Your Guide to Wardrobe Decluttering
Gather Supplies
As with our bespoke wardrobes and other bespoke furniture, organisation is key to successful decluttering. We recommend having either a bag or box dedicated to different categories:
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Definite Yes
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Definite No
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Donation
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Maybe
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Occasionally Wear
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Seasonal
This distribution of categories is perfect for stripping back your wardrobe to what you truly need.
If you’re worried about your fitted wardrobe installations looking too bare afterwards, don’t worry. It’s all part of the process.
Remove Everything for Visualisation
With your bags or boxes ready, remove everything out of your wardrobe. From smaller sliding wardrobes to walk-in wardrobes, put all your clothes, shoes and accessories on your bed. Utilise other bedroom furniture if needed.
The important aspect here is visualisation. When you can see all your clothing, it’s much easier to digest the size of the task. From here, you simply make a start.
Begin with ‘Definite Yes’
In theory, this is the easiest step. All clothes that you have worn frequently in the last year will likely qualify. If you’re not 100% sure about something, put it in the maybe pile.
Put your definite yeses back into the wardrobe. Think carefully about placement though. The benefit of bespoke wardrobes is their optimal organisation, so make sure you have easy access to everything.
Move on to ‘Definite No’
Numerous studies have shown that sleeping in a bedroom full of clutter affects the quality of your sleep and induces stress. Just remember: clearing out fitted wardrobes improves your quality of life!
The ‘definite no’ stage is usually the hardest for most people. Consider the popular KonMari method and ask yourself these questions:
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Does this item bring me joy?
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Have I worn it in the last year?
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Will I wear it in the next year?
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Would I buy it again?
It’s equally important to see if the clothing even fits. Be it in Cobham, the surrounding areas in Surrey and Sussex, or across the UK, people have a habit of buying clothes that simply don’t fit.
Of course, you can always fall back on the ‘maybe’ pile.
Out-of-Season Items and Occasional Wear
You should store these garments separately. They are different from daily wear, so you won’t need regular access to them. Giving them their own space in sliding wardrobes and walk-in wardrobes or other bedroom furniture, like a chest of drawers, avoids unnecessary clutter.
Donate, Alter or Sell
With your ‘definite no’ and ‘maybe’ piles, you need to decide what’s best. Donating basic items ensures someone else will appreciate your old clothes. Selling allows you to recoup costs on more expensive items.