The concept of a spring clean is familiar to most of us – it’s always a great feeling to say goodbye to winter, dust out the cobwebs and prepare your home in the lead up to summer. So, as the warm weather gives way to cooler days, why not enjoy that same organised satisfaction by decluttering your house in autumn in preparation for winter?
For most of us, at the very least winter will require a change of wardrobe, and perhaps result in a bit more time spent indoors – so it is well worth investing some time ensuring both your winter wardrobe and winter nest are well organised and set up to see you through the cooler season. Here are our three top tips for utilising autumn to prepare for winter:
1. Make the most of more indoor time
As the weather cools down and rain and wind force us to spend more time inside, utilise this downtime at home to focus on small areas at a time. Whether it’s a rained off kid’s sports game or a postponed shopping trip, utilise these little pockets of time to focus on small but specific areas of your home.
You could sort a single drawer while on the phone, organise a firewood delivery or reorganise a single bookshelf while a rain shower passes. Even tucking yourself away in the bedroom with a sniffly kid to sort out their winter wardrobe can help you tick off small tasks and contribute to a more organised and cosy home space.
Start a list of small areas you want to declutter, or know you’ll use more over the winter months, and slowly work through them as time allows.
2. Rediscover seasonal favourites
When that first cold snap hits, you don’t want to be rifling through summer dresses and short-sleeved shirts to find a jumper or jacket that’s been put away in a hard to reach spot. One task that will require a decent amount of dedicated time is preparing your winter wardrobe.
If you have a spacious wardrobe, simply move your lighter clothing to the back or sides and ensure your warmer garments are where you can see and access them easily. Of course, check items for damage, correct fit or current style and discard anything that you won’t wear in the coming season.
For wardrobes that aren’t so big, there are lots of smart options out there to maximise the most of your space. We often help clients create wardrobe spaces that are specifically designed to house particular items. Recently, we designed a solution (see image above) to allow a client to rotate their clothes – making changing seasons easy!
Check that you have all the core winter basics like coats, boots, fleeces and winter pyjamas and if not – make a list and enjoy a shopping trip in the milder autumn weather!
The summer/winter switch should be applied to other areas of your home too. Make sure warmer bedding is at the front of your linen closet; pack away summer beach items and ensure winter sports gear is easily accessible and store away outdoor items to protect them from the weather.
3. Give neglected areas some TLC Often when decluttering, we focus on obvious areas like wardrobes, linen closets, kids bedrooms and garages. So autumn is an ideal time to have a proper look at your pantry, bathroom and laundry. Go through cupboards in these areas and check for out of date or close to expiry foods, makeup, medicines or cleaning products, throwing away dated items and putting close to expiry items at the front where they will be used first. Once you’ve had a good declutter, think about items you might need for the months ahead and ensure you have a good supply of things like stocks and dried foods for winter soups and casseroles; cold and flu medications; or specialised cleaning products. By focusing on decluttering small areas of your home in autumn, not only will you get to enjoy toasty evenings or lazy Netflix afternoons in front of the fire without being surrounded by mess and clutter, you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to the spring clean, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the warmer weather. Regular home decluttering sessions shouldn’t be overwhelming. As well as our easy organisational tips, Innovative Interiors can work with you to ensure you have effective storage solutions in all areas of your home, making that seasonal switch out a breeze.
Take advantage of a free consultation with a design expert at Innovative Interiors, who will work with you to create a customised solution that will work with the space you have, and what you want from it.
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