{"id":266133,"date":"2018-01-03T14:11:10","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T19:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=266133"},"modified":"2018-05-29T19:16:03","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T23:16:03","slug":"clearing-clutter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/clearing-clutter\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Clearing Clutter (and Bad Vibes) from Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
\"The

The master bedroom of a tudor-style house in San Francisco that’s been updated by Nicole Hollis<\/a>. Photo by Mark Adams<\/p><\/div>\n

With the start of a new year, we are all given the opportunity to begin anew, so it\u2019s important to reflect on how we are living. If you just kicked off a new diet, perhaps it would be unwise to leave a box of cookies in the back of the pantry. Likewise, leaving remnants of past energies in your current environment can affect your future success.<\/p>\n

The objects you surround yourself with can alter your emotions, and they even have their own auric fields. Curating the energy in your spaces and infusing your domain with soulful things can nudge you toward a feeling of betterment. With that in mind, below are some tips that will help you to elevate the frequency of your home.<\/p>\n

\n

Simplify to Create Expansion<\/h2>\n

The more complicated and technologically advanced our lives become, the stronger our desire to streamline our home interiors. Hence, the longstanding vogue of minimal decor. Cutting down on furniture and accessories allows our personal energy to expand, resulting in a more open and peaceful place for your mind and spirit to roam.<\/p>\n

Have your needs changed as a result of compressed energy experienced in 2017? It may be time to assess your rooms and ask the question: \u201cDoes my overall environment still resonate with me and support the life I wish to lead?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Workstead

Workstead stripped this Lower Manhattan loft<\/a> to the bare essentials and furnished it with streamlined mid-century modern and contemporary pieces. Photo by Matthew Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019ve ever taken a walk to clear your head, you allowed an energetic clog to dissipate. Similarly, your spaces can use a good unclogging from time to time. Decluttering is a simple yet time-consuming project that yields powerful results. Often, this creates the sensation of a physical weight being lifted after each countertop, table, cupboard or draw is cleared or reorganized.<\/p>\n

Whether you set aside a week to tackle every room at once or systematically dissect one drawer per day, you\u2019ll find that positive outcomes motivate further work. Assess your furniture, lighting, art, window treatments and even the paint on the walls. Bags with labels like \u201ccharity,\u201d \u201cstorage\u201d and \u201ctrash\u201d will be key for hauling stuff away. While you work, consider that you are making room for opportunity to flourish and for energy to flow.<\/p>\n

Below are eight objects to rethink:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. An object that reminds you of a low-energy time or person #charity<\/li>\n
  2. Something you use out of \u201cgift guilt\u201d #storage<\/li>\n
  3. An object you\u2019ve lost fondness for #gift<\/li>\n
  4. A piece that you keep simply because it has value #sell<\/li>\n
  5. Something you have duplicates of #secondhome<\/li>\n
  6. A broken object you\u2019ve been holding onto #release<\/li>\n
  7. Anything that doesn\u2019t fit your lifestyle or decor #handmedown<\/li>\n
  8. An object that is dead (dried flowers, etc.) #garbage<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"A

    A clean vignette in a modernist Springs, New York, beach house by Meyer Davis<\/a>. Photo by Eric Laignel<\/p><\/div>\n

    After you have freed yourself of unwanted past-life objects, the only thing left to clear . . . is the air. Various techniques have been used throughout history to release energies we cannot see. Sage is the most well-known clearing agent, and the act of burning sage, palo santo and other cleansing incense in the home is called \u201csmudging.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Talk of clearing one\u2019s space has gone mainstream, and you can readily find sage and palo santo in health-food stores and online. If smudging feels too foreign, opening all the windows and doors for a good part of the day does wonders during winter months.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Acquire with Intention<\/h2>\n

    Once your space is clear, intentionally infusing it with what you feel will make you happiest is of the utmost importance. Taking time to alter your environment as you evolve is the hardest part. One place to start is by introducing each of the four elements into your spaces, which will help balance the energy in your home.<\/p>\n

    Earth<\/h2>\n
    \"\"

    This Vibrational Works live-edge maple slab is embedded with crystals and gemstones<\/a> and can function as an end table, nightstand or sculpture.<\/p><\/div>\n

    Earth elements are some of the most supportive energies we can surround ourselves with, and they are why we find ourselves among the mountains, trees and rocky shorelines when taking a break.<\/p>\n

    I utilize various exotic woods as grounding forces, embedding them with intuited ethereal crystalline energy to create my Vibrational Works collection of contemporary furniture and sculpture<\/a>. It has been inspiring for me to provide curated energies for individuals, organizations and families. Finding soulful and uplifting (albeit grounding) objects that we connect with affects us positively and makes a house feel more like a home.<\/p>\n

    Air<\/h2>\n
    \"The

    The all-white kitchen of a New York City penthouse by Kelly Behun<\/a> features Lucite chairs around an Eero Saarinen Tulip table<\/a>. Photo by KBS<\/p><\/div>\n

    At times, we find ourselves in a room that feels cluttered. Here is where the element of air comes into play. Removing objects to make an interior feel more open promotes a drastic spatial shift. We often forget that negative space is as important to a home as the components we can see. When needing a more expansive feeling in an apartment, where even the most minimal of items can be crucial, a piece of Lucite furniture<\/a> can create an airy effect.<\/p>\n

    Fire<\/h2>\n
    \"JHL<\/a>

    As part of a thoughtful renovation by JHL Design, a gas fireplace brings energetic warmth to this industrial loft in Portland, Oregon<\/a>. Photo by Lincoln Barbour<\/p><\/div>\n

    Not all homes have fireplaces<\/a>, but fire is a powerful activating element (think of all the candles lit in prayer around the world). If you don\u2019t have a fireplace, large candles or lanterns can be just as energizing, depending on their placement. If you do own a fireplace or a fire pit, lighting it up can push stagnant energy out of the area. Fire not only forces the movement of chi (vital energy) \u2014 it provides a cozy vibe as you bask in its warmth.<\/p>\n

    Water<\/h2>\n
    \"A

    A bathroom in a modern London home by Waldo Studio<\/a>. Photo by Tom Mannion<\/p><\/div>\n

    Water covers 71 percent of the earth\u2019s surface and comprises 60 percent of the human body, with higher concentrations in the brain, heart and lungs. So, naturally, water has a calming effect on us. Where is this element located within and around your home? In which direction is your water running, and does its energy flow easily, leak or flood? Do your appliances run smoothly or clog? Use your intuition and possibly a plumber to make sure you are harnessing all of this element\u2019s power.<\/p>\n

    As we spend more and more time indoors doing our digital errands, our sanctuaries hold an increasing amount of importance. Undoubtedly, acting upon your interior intuitions will create a high-vibrational space.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Danna Weiss is a New York\u2013based artist, intuitive, speaker, teacher and founder of Vibrational Works<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \t

    \n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    Shop with Intention<\/div>\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t