Today’s Closet | The Living Room/Dining Room Bookcases.
Remember how I told you about our built-ins on Wednesday? Well, here is the other one. AKA: the reason I wanted this apartment. It’s in the main living room/dining room area:
Before
Shoved full o’ junk.
After
Empty shelves! The holy grail of decluttering.
The Process
I’ve already culled my books to the point where I have a single bookshelf, so this area is largely Mike’s domain, limiting my decluttering abilities. (I don’t get rid of Mike’s stuff. That’d just be mean.) (Except for socks with holes in them because WHYYYY do men insist on keeping holey clothing?)
Then I took all the books and organized them by non-fiction topics and novels. Then I took all the board games (and got rid of a few we never play with) and moved them from a cabinet Gabe can reach to a shelf up high. Then, I took everything else and threw it in a cabinet because I didn’t want to deal with it. I finally forced myself to open the cabinet a week later because this is how I used to do things and I am NOT going back. Deal with the junk drawer, Ashley.
I also put my current papers and things I need to deal with now in a little cute basket (left over from the craft declutter, happily!). I also put my camera in there. (These things are the things that usually sit on the dining room table because I don’t want to forget they exist. Hopefully this will help me keep it less cluttered!)
The Casualties [What I Got Rid Of]
Not much, honestly. It was more of a relocating-Mike’s-stuff-to-Mike’s-area. Some board games, some picture frames (SO MANY PICTURE FRAMES), some blank cards, and so on. Oh, and my giant exercise ball we haven’t used in ages.
Lessons Learned:
-
- Slow and steady wins the race.
- A little bit of organizing a day keeps the clutter monster away.
- Stop talking in stupid cliches.
- Or are these idioms?
“…because WHYYYY do men insist on keeping holey clothing?” Haha, yes! If you figure this out please let me know!
I’m so jealous of your built-ins! I started the process of de-cluttering our linen closet this weekend, but haven’t finished it yet – I’m determined to link up Wednesday though, so it will be finished! (I work better on a deadline – ha!) I also really streamlined through my books, and now have a completely empty half-size bookshelf in our apartment. Not sure what we’re going to do with that yet, but I’ll cross that bridge soon I’m sure!
Built-ins are the best!
You have a built-in!? I’m so jealous :)
I am jealous of myself. ;)
My husband keeps holey everything too. I finally started giving the holey socks to our dog to play with – once she chews a big enough hole, he DOES throw them out :D
I really like following along with this series, though I haven’t started decluttering and organizing my house yet. That’s my project for next month :D
Good luck with the decluttering next month! :) I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. Makes me happy, Holly!
Love your decluttering…. very motivating!
Also, yes, why do guys keep holey clothes? Beats me.
Right? It’s so…ineffective! And also a little gross. ;)
The holy grail of cleaning. Love that!
It is! I mean, it’s like a luxury. :)
I kid you not, almost every time my brother comes over and takes off his shoes, his socks have at least ONE hole in them. ALWAYS! Why is this? Gah!
Right?! I just don’t get it. How do you feet stay warm?!
I spy your 10 disc set of Friends. WIN!
They are in a very prominent place. As it should be! ;)
Organization makes me so happy, I literally smiled like a crazy person at those photos.
I should probably get that checked out…
Haha! I love it. I smiled like a crazy person reading that YOU smiled like a crazy person.
Hooray for crazies!