'Pack and Unpack'



With the odd flirty day of sunshine, Im starting my annual brew up towards a good Spring clean. In my head, I'm organised, tidy and verge on minimal living. In reality, I run a business from home, have two beautiful but incredibly messy boys and an overruling nature of loving quirky and interesting things. Some are nostalgic, some are spontaneous trouvé purchases and many are pieces which I've bought in my aspiration to become tidier and more organised!

Since my recent house move, I've reshaped the way I live and even though my space has to double up in its uses, I'm trying to learn to blend the practical necessities with the look I want to achieve.

I believe it's about starting afresh. If you feel like you're surrounded by things that actually you don't even use or notice, now is the time to 'pack and unpack'.

The exercise is simple... Take an area like a set of shelves or a console table. Take 2 boxes and as you clear each object, think to yourself whether you love them, need them or want them. If the answer isn't yes to any, move them into 'the new owner box! Whilst we don't always have the time or inclination to Ebay or car boot our unwanted items, there is always a new home! I'm a huge fan of my local charity shop and love dropping off with bundles of things that outgrew my love or their purpose.

With the 'love box', you'll be amazed how by starting again, you can display them differently in an area to rekindle the look.  Whilst I adore books, my taste is eclectic and I overlook them for years. So now I split them into coloured spines and flip them and spread them out in a display and they add to it like props.

A great rule of thumb is to mix materials. I truly believe anything goes, as long as you think through the elements a little. Where you use a large statement piece, honour it with some 'white space' around it. Try not to clutter everything together but let each element stand out in its own merit.

Living things or natural objects also have an amazing way of softening a display so position a plant or something that reflects life on top of or alongside modern decor. 

It's all about fun, not rules and in my view it's giving those pieces a new lease. 

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Maira Gall