Advice from Sharon Kreighbaum, author of "Is Your House Overweight? Recipes for Low-Fat Rooms," a guide to putting a home on a clutter diet. The book helps readers set up their homes in a way that simplifies day-to-day life.
1 Declutter with a friend. He or she can provide objectivity and encourage you to keep going.
2 Declutter a room by taking everything out and then sorting items into four laundry baskets marked "keep," "move" (to another room), "throw away" and "donate." Return to the room only the things that you love and that serve your needs.
3 Periodically "weed" each room by putting anything that doesn't belong there into a basket. Either return those things to their proper homes or put them in a recycling or donation bin.
4 Think twice about buying kitchen gadgets. Do you really need a chopper when the knife you already own works just as well?
5 In a pantry or kitchen cupboard, store like items together. You can see at a glance whether you need more of something, so you won't overbuy or come up short.
6 A single, large item makes a bigger decorative impact than a lot of small items.
7 Display special items by themselves - hang a painting over a mantel that has nothing else on it. It will command more attention without the other distractions.
