A clutter bug is a compulsive collector who can’t bear to put things in the garbage or throw anything away that is broken. They have to have all their possessions on show, and hence always have a dusty house because it is so difficult to clean. So, can we cure the clutter bug?

Yes we can!.

Step 1 - Act like you are about to move house. Take everything out of the room. (Do this one room at a time or the clutter bug just won’t cope!)

Step 2 - Bring back the most important things for the room. For example in a living room, the sofa, couch, chairs, TV, stereo, side tables

Step 3 - Work out where all the important things sit in the space. Move them so the space flows and that you can move freely around the room. Then sit down and have a look around, breathe in, how do you feel? You should feel liberated. You will find that your chest feels lighter; the air seems to flow better,

Step 4 - Start layering. Select a few things at a time to bring back into the room to decorate with. Paintings, pictures, a vase, a rug, lamps. Do it slowly and feel how the space is changing. Pick out the best items that you want to show, don’t use all of them. I have just heard lately of an expression called editing, it means select the best things you have and enjoy them, change them around seasonally or as the fashion you follow dictates, it is important that the room expresses the personality of the owner, but we don’t need their whole life story in one room!

Step 5 - Stop! Yes, don’t keep going. Less is better in a room. Put all the remaining items in storage until you are happy with the new space. Then after a few weeks, sort through it all, keep what is reusable, and donate the rest to a good charity or sell it on eBay! You can cure the clutter bug.

P.S. This illness can easily creep back, make sure if you are going to add new things that you do it slowly and really consider their impact on the space, you may have to take something out to make room for it! If not, you will again suffer the dreadful fate of becoming a recurring clutter bug!

You can do this; we can cure the clutter bug and create a potential interior decorator out of you yet!  So why not give it a go now!