Consummate declutterer Vicky Silverthorn tells Ollie Stallwood why less is so much more...
Vicky Silverthorn gazes proudly at a half-empty cabinet. Declutterer to the stars, she has a host of celebrity clients such as Jonathan Ross and Sadie Frost and was organiser-in-chief for Lily Allen when she toured the world. But the mere mortals of Surrey, Berkshire and London – less famous, perhaps, but no less prone to hoard – also clamour for her help.
You Need a Vicky, her personal decluttering service has been licking homes into shape since 2010. The half-empty cabinet that adorns her own home in Kew says it all. Such tokens of good order, insists Vicky, are surefire evidence that you are winning the clutter war.
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“People think you have to fill up all available storage, but half-empty is fine by me. It’s a sign that I’m hitting my goals. I’m such a weirdo,” she laughs. Like a modern-day Mary Poppins, Vicky specialises in implementing simple, practical systems for making spaces more streamlined and efficient, which in turn creates a happier life.
“Tidier spaces require fewer decisions,” she explains. “How many decisions do we make as it is? Having lots of clutter only makes things even more stressful. “Compare the buzz of decluttering with the one people get from shopping – it’s no contest. The decluttering high lasts longer because you are getting rid of stuff, and only positivity is involved. When you buy stuff, there is often guilt. Moreover, it adds to the mass of things in your home, creating more problems.”
Pro storage tips
- Don’t buy any storage until you have decluttered because you don’t know what you will need.
- Always measure a space before you buy anything to fill it.
- Storage can be pretty but don’t forget to consider practicality, too.
- Don’t forget that shops are made to store items, whereas your home is not. You don’t need ten spare shampoos in your bathroom when you can get another bottle next time you are out. You will only have to house them all!
- When buying or building a wardrobe, count your shoes – no one ever remembers to get proper shoe storage. Make shoe storage flat shelves that are adjustable and as simple as possible. Otherwise, you won’t use them.
- Don’t buy more furniture to house excess stuff – if in doubt, throw it out. Your furniture should be a guide to how much stuff you should own.
- Organisational systems should be simple: anything complicated can be a hindrance. The fewer steps required to complete the process, the better.
- No double handling. Your processes should ensure that you only have to tidy everything away once – not in two or three stages.
Organising with children
“My daughter has a basket for each toy category – I can tidy her stuff in 10 minutes because there is such a basic system. It can be stressful when children have too many toys. We have a cupboard with only a few toys inside, so it’s easy for my daughter to see them, remember where they are, and retrieve them for herself. I believe it’s kinder to their little minds to have less.’’
Tips and tricks
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- Keep it simple. Our expectations of what children can tidy for themselves are too high. Be specific with your wording: telling a child to ‘tidy your room’ is not helpful. Instead, ask: “Can you tidy your drawers?” Or say: “Please put that pile of toys away.” It’s all about how you phrase it. Otherwise, the instruction becomes overwhelming.
- Don’t buy too much stuff for them. Keeping their belongings to a minimum is kinder to the child’s mind.
- Keep things in categories. It makes them easy to put away and easy to find.
- Always have one little box of bits and bobs. As kids get older, they have so many bits of toys. If you have a place to put these, you can organise them another time.
Celebrities can have clutter problems – they, too, are sometimes overwhelmed by a superfluity of stuff, much of which arrives at their door as freebies. There is a lot of pressure, says Vicky, for them only to wear the same thing once or twice.
One might think it's a nice problem, but it still needs to be managed in a busy life. “It’s a double-edged sword: a freebie turns up, and it’s new and shiny, but they don’t need it. That creates admin – they must decide whether to keep it or give it away, which takes time. Depending on the industry, celebrities can get packages every day.”
Dealing with challenging spaces
- Kitchen cupboards – frequently very full. People often stock these cupboards with items for occasional use, like giant saucepans or dishes that appear only at Christmas. Is there another place to put them that isn’t in daily use?
- Hallways – especially small ones that don’t have much space for coats and shoes. Be clever and get something bespoke. You can often buy units online, but they aren’t practical for individual needs. Instead, have something built with plenty of coat hooks up high, as well as some lower ones for children, and the rest of the unit tailored to suit your life. Do you have a lot of shoes? What about long coats? Think carefully about what you need.
- Wardrobes – a recipe for restraint. They are not there just so that you can cram everything in. If you find yourself tucking something into the back, it’s a surefire indication that you don’t need it all that much. Be honest and ask yourself whether you can live without it. If so, embrace the guilt of the money you’ve wasted and get rid of it. Don’t just ignore it.
