Like a lot of families, you may eat the majority of your meals from your lap in front of the TV, so your dining room could be harbouring a lot of redundant stuff. Here are a few culprits:
Fancy crockery
Fancy crockery
If you only get this out once a year at Christmas does it warrant the space? Perhaps you can upgrade your existing crockery if it’s looking a bit shabby and use your good stuff every day or donate it and just use your regular plates for this one day. No-one will notice!
Table cloths
You only need one! If you choose the most neutral of the pile, it will work for all occasions, eliminating the need for one for Christmas, one for Easter, one for Birthdays… you get the drift.
Occasion cutlery
Again- treat every day as special and use your good stuff as much as you can. Replace your battered set in the kitchen for your good quality set that's just gathering dust in the dining room drawer.
Presentation pieces
When was the last time you used the three-tiered cake stand, the toast rack or that butter dish? If you bought something on a whim and never use it- there will be someone out there who will, so give yourself the space and allow someone else to enjoy the item.
Serviettes
If you have serviettes for every occasion, it’s time to pare them down- the reason you have so many is because you never use the ones you’ve already bought and just keep replacing them. Again, choose a neutral set and give the others away. The most important thing when you entertain is the people you are with, not whether the serviette matches with the theme of the evening.
Excessive glassware
How many glasses do you actually need? What’s the biggest party you’ve ever hosted? Use that as your measure as to how many you need to cater for your next big bash. If your collection exceeds this amount- then it may be wise to rethink the numbers.
Booze
The dining room is generally where people keep their alcohol stash so take everything out of the sideboard and be honest with yourself. Pour anything out that is out of date straight away. What has been in there for so long you can’t remember buying or being gifted it? There are always people you can pass this onto- they will be glad of the donation if it’s their favourite tipple!
Tagged in Declutter Decluttering