What do you picture when you think about a decluttered and organized home?  Do you think calm and stress-free or do you think cold and sterile? 

Some people may feel that in order for a home to be comfortable it needs to be filled with lots of stuff. 

They may feel that a clutter-free home will look like no one lives there and that it has to be kept at a standard of perfection.

Well, how about meeting the cluttered home and the perfect home somewhere in the middle?  And let me be the first to tell you, there is no such thing as a perfect home. 

We need to strike a balance by parting with excess belongings that we no longer use, love or need.  The flip side is that we need to keep belongings that we do want.  Items that are a good keepers:

0.Belongings that we have room to store

0.Items that we need and use regularly

0.Items that have sentimental value that we can use or display

0.Belongings that bring us joy

0.Heirlooms that would be hard to replace-but only keep them if you love them and display them

We do want people to feel comfortable when they come into our homes and not be afraid to sit down or mess anything up.  We should create an environment that is warm and inviting.  When we part with clutter, then people can see the items that remain to truly showcase our likes and our personalities. 

So, be sure to strike a balance in your home that creates comfort and leaves chaos in the dust!