On Sentimentality

​Sometimes, when we’re going through all the things we own and determining “Should [it] stay or should [it] go,” we also have some pretty specific realizations about ourselves.  In my mad-dash to handle what we do have and where it should live, I have realized that no matter how much I can -and do- admire my friends and family with simply curated collections of what they need and use… I will never be one of them.  I will never be a minimalist.

There is nothing wrong with that, just as there is nothing wrong with my maximal, sentimental collections.  One thing I do love is stories.  And keeping the things I do usually comes with some kind of story about how it came to my possession or whose it belonged to before me.  And I love that.  It turns out I’m working toward Kon Mari maximalism.

A Home for Everything

My views of storage are already a big part of how I’m re-planning where the things we have live, but my biggest focus now is turning to how to display the things we have.  I’ve always loved seasonal styling, and employ that with things like linens already, so adjusting my approach to include seasonal planning beyond that I hope will help my collections of sentimental excitement feel more fresh: and it should increase my appreciation, or at least my willingness to let some things go.

Along with that, I need to think about where everything is, and where and how it lives.  The bin of garden equipment living in my dining room?  That probably should find a real home. I have consistently attributed the lack of organization to how storage has shifted in the last few years, from getting rid of some storage spaces to not yet finishing the attic.  Really, I just need to buckle in and do it!

Getting Started

That begs the question: Where do I start?  In the winter, it is not the attic.  So, I’ll likely be bringing some chaos back to the teeny pocket-office as I work to sort out the chaos that currently is taking over our library space.  There isn’t much editing left down there, but there is a lot of cleaning and organizing yet to do…. The edits will really come in finally deciding where things like the exercise equipment and the drum kit should live (if we’re being honest though… probably the attic).

Like any home (or the planet, frankly), the space we have is finite.  What we can work with as we go will keep changing, and I need to be really willing to go through the planning for displays in our open storage library. Weeding out the book selections we’ve outgrown, and fully-integrating new ones that fit our interests.  I’m excited to intersperse some of the things from my grandparents’ collections.  The number of duck and goose figures that I fell in love with continue to suit our home.

Use Cases

If there is one thing I can -and should- start to cull, it’s plant pots.  I love my fun selection of pots, but the number of plants living in them seems to be shrinking.  And as I think about what I want to grow and the likelihood they’ll need to be up-potted into something I have… I need to call myself out on that one.  I have too many pots and not enough plants.  I’ll probably keep a handful for up-potting, but realistically, most plants come in pots of their own.  It’s time to call it.

The other area I need to think things through is paperwork!  I have whole bins of old school papers and documents and cards that we never look at or use.  Some certainly are needed (school records, birth certificates), but digital records work just as well, and these take up a lot less physical space.  I also have a scanner: It’s time to use it.

Bungalows

For a house that came with three small closets and a buffet, it’s time to look to how folks have used these spaces before us to figure out the modern question: Do I really need this?  We’re doing a lot more “play this all the way through” when selecting items, even with the kids.  What is the use of this?  Will it really get used as needed or often to justify owning -and ultimately storing- it?

It’s a good question to ask.  Especially with six people in around 1600 square feet (150 square meters).  We’re thinking a lot more about that lately, and focusing on quality, age, and just a little bit of sentimentality when we’re planning and organizing.  I’m also leaning into my own imperfections, and letting some of my more eclectic choices come through.