How To Rightsize With Style

By Interior designer Emma Gurner partners with Anchor on Downsizing Tips

The choice to rightsize your home is only the first step. And, whilst it makes financial and lifestyle sense, the process can be a bit daunting when you first begin. To help, we’ve pulled together 10 handy tips on how to rightsize with style.

• Don’t dawdle

We know it seems overwhelming, but the earlier you start the process, the more manageable you’re going to find it in the long run. We recommend you start planning three months before the move, and simply dedicating half an hour each day will make everything much easier.

• Donate

There are a number of charities and worthy causes that would benefit greatly from your donations. As they say, one man’s waste is another man’s treasure.

• Keep notes

A little Marie Kondo goes a long way. Make a note of all the items that you use, that give you pleasure, that have sentimental value. This is what will make your new home feel like your own. You can split these into groups to make it more digestible.

• Somethings got to give

This isn’t going to be easy but try and aim to have a definite keep list, a definite get rid list with no maybe’s in between. Start with small items to get you accustomed to the process, and then move onto the bigger things. It’s okay to be ruthless! Anchor can be with you every step of the way to help you sort and pack your possessions.

• Size matters

This is really important as inevitably you will find that some of your furniture will be too big to fit into your new home. Measure the rooms and the furniture you’re thinking of putting there.

• Elevate your vintage

Give a loved vintage piece of furniture the limelight in a room by mixing it with modern pieces of furniture. If you stick with one antique piece per room, it will become a design feature and the contrast with the modern pieces will make its presence feel purposeful and considered.

• Furniture functions

When you don’t have the extra rooms, furniture that is multi-functional can be a real space-saver. A sofa bed would be perfect to have in a spare room which could double up as a study and a guest bedroom, and extendable dining tables would allow you to have more guests when need be but won’t take over your dining area on a day to day basis. Anchor offer an interior design service that can help you find the perfect pieces.

• Picture perfect

With less surface spaces, you may find you don’t have a place for all of your framed photographs. Allocate time to go through all of your family photos and put together photo albums that can then be neatly stored.

• The art of display

Displaying sentimental items will make your house feel homely but too many items can make a space feel cluttered. A great way to style collections is by grouping them together. A well curated collection can become a real feature, for example, a gallery wall of your China plates.

• Add some softness

Layering a new property with soft furnishings will automatically add a sense of cosiness. Anchor can advise you on your soft furnishing needs from curtains to cushions to carpets to meet your budget and reflect your style.

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