apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yes! I was already starting to cure my bedroom this weekend. I realized I was sleeping on the couch in order to avoid the bedroom, that it was so bad!

I'm just starting my spring cleaning/renewal. I'd like to join in!

Right on! I've been really inspired by the cool small spaces contest and realized there's no reason why my tiny apartment shouldn't be fab. I really want to make my apartment feel like home and would totally participate.

I'd love to do it! We're perpetually "in progress" here -- while the bedroom is improving (it had nowhere to go but up), everything else fell apart this winter.

I'm in. This past weekend, I cleared out 200+ pieces of clothing from my closet. (120 pieces went to resale clothing shops, the balance was donated to the Out of the Closet thrift shop.) I've got too much stuff and will definitely be focusing on the decluttering portion of "the cure".

Sounds good -- I missed out on "Nesting Month" last Fall but enjoyed seeing people do their projects.

I'm in. I've begun on my bedroom already.

Yes yes yes yes yes

I'd do it! I've been working a bit on it already, but I'd love a 'guidance' of sorts - I find my attention isn't focused enough to keep going without a definite goal in mind.

is there somewhere I can read a synopsis of the cure - i just don't know anything about it other than it's some kind of organizational/decluttering program. might be interested but just not sure what's involved. thanks.

Yep, let's do it.

I'm moving from smalltown Virginia to a tiny apt. in Washington, DC (Adams Morgan) on April 1st. I'd love to work the cure from the inside out.

My book is on order from Amazon!
I'd love this, espcially if it helped keep me accountable - I'm an ultrawarm person and I tend to get distracted when it's time for me to declutter!

I'm moving back to Manhattan (from a huge apartment in Brooklyn) on March 31st. I've already gotten rid of a ton of stuff, and am really looking forward to making my new (much smaller) apartment as un-cluttered as possible. I would love to participate. I also can't wait for the book; I've already pre-ordered it from Amazon.

I'm down, I really could use a new look and decluttering.

Oh yes! And the timing couldn't be better, we are moving into a new place April 1, so we can start fresh with a curing of the apartment and stuff (since right now I can't face it and am just packing it all). Count me in!

New Tenant - Are you skeptical of THE CURE?!$?
Don't worry, the KOOL-AID will taste gooooood. Do not doubt it. Everyone else is lining up.

Actually, I had the same question - I'd like to hear the eight-steps because they haven't been mentioned in the excerpts posted to date.

Enrique!! How did you do it? I have 12 linear feet of closet rod and it's packed. I need to start, and do better than the measly 12-15 pieces I managed to pitch weekend before last.

What was your magic mantra?

JenPDX

heh heh heh :)

Hey Ryan, welcome to the 'hood (I live in Adams Morgan).

I am up for the group experience, even if it does start on April Fools Day.

Of course! I only get my home-type things done with support from the blogosphere.

Enrique--I'm sure I don't even own that many pieces of clothing. Very impressed!

Count me IN!

Sure.

Hey Anne (the first one/in Dallas): I used 2 guiding principles--1) If it doesnt fit, out it goes. 2) If I haven't worn it or thought about wearing it in a year, buh-bye. If you do clean out your clothes closet, try hitting vintage clothing/resale shops before donating. You never know what type of clothing the shops will want. And you might make some money for the extra effort. (I made just over 700 bucks for the 120 pcs; and still had a sizable chunk to donate.)

Pixie: I still have too many clothes. Sad, but true. But I've only tackled about 2/3 of my clothes closets so far. And I'm definitely working on curbing my shopping/spending.

Anne -- well, it's like any other decluttering project. You take a look through your closet and see what you have and what you don't need or wear or want anymore. A good time to do this is laundry day, when you can clearly see what you have worn. Think about the last time you wore every piece in there. Is everything worth keeping? Is there anything that you don't want? You can also try putting everything on hangers the same way and flip them around when you wear the item. Six months later, you can see what you actually have worn.

One of the things that I keep giving away recently is "work clothes". I'm an animator and there's really no need for me to have corporate clothes, yet I still buy these vaguely corporate- casual jackets and shirts. It's usually because I hear my mom saying "That'd be a great thing to have for work! What if I get an interview!", when in reality the last new client interview I went on, the guy was wearing saggy hip-hop jeans and dirty sneakers. For a long time, all these clothes just sat in my closet because one day, they'd be useful, right? I finally started letting go of them after going into my closet to find clothes for my friend whose family lost everything during Katrina. When I had a person in mind -- a person who was likely to need good work clothes -- it made it a lot easier to let go. I'm supposed to look like a creative artiste. It's part of the mystique! I can start collecting corporate clothes when I have a corporate job and free up more of my money and closet for more interesting clothes.

If you think about it, there's probably a category of clothing that you're stuck on too... bride's maid dresses, your skinny clothes, uncomfortable-but-fabulous shoes that leave you hobbled after an hour or so. Think about the people who could use them, rather than the guilt that you haven't worn them.

Yes, I'm ready to start the cure in April! Doing it as a group would help keep me motivated.

Yes! I think it would be fun!

JenPDX and NT,
I doubt one of the 'steps' is turning in your housekey so someone from AT could come over and, say, rip out your shower curtain.
: )

mary, I am sooooo with you.
my most hated corporate clothes went after Katrina too.
I kept the stuff I actually like and wear, but 'placing' the rest of it did the trick.

Enrique - $700! Wow, I'm impressed. That's some wardrobe you've got there. And those are your castoffs.

Speaking of Katrina, I have more clothes that I'd like to give to the Katrina effort, but all the handy clothing drives seem to be over. Anyone know where to donate clothes to Katrina (I'm in DC)?

YES! yes, yes, yes and yes - i would like to participate...i *need* to participate. as a life-long pack rat (who was born into a packratty family, and therefore has the dna deeply imbedded), the group cure could be just the thing needed to put me on a path of declutterdom....ahhh

count me in! if i say it out loud, it'll happen, right?

Bravo, Mary! You're right: the secret to decluttering/donating is to fix an image of who could use your stuff firmly in your mind. Makes it seem almost sinful, then, to keep 30 different sweaters (or whatever)....

I'd love to participate as a lurker on this project--- but there's no way I'd post pix....comments during the current contest have been pretty brutal. I appreciate the constructive criticisim, but have no desire to open myself to random, boorish peanut gallery.

God help me, but I really need a "cure". Not sure if I'm disciplined enough since I haven't seen the books plan yet, but I'll give it a try. No guarantee though, but I'm sure I'll still need "Therapy".

I hope we can focus on the practical obstacles of giving stuff away. I have tons of stuff i don't want anymore but I hang onto it thinking I will have a tag sale, or post it on ebay, or give it to someone deserving, and it never happens.

The nearest Salvation Army is a hike, and completely impractical with boxes of stuff. Does anyone pick up in Brooklyn?

margaret,
I'm in Brooklyn too
if you can't rope in a friend with a car, then a car service is the thing to do. Some of them have vans/SUVs if you really have tons of stuff. It's easy!

I don't think anyone picks up clothes and smaller items.

Margaret -- Put stuff on Craig's List so people have to come take it away from you. Making money on eBay without losing your mind means tackling research and pricing strategy and the fine art of packing and shipping. And the drop-off sites don't want items below a certain value, usually.

Or you can save up all the thrift-store donations and rent a truck to take them all at once.

I'm discovering the joys of Freecycle--also a way to get people to come pick up your stuff.

I am starting to think that the freecycle people will take ANYTHING.

I am so in. I have 3 years of phone books in my desk. And I live in one of those cities with 5 large ones per year. No way in hell are y'all seeing pictures.

I agree, Freecycle people will take anything. It's a great service. Also, the free section of Craig's List. I once got a large number of back issues of Dwell from someone who was clearing out a mountain of mags. Wait...we're getting rid of stuff...never mind.

I'm in. I ordered my book from B. Dalton today. Don't have a digital camera, though.

If you have a lot of books and CDs, you might try amazon. I've had good luck with it, and the interface is pretty easy to use.

Margaret -- don't you have a friend with a car you can bribe? What about posting on craigslist/freecycle and asking if someone will come over to help in exchange for getting some special item from the stash?

I would read it and post in April

THanks for the suggestions. I will look into the freecycle thing - never heard of it before. Craig's List free stuff sounds good.

My friends with cars also have small children and busy schedules, so I don't like to bother them...

Er..I'm behind! I need the book. But I'm in too! How exciting! My apartment feels dead. I need to bring it to life!

I'm in. Counts me in.

me tooo i'm in!

I'm in - I moved into my apartment in February from a larger one and there is Too Much Stuff in here.

I have to get the book, and then I'll join in...sort of. I don't have a camera and nobody would want to see a before or after shot. LOL!

Margaret, there's always a way to make an offer more inviting. For the friends with cars, kids, and busy schedules...what can you barter back? For instance, how about giving the friend/couple an offer they probably won't refuse...a day/overnight babysitting thing for their kids, so they can enjoy themselves?

If you're a good cook, whip up a few dishes of tasty goodies for them, so they don't have to cook.

Come over and help them with anything...even laundry.

There are some really good tips on MochaMoms site, which is set up for mothers of color, but the ideas are still good...for friends helping out friends.

Many hands make light work...if there were many people doing the same things at the same time in the same area, maybe you ALL can go in on a rental truck...and ALL help each other move out the crap of your places.

It could even be a lot of fun. As long as everyone promises not to peek in the boxes for "good stuff"

Or, perhaps, in the process of cleaning out apartments, there could be a board here of free stuff, for other folks that don't have much. Swaps or giveaways between the AT people in NY.

There are always people moving into a new place, and often times they don't have much. Or they have a new job and can't afford those suits, because they have a NEW job...and have new bills to pay.

And even being a packrat myself, there are things I actually could use...but I really don't have room for unless I can clean out all the crap that I don't use.

I have to find out how much the book is too.

Yes!

Count me in too, please! Will call bookstores in my area to see if the book is available.

To those looking for someone to pick-up donations - have your considered Purple Heart? Around Philly, they schedule pick-ups every other month or so. You have to leave your donations outside your door the previous night (pick-ups start as early as 6 a.m.). Purple Heart will resell your donations and use the proceeds for veterans.

Yes! This is a fab idea! I so need some apt therapy! Count me in!

I need some serious help so ... YES please add me to the list.

count me in, for all the curing i can fit into my (basically) $0 budget, that is!

I'm ready! Just started reading the book and am very inspired. I've got qualities from both categories, warm and cool - does that make me "tepid"?

I'm in too. Appropriately enough, it's recycling day. The whole weekend was spent shredding old papers, sorting old mags (farewell Living Etc. June 2000!), and general purging. It's truly just the tip of the iceberg, but it felt great to begin.

I am really excited to participate!

I would love to participate. I have already cleaned out the closet in my bedroom!

OK, count me in, too! Just got the book this morning at an "off-hour" at Barnes & Noble on 5th Ave. near Rock. Center.... there weren't even any copies OUT there, though: a clerk had to go down & retrieve it from a recent delivery, :)

I just got the book and I'm almost done with it!
Can't wait to implement some of the things I've read when I move in two weeks! =)

The only book at the Indigo near me in Calgary, Alberta is set aside for me to pick up after work! Looking forward to the cure!

definitely! i'm in!

I'm in too, but halfway as I can't stand to follow any program too closely. I think I have ADHD.
Anyway: I have a truly anal retentive house guest (he has live in girlfriend problems, not me) and he is playing the stern dominatrix in helping me declutter as I read the book. I did my living room, dining room, bathroom and soon to finish my bedroom, which will be a total, top to bottom redo; needs a lot of repairs, paint and a new bed. I can't find the AT Cure blog but I will post before and after pics if I can figure out where it is.

10 bags of clothes to the charity box and at least one more coming. The book is a GREAT inspiration to get rid of things. And I LOVE the idea of going room by room listing things that need fixing. Really helping me get a handle on stuff.
I do not need the flowers and cooking guidance...being a preternaturally "warm" person.
The book is great and makes me love Maxwell and lament that he has a wife, whom I am sure is a lovely person. 2 people in 250 sq feet? Is it POSSIBLE?

I'm in FOR SURE!

I'm would love to join this! I've been in my apartment with my boyfriend for almost 2 years now and it still looks like we've just moved in. There aren't any personal touches or anything. I'd love to do something more fantastic.

I've had the book and been checking this site for many months, but I think I'm ready to buckle down and get stuff done!

I just have to do it on next to no $.

I love a challenge!!