Purging: The Missed Step in Home Decorating

People are always asking me what’s the first step to get started with decorating their home. Often times when I answer them they are shocked…I believe the first step to home decorating is purging.

Why Start With Purging

Unless you are starting with nothing in a room, there are mostly things in the room that do not belong or are not needed anymore. If you start decorating without limiting things first you may end up with too much in a room, which is a common decorating mistake.

Purging first also helps you determine what you need first before buying anything new.
When purging your decor you may find things that you forgot had and now can use again. For instance you may want to buy new throw pillows, if you purge first you may find some throw pillows in your linen closet that you use again or recover. This is why many guys end up with a couple hammers. Purging first will save you money.

Also, by purging first you may find that redecorating a room is not always about adding new stuff. Often you may think you need more to decorate a space when in fact all you need is to limit extra items in the room to create a simpler design.

Purging is Not Fun

For many of us purging does not sound like a fun way to start out…so you don’t. Instead of purging and getting rid of stuff we put unwanted decorative items into basements and storage lockers never to be seen again.

Often you may feel like your house has too much because you have no place to store things. This, I believe, is not a ‘my house is too small’ issue, it is more of a ‘I need to purge’ issue. After purging, hopefully you find that you have enough room to store the things you need to keep.

How To Purge Your Decor Before Decorating

Let me help you make purging your home furnishings easier and hopefully more productive. Also, let me say that you don’t have to get rid of everything, but I am sure you will find, if you are honest with yourself as you go through this process, that there will be more to purge than you first thought.

Important Questions To Make Purging Easier

I believe the purging process is all about looking at your stuff and asking yourself these questions. Look at everything in your room and ask these questions to help you determine what can stay and want can go in the trash, donate or get rid of piles.

Is there anything in the room that either you don’t like or no longer fits into your personal style?
Are there any pieces of furniture that are not utilized or not needed? If you have a chair that doesn’t get sat in, maybe it is time for it to go. No need to keep furniture that is just taking up space.
Are there any home furnishings that are broken or need repairs? If so, decide if you can repair them in the next month. If you can’t fix them yourself, get rid of them.
Do you have multiples of the same type of item? Such as vases, if so; keep your favorite one and donate the rest. Unless you rotate your decor throughout the year there is no need to keep multiples of accessories.
If you have something that doesn’t work into your design style, but has sentimental meaning, take a picture of it for memories and donate it so someone else can create memories with it.
Do you have too many photos of your family? I know we all love sharing pictures of our family, and I am not telling you not to but, too much of a good thing can be bad. Limit your family photos to your favorites and try clustering them on one wall creating a family gallery wall.
Does anything in the room need to be removed to make the room more functional? If so, remove it for a few days and if the function gets better then consider donate or giving away that item. One example is having so much furniture in a room that it makes it hard to move around. Removing a chair or two can make the space easier to use.
Is there anything that is cluttering the room? If so get rid of it or organize it and give it a new place to call home.
Is there anything in the space that doesn’t get use? For example, is there a TV in the room that never gets used because everyone in your family watches TV in another room together?

This is Just a Starter

These questions are meant to help you get started with the first step of home decorating, the one often missed…purging. If you answered yes to any or all of the questions above then there is some purging you can do. I promise you this will help when decorating your home.

In the beginning of 2014, we did purging on a grand scale in our house. We probably donated, sold, and trashed over 1000 items. We also were able to paid off some debt in the process. Here is a picture of some of what we purged that year.

Now you don’t need to go as extreme as we did, we were and still are on a mission to simplify our lives. But even a small purge will help you better plan and decorate your space. I know purging will probably not be your favorite part of decorating your home; putting the finishes touches on a space is always my favorite.

Nonetheless purging, in my mind, is the best place to start for a good foundation and fresh start when decorating. Try it in a room in your house and see how it helps you. Home decorating is a process that transforms your home, purging is just a quick step in the that rewarding process.

Take Action Today

What one thing can you purge from a room in your home?