12 things decluttering experts won’t keep in their living room
A living room can become just too 'lived-in' and end up as a dumping ground for everything that belongs elsewhere in a home. Professional declutterers and KonMari practitioners – including members of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO), and the Spark Joy Collective of KonMari consultants – have a hit-list of things we should ban. Sharing their biggest dos and don'ts with House Beautiful, follow this hands-on decluttering advice from the pros and get ready to enjoy relaxation and calm in your living room.
1. Laptops and work items
If you work from your living room, remove or store work-related laptops, papers and files immediately at the end of the working day, says Mimi Bogelund, Spark Joy Collective member and founder of Organised Home and Life. 'If there's no option except to have it there, I'd put everything behind doors in a cupboard, drawers or use attractive baskets,' she suggests. 'If it's a temporary situation, I'd recommend packing everything away in work bags and moving them out of the room.'
Top tip: Emily (@ourlondonlistedhome) created a clever gallery wall to hide her computer screens. See how she does it here
2. Miscellaneous items
Elizabeth Wickes, APDO member and founder of The Lifestyle Organiser, advises against keeping too many accessories in a living room. 'Books, trinkets, and miscellaneous items that are often not being used or read, create visual overwhelm and are magnets for accumulating dust,' she says. 'Only showcase the items that you truly love. By editing those on show and creating some space, you’ll be able to view the items more clearly plus you'll spend less time dusting.'
A lovely trick that we learned from interior designer and House Beautiful columnist, Sophie Robinson, is to add trays on your shelves or coffee tables to keep lots of objects contained to a single spot – maintaining clear surfaces without sacrificing decorative accents.
3. Toys and games
A happy family home involves mess, but at the end of the day, toys should be tidied away, says APDO member Gill Gudgeon: 'Toys and games are instant clutter and their brightly coloured nature – and even worse, motion-activated sounds – scream "look at me!"' Gill encourages parents (and their little ones) to return toys to bedrooms or put them away in a toy chest 'ideally placed out of your sight-line when you're sat down'.
Certified KonMari consultant, Romana Reynolds, owner of Purer Living, agrees. She stores her daughters' playthings away neatly in cupboards, or 'categorised in beautiful baskets'.
4. Newspapers or magazines you no longer need
We all love indulging in a good magazine (especially House Beautiful, naturally), but take a look at your collection – especially weekly magazines and daily newspapers which mount up quickly – and recycle those you no longer need.
My Wardrobe Zen's founder and Spark Joy Collective member, Victoria Nicholson, says: 'If there's a specific article you want to save, why not capture it on your phone? And when new publications arrive, display them in a stylish magazine holder and replace and recycle those you’ve read.'
Alternatively, if you prefer magazine and newspaper tear outs to collate clippings for moodboards, just ensure you corral everything in a folder to keep it organised. And for those magazine issues that you want to keep, store them in a closed cupboard so that it's out of sight, as your magazine holder will only be able to fit so much.
Zoë Berry, founder of Life/Edit Home Organisation and APDO member, says that for the same reason, avoid coffee tables with shelves as these become magazine dumping grounds: 'Unless they’re intentionally curated, they’re just clutter magnets.'
5. Two-tiered coffee table
Speaking of coffee tables with shelves… these are always given their marching orders by Vickie Farrell, APDO member and founder of Declutteright, who speaks from personal experience: 'We had one of these in our living room, and I soon learned that having two large flat surfaces that could be filled with lots of things equals a major clutter hotspot. I now have a nest of three small coffee tables that sit nicely in the corner of the room and only comes out when needed.'
6. Clothing and shoes
'The one item you need to remove straight away from your living room is stray items of clothing and shoes,' says Kate Yiannacou, APDO member and founder of Tidy Happy Calm. 'Coats slung over the back of a chair and jumpers stuffed down the side of a couch suggest that the space is only for passing through. They don't say, "sit down, relax, be comfortable".'
Mimi adds that outdoor shoes should always be left by the front door: 'In winter especially, this will cut cleaning time right down and instantly make the living room feel like a relaxing zone of your home.'
7. Bedding
Another one of Mimi's pet hates is seeing duvets pinched from the bedroom and draped over the sofa. 'If you want to snuggle up with covers on the sofa, get a few soft throws and leave the duvet in your bedroom,' she says.
Lynn Kirk, Spark Joy Collective member and owner of Happily Sorted, warns against overdoing it. 'They look so warm, cosy and stylish and I’ve had to hold myself back from buying one many times. Mainly because personally, I like things out of sight. Also, I want cleaning to be easy and so have less things to move in order to clean.'
Pick one statement throw that sits in harmony with the rest of the room, so it can be neatly draped over the arm of your sofa when not in use.
8. Laundry
Laundry is also a no-no for Kate Galbally, APDO member and founder of Better Organised: 'I recommend not having laundry hanging or in piles in the living room. Try to keep it to the more functional areas of the home. The living room is usually a space for play, entertainment or relaxation, none of which is easy to do if there are clothes horses or floordrobes in sight.'
9. Bulky furniture
This might sound obvious, but banish bulky furniture, says Craig Hoareau, APDO member and founder of A Tidy Mind – South London: 'I'd get rid of any piece of furniture which is too large for the room. Consider the space you have before thinking about the furniture you put in it. If furniture is too large, it can make everything feel small and cluttered. Buying furniture that corresponds with the space you have will make it feel more open and relaxing.'
A sense of spaciousness comes with lightweight furniture too, so consider the silhouettes and materials you use. A slim profile on your armchairs, glass tops to coffee or console tables, tall floor lamps and angular wall lights will make everything feel less cluttered.
10. Unfinished projects
The living room is no place for long-forgotten hobbies, says Craig. An unused Playstation will gather dust, so too will the myriad wires and games that accompany it. And leaving out a half-finished craft project is no guarantee that you'll finish it. 'Will you actually take on those projects again or not? If not, then they should go,' he says.
Store your projects in a cupboard or spare room, or if there is no hope of returning to them, just head to the charity shop.
11. A television
A controversial choice, but Spark Joy Collective member and lifestyle coach, Jenny Hayes, would do away with the television.
'The one thing I’d never have in my living room is a TV as a central focus point. For many people that can feel like an alien concept – the idea of snuggling up in front of the telly appeals to most.
'Sometimes we need the space, without distractions, to process the day and to share the highs and the lows.'
Forgoing Netflix altogether might be one step too far for even the most diligent of declutterers, but there are fabulous alternatives to disguise your TV. A clever hack that we often see from Topology Interiors is to use a Samsung Picture TV that has a realistic frame and displays artwork when not in use.
12. Exercise equipment
Leave the cross trainer, rowing machine and dumb bells out of it, says APDO and Spark Joy Collective member Rosie Barron, founder of The Tidy Coo: 'Exercise equipment and items that live elsewhere are banned from the living room.'
'Even if used, it can be smelly and harbour germs if the equipment is not wiped down regularly. And if it's not used, it can become a regular guilt-inducing reminder that we should be either using it or removing and/or selling it,' says Elizabeth Wickes.
'At the end of the evening I pop everything in to an "other room" basket and move items back to the places they belong. Family life happens and should be enjoyed. The key is to be able to tidy up quickly and easily afterwards,' says Sue Spencer, master KonMari consultant, APDO member and founder of A Life More Organised.
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