Yes, you probably have too much furniture

It will probably surprise you to hear that coming from someone who makes a living reimagining and selling furniture. In my own home I have a lot of ‘breathing room’ in fact - open spaces that many folks would feel the urge to furnish. My philosophy is furnish where necessary. Make sure you love the piece and most important is that it functions perfectly for your needs.

One thing I hear all the time from clients and customers is that they are hanging on to pieces that don’t serve the above criteria. Often this is out of sentiment (family heirloom) or because they believe only one type of furniture will work in the space. Often there are non-traditional uses for pieces that would work beautifully.

(A deco era vanity is a great functional piece for a large modern entrance way. Drawers for keys, gloves, doggie doo doo bags and the mirror gives you the chance to take one final long view of the impression you’ll make walking out your door!)

There is also the tendency in North America to acquire and store. If we are all honest with ourselves we know that lack of storage causes anxiety! So, before you set out to add any furniture to increase your storage I can recommend an exercise first. When I decided to sell my house in Squamish and move to Powell River I started this exercise 2 months ahead of my move date. Every night I committed to cleaning one drawer, one closet, one something..until they were all done. What this did was make me touch every single thing I owned! I then had to make a decision about how much I needed or didn’t need each and every thing. Now I am not a clutter queen in general but all of us succumb to retaining more than what we need. Once I had either sold or donated everything I did not need it was so incredibly simple to only take furniture with me that I absolutely loved and that functioned well. I can tell you I actually have several drawers that are empty! It’s a wonderful feeling.

Imagine walking into any room in your home and not feeling cluttered or claustrophobic! Knowing exactly where everything is turns out to be incredibly time saving and freeing. It’s not just important to edit your belongings but it’s equally important not to start the collecting and storing. This means reducing your available storage spaces. Sell or donate furniture that is just taking up room and not serving you. Perhaps it’s more ideal for someone else’s space. Start to consider what you really need and go find it! At The Fiddleback Shack we keep record of what you are looking for and so efforts are doubled to make it happen. Perhaps you have pieces that work perfectly well for you but you find they could use an updated look. If they are tired, dated and/or damaged we can reimagine them for you and you will not only love the form and function of your piece, but it will be a transformed beauty!

So the next time you look at that table that just ends up being loaded up with weekly newspapers and flyers, remove it from the room. Live without it for a while. You’ll be surprised at how this frees up your mind and alleviates anxiety. And, once you’ve become accustomed to the space, then you can truly decide to add back. But only add back something you absolutely love. So you experience joy when you see and use the piece.

We are ready to help you find functional and beautiful pieces for your home! If you are feeling stuck getting started and could use some help decluttering, why not talk to our friend Ranka Burzan, the "Canadian Queen of Clean"? Ranka will show you many ways to let go of the old stuff that is not useful to you and your family. Your organized home will increase your energy while reducing anxiety and overwhelm that clutter creates. More on Ranka's services here.