SPRING! A Time for New Beginnings (and a little de-cluttering!)

A lot of Australians are opting for downsizing to an apartment in our cities, lured by the idea of living amongst the café culture and restaurants and being close to cinemas, theatres and art galleries. A great chance for a new beginning and there’s no better time to renew your life than Spring!

No matter what size the apartment will be, a serious amount of decluttering and letting go of the old will need serious negotiation with yourself. Once the difficult decision has been made, and you are looking forward to your journey, the most important tip is to de-clutter before packing.

Ask us for advice even if you are only at the planning stage - working with plans is something we have experience with. Ordering sofas and dining tables early will ensure they are available for your move-in day. Leave the layering for later - that’s when all the fun starts.

To get you started – the insideout team have five top tips to help you take away some of the stress before you move. Staying positive and great advice from a professional team will make this a more enjoyable and exciting experience.

1. De-clutter - go through each room one by one and take a look at all of your furniture items in a new light. Ask yourself a few tough questions! Do you really love it? Do you really need it? Will your furniture fit? Freeing ourselves of unnecessary clutter and filling our home with things we love can be very cathartic.

2. Start collecting images of interior styles and colours that appeal to you; we help our clients make sense of their style even when they aren’t sure what it is. (Check out our Instagram and store for more inspiration.) Don’t forget the outside balcony or large entertaining deck if you are lucky enough to have one - adding greenery inside and out will add a calming appeal. Great artificial plants are available if you’re not a green-thumb or simply forget to water.

3. Buy larger pieces of furniture items first. Don’t rush out and buy anything until you have some expert advice on the right size of your furniture pieces to make the most of the space – buying furniture that’s too big (or too small) can be a costly mistake.

Choose larger items first such as a sofa, dining table/ chairs and your beds. There are numerous sofa options available to suit all spaces – just make sure you have enough seating for a comfortable number of guests to gather. Colours will also make a big difference on how big your space appears and need careful consideration.

Apartment living is different to a large home, and carefully chosen dual-purpose pieces of furniture will help with freeing up space and offer extra storage for that additional necessary clutter.

4. Add layers to tie your look together. Consider the window furnishings at this stage before deciding on art, rugs, accessories, cushions and other pieces of furniture. Items carefully selected (and not overdone), will create an apartment that is a haven that you not only won’t be able to wait to show off but will want to go home to every day. This is where our team can provide some great advice (call to arrange for a free quote.)

5. Now that you have moved in (and have been given great advice and made no expensive mistakes!) it’s time to create new habits. Create a quick and easy maintenance plan to keep the apartment clutter free; this will help your space seem larger. Challenge yourself to keep shelves, and tabletops clean and only display what you love. Remember, less is more.

Contact Deb and the Insideout Newcastle team at www.insideoutstyle.com.au