“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” – William Morris
This well-known quote by renowned English decorative artist, William Morris, is something of a commandment in the Professional Organising world. But for a true appreciation of a client and their situation, there is one necessary addition to this quote…
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I once asked a group of seminar attendees if they had a favourite cup. Without exception each one did, as did their partner and other family members. These favourites could be found at the front of cupboard, in regular use. Then there were the cups reserved for guests and some which were only used once or twice a year when need dictated. Finally there were those stuck at the very back of the cupboard, never used. Perhaps they were chipped or stained, or they’d been a gift from someone disagreeable or at a time which they’d rather forget.
Do you have a favourite cup? Do you use it often? Does it make you smile?
Are there cups you never use? Are they hidden at the back of the cupboard so you never have to look at them?
Back to William Morris and his wisdom. Yes, cups are useful but really, how many do you need? Having too many cups is no longer useful. It is a burden. Time to play favourites and find room for the beautiful cups.
Where else could you apply this principle?
Pens?
Books?
Bedlinen?
Trinkets?
Friends?
What beautiful choices will you make?
Previously published at The Calm Space
For me, I think it’s T shirts – I was putting away my washing today (finally, after living out of a washing basket or pile for weeks) and realised that I have Far Too Many T shirts, and perhaps what I should have done was remove the T shirts from the drawer that I hadn’t worn and throw them out … there’s an organising tip for clothes – don’t put anything away for weeks, and anything that is still in the cupboard is obviously surplus to needs 😉
Thanks for these tips and I love the quote by William Morris. I’ve just embarked on a huge household decluttering project and am temporarily stalled. A friend gave me a photocopied extract from a feng shui book. It makes the point that clearing clutter TOO quickly can cause trigger a healing crisis, and as with major dietary changes, it’s good to proceed slowly and gently. I’m focussing on one small area at a time, trying not to get overwhelmed by the BIG picture and have just started a blog where I talk about this and other unravelling adventures: http://www.write2unravel.wordpress.com