My expanded holding zone experiment...

...is having a calming effect on not only my dressing and shopping, but also a domino effect on our home.

We just had new windows installed in nearly our whole house (37 windows and that's not all of them, plus two big sliding glass doors). It was a lot of work prepping, and I'm still putting the house back together in the aftermath. As I'm doing this, and planning our bathroom reno project, I find myself not wanting to put a lot of things back in their old places -- candle holders, framed photos, books, vases, etc -- I'm looking at things we've taken for granted in the house for years with fresh, critical eyes, and realize that many things we picked out ten years ago don't necessarily feel like us NOW.

I'm putting these extraneous things in a holding zone in our basement storage room -- not in boxes but sitting out where I will have to deal with them in the course of the next few months. Some might return to rotation, some will likely go away. I'm actually really excited to nudge our home into a more sophisticated direction, and my husband is too --he's a fan of clean and simple and minimalist.

Has anyone found newly-adopted closet habits carrying over to their entire homes this way?

9 years ago

Anonymous

Yes. Our move prompted similar feelings. We moved into a smaller house with a more modern open feel. We did not want to clutter it up and most of our existing furniture would not blend with the architecture anyway. We still need to add many things, from rugs to chairs to art but are enjoying the simplicity.

rachylou

Veteran

That's an interesting question! I do know what I do in the closet seems to effect my overall decor. It has a lot to do with how or if I store things away.

For example, I recently decided I want my coats out of my closet. I wear them so much, they block the view of other things in my closet, and I'm just a visual person. I don't much like closed doors over my stuff. I put them on a garment rack I had... and now I'm busy looking for a good looking one... a modernist one... which would get that bit of modern into my bedroom, which is very 'period' right now... and then I went and got a very modern lamp for the bedside table while I'm waiting to see if these folks in South Africa can make and ship this hipster (of course) open garment rack to me.

Oh and then, too, open shelving is one of my three contributions to my
mum's kitchen reno.

Caro in Oz

My minimising started the other way round.

We went from a four bedroom house to a two bedroom townhouse. Most of the furniture & decor items didn't fit the new place at all. Once I'd refurnish the house I started on me & my wardrobe.

When I got new carpeting a year ago, I committed to moving everything out of the living space into the attic. I spent several days moving everything I could carry up one or two flights of stairs to the attic. It was exhausting. I don't think I ever felt quite that tired in my life.

Things that had one time seemed so important and valuable to me were suddenly junk. Even though I was exhausted a dimmer of enlightenment loomed in the very back of my brain.

I eventually returned about 50 percent of that stuff back into the living space. But that meant 50 percent of it stayed in the attic. I didn't miss it over the course of an entire year. In December of last year, I started sorting through the attic. Still junk. None of it ever felt important to me again.

Style Fan

I had the same experience as Caro. We moved from a larger house to a smaller house in 2003. I had to sell a lot of furniture and get rid of many things. My wardrobe started to become more minimal around the same time. Then in 2010 we moved again to a smaller house that was our retirement house (of course we want to move again but that is another story). We had to go through all of our furniture and belongings again. I have found with each move my wardrobe gets more minimal and more functional. Just like our décor is.

Bijou

Personally I like to move house every 5 years because it causes this decluttering exercise to occur. When I moved into this house, I was sure it was going to be temporary (and now we have been here 11 years)! I think I need to pretend to myself that I have to move so that I get rid of the excess baggage.

Sisi

Yes, my minimal wardrobe challenge (still in progress) triggered the desire to declutter my house (I am scared if I think of it). I am noticing that many people I know (friends, coworkers) are thinking of doing the same . It seems that at a certain point in your life you realize how easier life is with less possessions.

Janet

(website)

I think there are a few factors contributing to this desire to streamline and pay extra care to their homes these days. Times are uneasy, and I think many people feel a bit like cocooning,

Interesting how all of this is kicking in for me after 10 years of being in this house -- the first one I have ever bought. We bought it with the thought in mind that we would be here for at least 20 years, and that will likely be the case -- that will put us in our early 60s when we think about downsizing. It already feels a little big to us now, as the boys are grown and our needs have changed (we both strictly worked from home when we moved here and needed our own offices, and that's no longer necessary), but we love it still. Keeping up with the yard is the biggest struggle.

But anyway, I'm kind of fascinated with how I am gradually, slowly decreasing my attachment to these items in our home and choosing to let them go. Enjoying the process.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

YES. It's such a good and fun feeling giving the house an edit and new look too.

Beth Ann

Our homes and our closets are reflections of who we are -- reflections we actually live inside. I wonder if tweaking the environment actually gives us a chance to tweak our attitudes and affections, too.

LaPed

The hardest thing about home design is that it's collaborative -- assuming you live with a partner, family, or roommates. DH and I seem to have parallel design philosophies: same goals, but different ideas of how to get there.

Also, for most housewares (with the exception of maybe linens -- sheets and towels and such), I expect them to last quite a bit longer than I do my clothes, so I'm less likely to indulge in whatever's trending at the moment, and seek out something unique that really speaks to me -- which often means seeking out a vintage or handmade version. Although I guess I do that with my clothes too -- I opt out of most trends and stick with the ones that I can put to work for my style goals and lifestyle.

Rachylou -- I'm trying to sell my husband on open shelving for the kitchen right now. And by "sell" I mean forgetting to close the cabinet doors all the time.

unfrumped

Reverse for me too--
I am a fan of the Marie Kondo thing but was too stubborn to follow exactly so started with household things. It was easier and less fraught somehow to do envisioning of rooms and spaces than of my wardrobe. Hence worked with categories of linens and housewares and deco and books first.

Hehe, LP!

Maybe that's how I got my mum to do the open shelves. She didn't like my leaving her cabinet doors open

I would hate open shelves -- both hubs and I hate clutter and like having everything tucked away in closed storage.

cindysmith

OMG, Janet, I'm trying so hard not to think about all of the decisions that will have to be made when we finish the house and move all our stuff in. I'm thinking that a holding zone for stuffs is a good idea. Maybe pack it in a box and if we don't touch it need it or want it in a certain amount of time, away it goes. Good.luck putting your home back together

"A box"? Our stuffs in holding zone next to the hot water heater take up several boxes. Christmas decorations and wrap is the worst!

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