Few of us are immune to the ‘back to school’ spirit that creeps in as September arrives. You don’t have to be in the market for a new pencil case to feel a hankering for a reset as the final third of the year begins. In fact, for many, September is the real new year: a time to rethink routines, take on challenges, clear out clutter and get things in order before the hibernation months arrive – all without the pressure of actual New Year’s resolutions.
When it comes to the home, a little effort now will leave you well prepared for the rest of the year, not to mention psychologically renewed by a space that feels decluttered, organised and luxurious to hunker down in.
Strike while the iron is hot and put that new-season energy to good use with these simple tips from the experts.
Add some clever storage solutions
If there are coats and shoes strewn around your hallway or slung over bannisters, you’re far from alone – but now is a good time to address them. ‘The entrance hall is super important because it’s almost like the mouth of the home,’ explains organising expert Caroline Solomon. ‘It’s the first thing you see on arrival, so if it’s chaotic, you’ll also feel a little chaotic.’
Her advice is to begin by culling the coats, shoes, hats and bags that you – and whoever lives with you – no longer wear. ‘Take stock of what you actually wear and donate, offer to friends or family, or sell the rest,’ she suggests. If you have bulky coats that you won’t need until the weather gets really cold, pack them away in canvas storage bags – such as these from Futon Company – and put them under your bed or on a top shelf in a wardrobe.
Once you’ve said goodbye to the things that no longer serve you – for now, anyway – interior designer Tiffany Duggan, who factors home organisation into all of her projects, recommends reviewing what’s left and deciding what needs to live where. ‘One thing we see a lot is skiwear taking up prime space in a coat cupboard or wardrobe,’ she notes. ‘That’s the sort of thing that isn’t needed very often, so it can be put somewhere trickier to access, like bed-base storage.’ She also recommends hallway hooks for ‘overflow’ coats and scarves; everything else should stay in a designated cupboard.
You’ll also need a ‘drop zone’: a letter tray or bowl for your keys – Duggan likes Murano-glass bowls like these from Vinterior – and to hold the bits and bobs that have a habit of accumulating (and disappearing) throughout the day. ‘If you organise your home around your actual habits, you’ll make life easier for yourself,’ says Solomon.
Declutter!
Decluttering is one of the easiest ways to refresh your home in principle, but it can be surprisingly tricky, especially if you have hoarding tendencies. ‘First, establish a goal, whether that’s clearing 20 per cent of your clothes or getting rid of appliances you never use,’ advises Arabella Drake of home-organisation firm Ankersen Drake. ‘Then hone down into more specific criteria – a list of questions that you can ask yourself if you don’t immediately know if you want to keep or get rid of it.’ For example, does it fit? Have you used it in the past year? Does it make you feel great?
For anything you don’t have a clear answer on, create a ‘maybe’ pile. ‘You might want to look again at this pile at the end of your session, or put it away for a while,’ says Ankersen Drake co-founder Amalie Ankersen. ‘If you don’t think about any of those pieces over the next few months, get rid of them.’ It takes the pressure off making certain – perhaps emotional – decisions, which can slow the whole process down.
Next, work through your make-up bag, skincare cabinet, fridge and pantry, looking for expired products or foods, and things you’re never going to use. If it feels overwhelming, use Solomon’s hack: ‘I always recommend setting a timer for either 15 or 30 minutes and really committing to it,’ she says. ‘Put it in your calendar and go through small areas at a time, whether that’s the kitchen junk drawer or your underwear drawer.’
Another approach is to walk around your home with a big bag, doing a quick surface scan and removing anything you know you’re not going to use. Donate it to charity (Traid do easy pick-ups from your doorstep), sell it, or invite friends over and let them take their pick. Knowing something is going to a good home can make it much easier to let go.
Reconfigure your living room
The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but it’s the living room that does much of the heavy lifting during the cooler months. One of the fastest ways to reinvigorate it is to remove anything that doesn’t serve a purpose. ‘Subtracting furniture can make a big difference,’ says Solomon. ‘Maybe you have a bulky bench in your living room that just accumulates books, packages and other clutter – it doesn’t need to be there. Move it to another room, or sell it.’
Rearranging furniture is another inexpensive way to transform a space. Could you move your coffee table or armchair, or switch over artworks for a totally new view? Consider adding a basket to stow toys, blankets and other mess, or, if budget allows, a storage ottoman (such as the Amelie Trundle from The House Upstairs) to keep things hidden but easily accessible. Stools, small side tables and pouffes are also useful additions: deploy them beside a chair for reading, as a games table or wherever they’re needed, then move them when the fancy takes you.
‘Switching out a few cushions or a throw can make quite a dramatic difference to how a space feels,’ says Duggan. To change things up without adding even more clutter, opt for cushion covers (Zara Home does great ones), which are easier to store and more cost-effective than cushions with pads.
Upgrade your bedding
Now is the time to wash long-neglected pillows and vacuum and flip your mattress to get rid of dust, allergens and lingering bacteria. ‘I recommend putting two pillows into the washing machine at a time as it helps to balance it,’ advises Solomon. ‘Run it with gentle detergent on a delicate cycle, then pop the pillows in the dryer with some tennis or drying balls to help them dry evenly.’ Replace pillows if they don’t bounce back when folded in half, she adds. Old ones can be donated to animal shelters or taken to your local recycling centre.
The same goes for old and used bedlinen which, if in good condition, is often welcomed by homeless shelters. Keep the linen you do want in orderly fashion by storing each complete set inside a single pillowcase, then stacking them in a cupboard or under the bed.
It might also be time to invest in a mattress topper for hotel-worthy comfort, plus a blanket, quilt or eiderdown for extra warmth. According to Duggan, electric blankets have become very popular among her clients for a toasty bed situation come winter.
Rethink your lighting
As the evenings get darker, it’s a good opportunity to enfold your home in warm, layered light. ‘The greatest light to improve one’s sense of cosiness is an open fire or wood burner,’ says designer Russell Pinch. ‘But in its absence – or alongside it – incorporate as many lamps with dimmers as you can. It might take a little time to balance the light exactly as you want it, but it’s an easy way to feel well-nested in the long run.’
You don’t necessarily need to buy a new lamp: simply changing a lampshade can completely change the quality of light in a room. Ceau Store’s Cloud Lampshades deliver soft, diffused light and can be used on top of any base, while Hum London’s Atlas Lampshade, with its tiny swirly perforations, creates a pretty glow that scatters across the room. ‘Opting for designs that add warmth, not just in brightness but in materiality, is key,’ adds Pinch. ‘For our Beata lights we use plant fibre, a delicate, slightly translucent fabric that is tactile and gently diffuses light.’
Easier still are candles, which lend an ambient flickering glow wherever they’re placed. And if you’re currently enduring acid-bright white bulbs, switch them for something softer and warmer – it makes all the difference as the nights draw in.
