Hoarding - Springing Ahead

GreyQueen

lobbyludd wrote: »

GQ - I look at dehoarded areas frequently, especially whatever the latest one is - and it always pleases me immensely. I'm also immensely pleased that I can now open most cupboards without fear of a bang on the noggin from a random object..

I grew up in a home where random objects would leap out of cupboards with malign intent. So much so that I learned to open the larder in Mum's kitchen in such a way that the inevitable kamikaze bean tin would hit the floor just in front of my toes, not the toes themselves.

I also have pretty fine reflexes when it comes to catching things which hurl themselves into fresh air and off counters. We clutter-bunnies are pretty fast on the draw when it comes to one-handed catches.

D'you think there could be an Olympic sport designed around this specialised skillset?

Have eaten supper at the table. And cleared it and wiped it. Poor table must be feeling very naked and vulnerable after all this attention. Such a good feeling. And it'll save the thrills and spills on my person on elsewhere caused by eating from a tray.

greenbee

Lobbyludd - my parents have just downsized and given my dad's old hornby railway to my brother for his kids when they are older. However, there is no room in his house for it. We have worked out that it can be kept in my attic, and because it is boarded, can be used there (I must remember to get sockets put in when the lighting is done!). As it's something we really only enjoyed playing with as a family when we were small (unlike my dad when he was small) and we had the same problem of not being able to keep it set up, we're hoping this will provide us with a solution. So it might be worth talking to his grandfather about it - after all, maybe it's something they could do together?

I'm another one who admires newly cleared spaces My airing cupboard has just been fitted with shelves and painted. I keep opening it to admire the organised, labelled piles. It's smaller that the airing cupboard in my last house, but has room for the spare sofa covers and bedding to stay there permanently and still have space for the daily churn of laundry. I'd previously got into the habit of keeping towels in sets tied with ribbons (these now live in the relevant bedrooms/bathrooms) and bedding in cotton laundry bags with labels on. So now I have shelves of neat and tidy bales or bags of bedding with parcel labels hanging down on ribbon with the contents clearly listed so I can pull out the correct bundle of white sheets/pillowcases/duvet covers depending on which bed I want to make up.

ETA - GQ - I managed to FINALLY clear my dining table today. I'm almost reluctant to use it for eating and sewing as it looks so nice empty

GreyQueen

oooh greenbee, I love the sound of your linen cupboard. Labels......mmmm, I like that. Labels on ribbons and laundry bags holding things....hmm.

My linen cupboard is only 20 inches wide and is pretty well organised (Mum covets it, which is crazy because hers is bigger, but I'm tidier).

But there are piles of little things which tend to slither about and come un-piled. Like face flannels and table napkins and a few other small things which are used, but not all in use at a time.

Soooo.......I have fabric in the stash, I have ribbons, I can make some labels, I can have linen bags to corrall these small things.

Ohhh yes, I can feel a project coming on. And (:idea:) I could use the single duvet cover I bought from a c.s because I liked the fabric and it was only 50p. This way, I get to admire the fabric and it'll reduce the amount of space the cover takes up in the linen cupboard.

You're an inspiration. My duvet cover to cut up has Keep Calm and Carry On on one side and lots of little crowns on the other. Cotton, red and white, you can see why it had to come home with me last year, hey? :rotfl:

greenbee

Glad you like the idea GQ It makes me feel all domestic-goddessy when I look in there, and it used pretty stuff I already had. I used the system in the last house, and it works really well. Napkins and flannels in particular benefit from a bit of ribbon. Thinks that look similar (white bedding is lovely, but my mum has to unfold every blimmin sheet in the cupboard to find the right size as she has everything from cotbed to superking and they are ALL white!) are much easier to locate.

As if the rest of the house is currently doing its best to resemble a building site, this little bit of tidiness really helps.

I currently have what I refer to as a 'free-standing' kitchen. Which means I have no kitchen units, and lots of random furniture scavenged from elsewhere (bookcase, washstand, filing cabinet, desk) pressed into use as surfaces and storage. I am resigned to the fact that it will take me at least a year to get round to doing the kitchen, so am planning the utility room storage to the last millimetre so I can cope!

Hollyberry

Oooh - I am having linen cupboard fantasies... Must be my age! greenbee - I am so in awe! For all the space we have here, I have no linen cupboard. But I do have a blanket box, so I think a future project should be hauling that up a flight to the foot of our bed. I can then fill it with our linens, nicely folded in sets and encased in one of the matching pillow cases (see, I have this organising thing down pat in theory ). Drool... That's going in my new housekeeping diary as a February job.

whitewing

Anything wrapped in ribbon with a label seems like a gift to me.

greenbees - you have the key to happiness - living with the present!

Patchwork_Quilt

Fabulous idea greenbee! Might have to get out the sewing machine and make some bedding bags.

In fact, it could be a use for The Best Sheets. Oh dear. Might have to get them out of the charity bag mountain in the hall.

Finished off the craft cupboard late this afternoon. I reckon the whole lot might fit in four 35 litre boxes now. The rest of the stuff in there is board games and a box of toys for visiting children. I'm afraid I found some damp in there. Probably because it was stuffed full. Had to bleach the bottom of the outside wall. However, there is now plenty of room for the air to circulate and I needn't feel ashamed!

noelphobic

GreyQueen wrote: »

whitewing, I think if anyone can empathise with the joy of empty space, it's us here on this thread. I very much understand what you mean.

Has anyone else caught themselves repeatedly opening a decluttered drawer, or cupboard door, to check that it's still empty/ tidy? Or is it just me who is absolutely bonkers in this respect?:o

When I sorted my spare room out I kept going in to look at it. It wasn't empty but the relatively few items left in there were boxed up and in much better order. I even took photos of it! I was too scared to take a 'before' picture in case it got into the wrong hands! There is more stuff in there now, simply because of reorganising items from other rooms,and it does need another tidy,but it is still looking very good compared to what it was before.

I just have the rest of the house to sort out now!

noelphobic

lobbyludd wrote: »

noel - other people's stuff is different isn't it? (it's not mine so I have no attachment to it unless of course for me, it's crockery or fabric ), I wonder if it's given you any new perspectives on your own stuff? - I often find when people post the thing they've managed to get rid of it somehow releases me to do the same with a similar thing of mine - it's like I've never thought it was possible or it's never occurred to me that it's possible to let it go, so when someone else does I have a lightbulb moment!

My friend wasn't actually getting rid of stuff. I was just moving it from her old flat to her new one. Good job really - it's quite possible that if she was getting rid of anything it would have somehow made its way home with me!

It did make me think that I should move house more often! I've lived here for nearly 20 years, and since my son moved out I've been living in a 3 bedroom house on my own. I was only in my flat prior to that for 2 years but when I moved I hardly threw anything out, just shoved it all in boxes and brought it here.Even after such a short time I still had a lot of junk that I should have got rid of.

I would like to downsize at some point and I know it's just not feasible at the moment. The house needs lots of work, which just isn't practical while I still have so much stuff. If I did dejunk and get the work done I probably wouldn't want to leave anyway, as it would be so much nicer for me to live in. However, I would know that if I decided to move then it would be easier to sell and easier for me to pack up and move. I'm working towards that point but at the moment the goal is that I can have people round without feeling ashamed. Or living in fear of the situations where I have to let people in! I hate even answering the front door at the moment - and not just because of the fact that it's usually cold callers, despite the signs on the door!

noelphobic

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Finished off the craft cupboard late this afternoon. I reckon the whole lot might fit in four 35 litre boxes now. The rest of the stuff in there is board games and a box of toys for visiting children. I'm afraid I found some damp in there. Probably because it was stuffed full. Had to bleach the bottom of the outside wall. However, there is now plenty of room for the air to circulate and I needn't feel ashamed!

I've had major problems with damp. I don't think it was directly caused by the sheer volume of stuff that I have but it certainly hasn't helped. I had to replace two kitchen cupboards and I now keep less stuff in there.