Spotlight_July/August/September_2022

overflow as they go. I wish I had the sorting skills to be one of those people. But no. MINIMIZE The word minimalistic is very subjective depend- ing on whom you ask. I have experienced this firsthand in the home staging world. I quickly learned that a general explanation of declutter- ing, minimizing, and packing up doesn’t work. Every single one of us has a comfort zone that we live in. Even when we push our limits and move past that zone, we eventually shift back there to some extent. So, when it comes to moving your life from a large space to a small space, reach far outside that comfort zone when it comes to looking at what you need in your space to live comfortably! The person who moves every 3 to 5 years while living the Scandinavian design dream with very little excess approaches a minimalis- tic methodology very different than the trinket collector who has been living in a well-kept and well-loved home for 25 years. Their hearts are in the same place, but the end results are lightyears apart. To each their own. We are all different and unique and amazing in our very own way, so we always need to make sure we rock that! With that being said, whatever setup you previ- ously had, it’s now time to remove a few layers of stuff. What is stuff, you ask? Right now, I’m not talking about décor. I am talking about the household items that are generally tucked away in case you need them. The backup, the over- stock, the one-offs. All of this takes up space. When you have space, it works out well. When you have minimal space, it tends to quickly take over and the ‘neatly tucked away’ turns into the ‘quickly piled high’. Once you get the background items sorted and the overflow is out of sight and out of mind, the fun visual items are much easier to set up to perfection. From furniture with storage ability to decorative storage containers, you can neatly and invisibly use every nook and cranny in your house to stash away the background items. An ottoman that doubles as a trunk is a great place to tuck away board games, electronics, or books to choose from on a rainy Friday night. For the parents in the crowd, this ottoman is a game changer for

chucking all the toys in just moments before your company walks through the door. Instant organi- zation! Or the appearance of it anyway!

Side note: On the topic of linen closets, no matter how much space you have, the linen closet is always the default black hole for com- forters we never use, the lone top sheets without the matching fitted sheets, the mattress covers that no longer fit any beds in the house, and the 89 pillowcases that are just there as decoration. No matter the space you have in your house, gut this closet regularly! Under-bed storage, whether it’s built-in drawers or storage containers, can open up bedroom space that would otherwise be filled with dressers.

A decorative woven cotton rope basket filled to the brim with throw blankets and pillows will look like a great décor addition to the already cozy living room, but it also is saving two shelves in the linen closet for other linens.

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JULY/AUGUST 2022 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2022

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