Case Study 1: Flat decluttering for busy professional leads to positive life changes.

The Solution

I started by working on the biggest obstacle for my client:  shoes and clothes.  Each item was grouped by category so my client could clearly see how much he had of everything. He was very efficient at making decisions in respect to what he no longer used or loved. As a result an impressive cull was achieved.

New space was made in the guest room for family and guests to put their clothes away when visiting.  Storage solutions (drawer dividers, clear boxes, special hangers) were purchased for bedding, underwear, accessories, trousers and coats.  Weekend and casual clothes had their own area, whereas work clothes were given a separate area to make the process of getting ready in the morning short and sweet.

The two en-suite bathrooms were next.  Again, all items were grouped by type of use:  body, face, hair, teeth.  Each group was stored away in a labelled plastic basket.  The idea behind this was to make it easy for my client and any guests to find what they need and then put it back exactly where it belongs, preventing things from being misplaced or getting messy.

I moved on to re-organise the whole kitchen.  Even though little cooking took place in this flat, there were still utensils, dry food, cutlery and plates that needed to be put away in the right place (by usage). They also needed appropriate storage solutions to make the room inviting and an easy place to prepare meals.  I mainly used white IKEA plastic boxes to separate smaller items such as spices, cleaning products and medicine.  These boxes and shelving areas were labelled, indicating what each box contained and where all items belonged.

The entrance hallway was the last part of the flat that I streamlined. All the shoes that once clogged the way into the flat now had a proper shoe cupboard.  All shoes were arranged by colour and type of use – formal, casual and trainers. The entrance hall gave the first impression my client was looking for.

My working on this project meant that my client significantly reduced the amount of clothes and shoes he had, and gained a more organised home.  As well as these obvious benefits he felt happier to be at home, calm and more focused.  Proud of his home once more, he gained further clarity about his personal life, and a sense of focus and hope about the future.

My client said:

“Patty is great and patient and she enjoys what she does and turns the process into a fun experience. I managed to gain some organisational tools which I can apply to my daily life whether at work or just organising my thoughts. I also felt a huge relief once I saw how much stuff I didn’t need or use and it made me feel lighter and my flat became lean and clean.” Male Professional, Chelsea