DECLUTTERING (BUT NOT)
by Alexandra Ward
We’ve all heard of Marie Kondo. Her decluttering method has taken the country by storm and if you’re anything like me, you’ll have wanted to throw your whole house away and start anew with refreshingly empty rooms, cleared of ten years of impulse buys.
Well, while ‘zenifying’ each room, as I like to think of it, has left my house undoubtedly lighter and cleaner, I must admit that not all of my clutter, no matter how unsightly, can go.
Yes. The dreaded WiFi router. It comes along with all its closest friends: mobile phone chargers, cables of all sorts and the crowning glory of unsightliness: the magazines that have been piling up waiting for me to eventually read them. These necessary, but, oh so ugly things, are decluttering dream destroyers - the ultimate hurdles to cross into the land of aesthetically pleasing, Marie Kondo approved interiors.
What can you do about them, you ask? The answer is simple - hide them. I know it sounds like cheating – and it probably is – but it is the quickest and cheapest way to get around the issue, bar throwing out the TV and the laptop.
WiFi routers are usually located in entry halls or in the corner of a living room. A simple basket or potted plant can conceal them easily, adding the bonus of a warm, inviting area.
TIP:Make sure whatever you use to hide your clutter isn’t just more clutter! A plant is always a wonderful addition to a room, but if you’re using an object, make sure it looks like it is meant to go there!
For all of your kitchen bits and bobs – those vitamins, bread and pen pots, a box can make all the difference. All of your things go in one place and
your counter top suddenly looks sleek and spacious.
As for the magazines – boxes are your new best friends - by stacking your magazines into a single, accessible unit, you are achieving a perfect compromise. A clean space, but also the knowledge that one day, when you eventually have time, you can peruse your magazines to your heart’s content.
Now what are you waiting for, get to hiding your clutter guilty pleasures! After all, a zen house doesn’t have to mean a house devoid of life. (or WiFi).