Monday, August 17, 2009

See, There is a Chair Under There!

Dear Readers:
To all of you who left a comment on my last post about cluttery piles of random stuff,
thank you so much!

My fluffy little post about the chair I removed from my master bedroom generated an unexpected number of honest confessions! And funny stories. Even a couple of vows to act on the inspiration I provided to do something about the piles. Now that's pretty funny!... that I could provide inspiration to anyone in the area of clutter removal!! You should see the mess in my office where I'm sitting right now... it's enough to make a professional organizer cry.

Confirmed by your response to that post is that we all, even us perfection-seeking designer types, need a spot (or a few) in our homes where clutter can accumulate. We're busy people, most of us juggling many balls at once while wearing several hats. So while we might strive to keep our beautiful homes free of the un-beautiful detritus of life, we need to remember that it's not entirely possible. Not if you're living a real life... a full life. My best suggestion for achieving at least the appearance of order comes from a dear friend who, in an email response to my post, wrote of the spare bedroom she uses as her closet/office/storeroom: "everyone needs a room like I have to be free to drape, pile, throw, stack, hide, collect, clutter and putter, hang, heap, trash and generally live in. No one has to see it or have any comment about it...that room (is) a necessity and essential to my mental health." I couldn't agree more or say it better.

Those of you who don't have the luxury of an entire room in which to hide your clutter, don't fret and don't feel guilty. (And don't hate my friend! She knows how obnoxiously lucky she is!) Do whatever you do to preserve your mental health. Use a chair, a table, a closet, a cupboard, a drawer, the floor, whatever's handy. Leave your piles and live your life. As long as you can clean it up quickly or close it behind a door when your mother's on her way over, you're good!

With gratitude for your participation and best wishes that your clutter remains manageable while your lives remain full,
Tracy

PS: Just so you know, while there may be a considerable mess in my office, here's proof that my one and only bedroom chair has remained pile-free... that slightly out-of-focus pic up there was taken this morning. Yay me!

PPS: Thanks,"Friend"! XO (Look! You're a blogger!)

8 comments:

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

So funny. Personally, I cannot think straight if my dining room table is cluttered. I don't know what that signifies exactly, but there you go. Generally, my house is neat and tidy. But don't go opening any closets!!

Maria Killam said...

Unfortunately I don't have a chair in my bedroom, so my clothes get piled onto my two decorative pillows from my bed. . . It's a good idea to keep fancy pillows on a chair you don't want stuff piled on!

Anonymous said...

Great post! You're right. I like to keep my home fairly clutter free but don't look at my office!

Room Service ~ Decorating 101 said...

We all have our hiding places... I never have clutter showing, but don't look in my closet or under my bed. I am off today on the hunt of a new chair myself, wish me luck. Thanks for coming by.

Maria Killam said...

Tracy - thanks for faithfully commenting on my blog :)

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Tracy
Luckily, my house has a finished basement, out of sight from visitors, so I can keep my clutter there until I can tackle it.

Glad you are enjoying the posts about historic farmhouses in Brooklyn. Thank goodness formal preservation efforts have insured their continuation.

Room Service ~ Decorating 101 said...

I found the chair I was hoping to find! yipee thanks for coming by today and for the sweet note that you left there.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post! I love your friend's philosophy about the importance of her "clutter room" to her mental health.