Detox your home

Spring is a great time to get organised and clear out the clutter, so here are our top tips on detoxing your home

If you got lots of new things for Christmas, and then went a little bit crazy in the sales, it may be getting pretty hard to squeeze all of those clothes into the drawers. If the cupboards may be creaking, it means it’s time to consider getting rid of some of the old, to make room for the new.

Firstly, you need to get organised and separate what you want to keep from what you don’t need any more. If you’re still left with lots of things you want to hold on to, you'll have to think about storing them effectively. Whether this is in your home, garage or an external storage space, it’s helpful to make a plan and stick to it.

Get organised

One of my favourite ways to keep organised, especially if space is tight, is to use furniture that doubles-up as storage, for example this great bench from Ikea, which features handy space under the seat.



Ikea storage bench, Ikea, www.ikea.com

Wovenhill also makes a great range of furniture that helps with storage while still looking chic. The Loxley storage benches come with either two or three drawer spaces and are available in a range of colours to match to your interior. They feature plenty of storage to keep all those pesky odds and ends hidden from view. The benches also offer stylish seating, so are perfect for small spaces.



Loxley wide storage unit, six basket drawers, £99.00, Wovenhill, www.wovenhill.co.uk



Loxley wooden hallway,two-drawer storage bench, £78.00, Wovenhill, www.wovenhill.co.uk

Tidy up your muddle with these clever pieces from Ikea, such as the Pax and Komplement wardrobes. With trays for jewellery, sectioned shelves and pull-out shoe racks, the inside of your wardrobe will have never looked so tidy! Ikea also has these great Komplement glass-fronted drawers and shelves which allow you to see your clothes without having to rummage through.



Drawers and shelves, Ikea, www.ikea.com

Wall space

Make the best use of your walls by putting up shelves, or buy freestanding units to increase your places to store things as well as saving you having to put up a picture! Buy cupboards, baskets and boxes to tidy up smaller items. A trip to Ikea is ideal for these items. Look out for ornaments and trinkets that double-up as places to store small things such as keys, needles and cotton and elastic bands.



Solid bamboo and bamboo veneer bookcase £279.00, wire baskets £55.00, both Marks & Spencer, www.marksandspencer.com

Drawers are notorious for getting messy, so if you want to keep them clutter free, or at least keep your clutter organised, add compartments to keep things neat and tidy – it will also help you find things when you need them, without having to empty the contents of the drawer!



Divided drawers, Ikea, www.ikea.com

Neat and tidy

Take time to plan and think about how you’re storing things. By putting a bit of thought into it and packing things in nice and neatly, not only will it be easier to find things when you need them, but you will fit in a lot more things into a small space.

Keeping your belongings in a storage unit is an option if you have a lot of things like furniture, but is also an expensive one. These spaces are usually available in different sizes, for either long or short-term lets. They are clean, secure, private, spaces where each customer has their own key. Access varies depending on the company as does the cost, (most often you pay by the month).

To find out more, read the latest issue here