The March 2008 issue of Canadian House & Home magazine is about clutter control. What I like about that issue is that it does not claim that it is the only way to live.

The decoration magazines are in part responsible for this trend because we all inspire to live in the beautiful styled rooms that we see in the magazines. If you entertain a lot, living in an uncluttered house definitely makes your life simpler since it cuts down the cleaning time.

What is the appeal?

There is something wonderfully charming about living well with less stuff. Even the garage looks chic when all the tools are beautiful displayed on painted green slatwall units. You have more time for yourself once it is done because you do not waste time searching for things. Let’s be frank, the average house is large enough that we do not have to let go of comfort and luxury.

I am proud of my cupboards. My kitchen is neatly organized. If I could transfer this habit to the rest of the house, it would be marvelous. It is not that I am attached to my old stuff. It is just that I lack the time. And after living more than a decade in the same house, I have accumulated too much stuff. I purged once in a while but I never done my entire house in a single spree.

Why it is not as easy as it seems on TV?

First, you need to shop for these pretty organizing boxes, coordinating baskets, upscale files and color paper tags. You need to figure out how much you need of everything. You need to rethink your furniture and the room design. Nobody knocks at your door with all the storage accessories you need pre-calculated for your space.

One difficulty is to have all the family members participate in the purging at the same time. But maybe we can only schedule a time frame and all do it at one time. Since we can rarely dedicate a few full days to the task, we should allocate a longer period to do it. As long as we see the end, any method will do.

What is next?

The big purging and organizing thing is just the tips of the iceberg. You need to follow through afterwards. The advice that each time you buy something new, you should get rid of something you own is a good habit. That is my latest habit on the kitchen. Something I cheat and I find a way to store things better. Spring is coming, so I start with the big purging this year. I want to live in a clutter free house like in the magazine.

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Photo credits: Canadian House & Home - march 2008 issue