Recently, we were contacted by a lady who, after much thought, had decided she needed to downsize her accommodation. Her family had grown up and left to get on with their own lives being adults, leaving her by herself in an apartment too large for her new needs.

As moving day approached, she started to pack years of her life into boxes, promising herself that she would throw away or sell anything she didn’t really need. Of course, that was a promise she largely failed to keep! Like many of us, she felt she needed everything, even if she would never use them – all her precious memories were held in those belongings. So, they went with her.

When it came time to start unpacking in her new smaller home, she was confused as to where to put everything. She sat staring at all those boxes in despair for a while before giving herself a shake and reaching out to the specialists she knew would be able to advise her on how to organize her storage.

She put the things she used and needed the most in their appropriate places. Kitchen equipment and food in the kitchen, seasonable clothing, bed linen, etc., in the bedroom closets. Books went on bookshelves in her home office room. Days later, she said the pile of boxes still didn’t seem to have shrunk much.

We advised that the best solution was to leave the ‘stuff she wants to keep but seldom use’ in boxes, but change the boxes for something that looked attractive even if they were filled with things that mean nothing to anyone else but her.

We suggested some beautiful wicker baskets that are strong enough for her needs but not too heavy to move when required. These woven baskets hold a lot and fit in perfectly with the decor of nearly all rooms.

We also suggested that she look closely at her closets, which were now ‘full’ of her clothes and towels, etc., and decide if there was really no more space. The suggestion that some hanging shelves for inside the closets would be a great help gave her more space there. She also realized she could use a hanging closet organizer beside her desk for stationery and small office items, keeping her desk clear. She also hung one in the bathroom to hold toiletries and shower gel, etc. That, she said, makes her home begin to look and feel better.

She still had one question remaining, though. Some things don’t only belong in one room all the time. Tools, cleaning accessories, etc. She sometimes needs to be able to move things around but also holds them when not needed. We pointed her to a practical but sturdy, wheeled utility cart that not only looks good but can easily be rolled from room to room as required.

She knows she has more to do but now feels her place looks like a warm, inviting home again and not like an industrial warehouse!