Out with the Old, In with the New

HR: So as we’re starting 2025, we’ve been talking about how organizing your home can “set the stage” for new ways of using space, or even symbolically preparing for a “next phase” of life. People can be eager for a change, but there can also be discomfort that comes with it. Can you talk about how you help your clients navigate those challenges?

SB: I was recently working with a client and once we organized her (over-flowing) kitchen cupboards and pared them down to just the items that she actually needs and uses, she commented that at least visually, it seemed like there was “not enough” left.

HR: So the change required an adjustment process.

SB: Right -- if you’ve grown accustomed to over-abundance, the contrast of scaling back to “just enough” may feel like “not enough,” at least at first.

HR: That’s interesting. It reminds me a little bit of the concept of “negative space” in artwork – the blank spaces can be overlooked, but they are really important for defining the other objects in a picture, and the relationships between them.

SB: With organizing, having open space means that you can actually find what you’re looking for, and you have surfaces that can become work areas when needed. So the way you use your house and your stuff actually becomes much more efficient when you have room to maneuver.

HR: And that also seems to open up new possibilities.

SB: Yes, I think that can be part of “out with old, in with the new.” Ideally, the “new” isn’t necessarily more stuff that will become clutter, it might be new ways of using and enjoying the newfound space that you’ve created.