf in a more aesthetically pleasing and inspiring way. Delighted with the outcome.
• Saturday – no more Marie Kondo-ing required.  I peaked on Friday.

Pinterest research on organising a book shelf

Marie Kondo-ed bookcase

Beautifully curated books

Mid Marie Kondo debris. My method of chucking everything from my office onto the landing.

Spending the week paring down my office and wardrobe, leaving me with just my favourite possesions has utterly focussed my mind and inspired me.  Because I’m starting a business and my worklife is starting to get busy and exciting, this couldn’t have been better timed.  With my new sparkly edited office and my spangly minimalist wardrobe, I’m ready to take on the world.

My next week’s challenge is to have a phone curfew from 8pm to 7am.  A pretty scary thought for me!  I’m hoping it will make me more relaxed in the evenings and help me sleep soundly.

My blogging friend Debbie is rebooting with me.  This week she gave up alcohol which took her off on an unexpected and positive tagent – read all about it here: Proper Foodie 

All the wine Debbie has missed out on this week!