Conquering clutter
Would you show the dirtiest, messiest corner of your house in the newspaper?
More than a dozen brave people wanted to, sending in photographs of the most in-need spots in their homes after the Star offered readers a spring-cleaning boost by helping them tackle their most difficult places to de-clutter.
The final three: An entranceway overflowing with jackets and shoes; a clothes closet that didn’t hold any clothes; and a desk that hadn’t been used in six years.
To master the mess, we brought in an expert — Clare Kumar, Toronto-based professional organizer and owner of Streamlife, which she founded in 2005.
While these projects took a day or two to complete, Kumar says they’re worth it for the emotional boost.
That pile of clothes you keep tripping over or that table that has to be constantly shoved away to get to a cupboard can build up tension, she says. And people may not even realize their environment is what’s making them feel glum or edgy.
Here’s how she tackled each job.
OVERFLOWING ENTRANCEWAY
Kumar says the secret to a clutter-free hall closet is to set limits.
“Two pairs of shoes per person, everyone gets a hook for one coat and maintain, maintain, maintain,” she says.
She call items like oversized sports equipment and unused and abandoned clothing “speed bumps” that frustrate and get in the way.
In this entranceway, Kumar found two basketballs, a ski helmet and a curtain rod along among myriad shoes and garments.
“Three adult-sized people live here and the closet just became a bit of a dumping ground for all of us,” says homeowner Anne-Marie Olczak.
This job had Kumar and an assistant working from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They de-cluttered, repacked and reconfigured with hooks, shoeboxes, a shoe shelf and storage boxes. The materials cost $150.
Olczak says the sight of the clean and organized closet actually made her “feel lighter.”
It took about four hours for Clare and an assistant to re-organize the area.
“It’s perfect,” says Olczak as she stands proudly next to the closet. “Now we just have to keep it that way.”
DYSFUNCTIONAL DESK
Suzanne Pragg wrote for help with her mother’s desk — which hadn’t been used for six years.
It was cluttered, and squeezed into a cramped den of Pragg’s parents’ Scarborough home.
“It just isn’t working,” says Pragg. “My mother is just too busy with work to get at it, but something has to be done.”
To make the entire office and entertainment space functional, Kumar and her assistant pulled the chair from the room, moved the couch and placed the desk against the opposite wall.
After her assistant sorts and organizes the stray papers, Kumar adds a small cork board above the desk, an accent light, co-ordinated files and a few storage containers.
Asmall desk and organizer offers a place for the family to file items such as concert tickets. Altogether, the supplies cost $150.
In just three and a half hours, there’s a dramatic difference.
“It works,” says a pleased Pragg. “It’s cosy, two people can watch TV and my mom can use it as an office … This is great.”
CLOTHING-FREE CLOSET
Dave and Gail Osadukes liked their new Scarborough condo, but not the fact that their bedroom closet didn’t have a rod to hang clothes on.
The not-so-sustainable solution: They hung their clothing in their daughter Samantha’s room, creeping in to find clothes each morning.
“It was pretty crazy,” said Gail. “We were happy to get in the new space, but after six weeks of sharing it got a bit too much.”
Thanks to a new shelving unit, with a rod, shelves and adjustable hanging bars the closet now holds all the couple’s clothing, plus plenty of shoes and extras. It was a major project, but still done in a day. Kumar and her assistants worked from 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Two shelving systems (one for each room) cost a total of $420, and the other supplies, including containers and shoe shelves cost $250. The homeowners also brought in two handymen to help with the labour. The top shelf was lined with an array of inexpensive cardboard containers to hold smaller items. Having similar coloured boxes pulls the area together, Kumar says. She also added a hanging fabric purse holder from the rod. Kumar says this is a perfect example of how a physical situation can affect the dynamics of a family. “Nobody would want to be going back and forth looking for clothes from room to room,” says Kumar. “But it happens in a lot of homes and it just leads to frustration.”