Festive Table Decorations

Table Decorations for the Festive Season with different colour palette/theme options … and of course, table decorations are great for dinner parties, family get togethers, dressing a property For Sale along with Weddings and other special celebrations.  If you have a special gathering coming up and would like some inspiration, then please do get in touch for a chat about your vision.  Decorations for small, cosy and intimate gatherings are offered, just because the gathering is small, doesn’t mean it’s not special and I totally understand the need to tailor requirements to create something unique and distinctive to meet and hopefully exceed my clients aspirations

“Marie Kondo: decluttering in the time of Covid: Who better to help us find order in the chaos of the pandemic than the supreme tidier herself?” – Financial Times

As a KonMari Consultant I can help you achieve your … tidying goals… including on a virtual basis, just like Marie!

Let’s do this together … Find out more >

White Table Decorations

White & Gold

Natural & White

White & Silver

Natural Table Decorations

Natural & Gold

Natural & Silver

Natural, Pink & Silver

Black Table Decorations

Black & Silver

Black & Grey

Black & Gold

Get Your Tidy On!

KonMari Method™ Fundamentals of Tidying

Marie personally guides you through her famous KonMari Tidying Method,
teaching you everything you will need to know from folding techniques and
storage solutions to discovering what sparks joy for you.

Defeat clutter once and for all …
Transform your space … and your life

Get ready to experience the life-changing magic of tidying up!

Let’s do this together … and let your KonMari Consultant, me … guide you using this visual aid to take you through the KonMari fundamentals of tidying.

Play Video  >

Skip adds & FW to 49 seconds!

The questions of what you want to own, is actually the question of how you want to live your life?

Tidying up and reassessing your belongings helps you identify what really matters – and clarifies what you value in life.  When you tidy your space, you tidy your mind and by doing so, you set the scene for a dramatic transformation – and your entire life will begin to spark joy …

This is the life changing magic of tidying!
Marie talks through the Six Rules of Tidying Up

01 Commit yourself to your tidying journey
02 Imagine your ideal life
03 Finish discarding first
04 Tidying by category, not by location
05 Follow the right order
06 Ask yourself if it Sparks Joy?

She started it. Learn how to tidy from Marie herself, the pint-size powerhouse whose KonMari MethodTM sparked a tidying revolution.

It’s about joy. Marie expands on the philosophy behind her life-changing technique – and reveals why it works.

The true goal of tidying is to clear away clutter so you can live the life you want. But first, you must picture that life in concrete detail. If you’re serious about tidying in a way that will change your life forever, this is the most important step – it cannot be skipped.

In the course of tidying, things can get messy. Marie shares her expert advice on getting started – and following through – with tidying.

Conquer the first category in the KonMari MethodTM! With Marie as your guide, learn how to determine if your clothes spark joy, master the famous KonMariTM fold and store your joy-sparking items.

Marie believes that all our belongings have a life force – and books are no exception. Wake them up to rediscover your interests and hone in on your values.

Marie’s plan for papers? Get rid of all of them! For those you must keep, she shares her fool proof system for categorizing and organizing them.

Tidying komono, or miscellaneous items, can be daunting – but not for Marie. She coaches you on how to tidy all of your stuff one sub-category at a time.

When you tidy by category in the order prescribed by the KonMari MethodTM – clothes, books, papers, komono and sentimental items – you strengthen your sensitivity to what sparks joy. Now that you’ve arrived at the most challenging category – your keepsakes, treasures and cherished mementos – you have the tools you need to tidy with confidence. Marie shows you how to store these belongings in a way that sparks joy.

When you put your house in order, you make space to discover what you really want to do. Marie shares her daily rituals for living joyfully.

Marie Kondo tells Drew Barrymore  she mastered the KonMari Method!

Play Video

“Marie Kondo: decluttering in the time of Covid: Who better to help us find order in the chaos of the pandemic than the supreme tidier herself?” – Financial Times

As a KonMari Consultant I can help you achieve your … tidying goals… including on a virtual basis, just like Marie!

Let’s do this together … Find out more >

John Whitney – Moving Home

John got in touch to let me know that he and his girlfriend Alex were moving from the Norwich area to Nottingham to further their education … and asked if I could help?

I met with them both to find out the timescales for their move to their apartment in Nottingham, which was just over a month away.  We discussed all the details, working our way through my ‘Moving Home Checklist’ to cross reference what aspects of moving where applicable to them.  During our chat, I identified some areas where they may wish for assistance, such as; organising storage in their apartment so that everything would be neatly and tidily put away, drawing up a shopping list of what items were still required for purchase and from where, offering to take them shopping for some ‘new home items’, including furniture from IKEA, assistance with flat pack furniture assembly, a comprehensive food and household shopping list so they could select all that they needed to get them set up.  They loved these ideas, so I created a schedule so we all knew the timelines we would be working to.

In addition to finding out what assistance they needed, it was also important to ascertain any concerns they may have, as addressing and negating any concerns, ensures a smooth transition and happy customers.  I explained that moving home really can be fun and exciting and that I was there to help make their move as easy and as enjoyable as possible.

The apartment, although not large, had lovely high ceilings and massive windows so there was a real feeling of light and space.  They had both mentioned that this was one of the things they really loved about their new home and they would really like it to still feel like that, even when they had moved all their stuff in.  So, to aid this, I drew up a to scale floor plan of the apartment layout with items of furniture (also to scale), so they could be moved around the layout drawing to check re spatial awareness and practicality of use.  They loved this and felt reassured that the ideas would work.

Having planned and prepared for the move, I was on hand from packing up all their belongs in Norwich, to waving them goodbye having successfully completed their move to Nottingham and set up of their new home in less than 2 days.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that count and the attention to detail that customers really appreciate.  In John and Alex’s case, this was agreeing a budget for their move to give them complete peace of mind, making sure something nice to eat and drink was to hand as we worked through the day and into the evening, taking time to make sure that some of their favourite things, i.e. John’s computer/gaming equipment and desk were set up, and Alex’s cookery items and her lovely plants, were just how they both wanted them.  They also commented that they loved the way I had maximised the space in the apartment as it still felt as light and airy as the day they first viewed their to be new home.

Anne’s ‘In Person’ & ‘Virtual’ KonMari Tidying Festival  

Anne heard that I was embarking on my KonMari Consultants Course in New York and wondered if she could be my first client.  I said that I’d love to help her, so

we arranged to meet to go through what was entailed in undertaking the KonMari Tidying Festival.

The Tidying Festival is a one-off life time event and the KonMari Method takes you on a tidying journey that includes going through every item that belongs to you in your home.

I imparted the importance of remembering to Finish discarding first, as only then are you able to organise and store the items you love and put them away.

Traditionally, tidying has been done by room, however, the KonMari method is different, as it designates that you Tidy by category and not by location.

The entire method is about keeping and cherishing all that you love by Asking yourself it if Sparks Joy!

I informed Anne that each category is approached by locating all items that fall within it, placing them in a pile and picking up each item to Joy check.  When you’ve let go with gratitude those items that no longer Spark Joy, you are subsequently surrounded simply by what you love.

Having talked through how the KonMari Tidying Festival works, I checked to see if Anne had any further questions.  She wondered how long each category would take?  I informed her that most tidying sessions lasted 5 hours and that if the category wasn’t fully completed within this time, that ‘homework’ would then be set.

Client Q & A and feedback session – to aid understanding of the KonMari Method

I’d like to get rid of the unnecessary ‘baggage’ accumulated over 20 years. I had learned that it’s best to keep it, as it might come in handy one day, (only it probably isn’t)!

You’re right, it’s definitely best not to keep something because it might come in handy, that’s taboo!  The only reason should be because you love it!

Our cottage is small, sweet and I’d like to see the corners.  I want people to think it looks amazing because we fell in love with a beautiful home.

Great stuff … and it’s definitely achievable.

Because we cannot see the corners right now!

Your answer made me smile – we declutter first as there is no point in keeping an item if you don’t love it, or, find it incredibly useful.  Otherwise, you take up lots of storage space you don’t have, for items you don’t care about or use.

Tidying away items does not give them their own space/purpose – yes, that’s right in part.

Decluttering properly, ensures we care for the items we love and keep, verses not decluttering, which completely hinders the process as there is too much to store and put away.

Ones we use or love.  Clothes I wear regularly should be kept, but not dresses if I won’t ever wear them!

Yes, sort of, although importantly – you should only keep the items that you truly love, as anyone can wear anything, just because you wear it, doesn’t mean you love it!

Find a way to display them/look after them, so they’re accessible and will be used and loved.

Perfect!  The whole KonMari method is about truly valuing and being mindful of every item we own, from a small teaspoon … to our homes that provide a safe haven, give us shelter, warmth and hopefully a sense of wellbeing.  It’s all about having a true sense of ‘gratitude’.

If we can’t see things, we cannot use them or appreciate them!

Yes, you’re right.  If you’re storing items you can’t see, can’t use and aren’t properly caring for, then why keep them at all?  Giving each item its very own home, is the key to success.

It allows us to get used to the process as we go through the categories, becoming more familiar as we’ve already done it.

Yes, it’s all about further honing your skill to what truly Sparks Joy!

NO! It’s important only to keep what you love.

Yes indeed.  It’s not about what you let go, as that’s gone, forgotten, you don’t love it, so it doesn’t matter.  What you keep and being surrounded by all the things you absolutely love, is like having a big hug back from your home!

Don’t buy it if you don’t truly love it.  Don’t keep it if you don’t use it.  Let it go with gratitude!

Yay! Exactly.  Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions … so by conscientiously taking the decision to keep what we love; this will make us mindful of future purchases too!

Clearer space = clearer minds.

Yes, it makes a world of difference to look around your home and know that in less than 30 minutes you can put everything away, because it all has a home where it belongs!

Regret it?  I don’t!

Very good, I’m really pleased, however, that’s not it!  The one thing you should never do is stop!  The Tidying Festival process should be a continuous evaluation of your possessions until you have worked through each of the categories, as this is gives you a real feeling of achievement and momentum to carry you through into the next category.

The whole method is self-rewarding because the transformation is massive.  It’s like having a reset button to a new life.  Anne stated that her goal was to emerge from lockdown with her dream home … and I’m delighted to say that she has accomplished exactly that!  It’s a remarkable achievement that has totally changed and improved her home and life.

Poppy

Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method of Tidying for Clothing

I met with Poppy to discuss her vision for her clothing before commencing our KonMari session.  This gave me an insight as to what wasn’t working for her.  I saw how Poppy’s wardrobe/drawer unit were currently being utilised and noticed that she had some storage solutions which could be re-purposed to aid her clothing organisation.

Poppy loves fashion and had a lot of clothing that she struggled to locate due to a lack of an organisation and sheer quantity.  I explained we start the KonMari Clothing category by gathering all her clothing in one place.  The ideal place to lay all the items, is on the bed as then we can see all that she has.  Poppy picked up each item, assessing if it Sparked Joy for her … if yes, the item was kept, if no, then it was placed in a pile to give to charity or sell, etc.

I had asked Poppy to choose her favourite items of clothing first, so that she could use these items that she loved as her benchmark to compare.  The KonMari method is all about keeping and cherishing what you love.  Poppy came across clothes that no longer Sparked Joy for her, these included items; she’d previously loved but knew she wouldn’t wear again, that were damaged, stuff that didn’t fit, items she didn’t know she even had … and clothes she’d never worn with the price tag still on!

It’s best to work through your clothing pile by sub-category, i.e. tops first, then dresses, skirts, etc so that you can see exactly what and how much you have in each sub-category.  Any off-season items can be folded and stored in a suitcase/clothing storage bag.  This often reduces the amount of clothing stored in the bedroom quite considerably.  Most of Poppy’s off-season clothing items were jackets and coats, which were relocated to a hallway cupboard.

I explained to Poppy that the process of letting items go when they no longer Spark Joy makes us mindful and grateful not only of what we have and love … but it also makes us more conscious of our future purchasing decisions, i.e. do we love it?  Do we really need it?  Will we use it?  Where will the item be stored – is there room?

Poppy passed the items to me that she loved/wished to keep and I demonstrated the wonderful KonMari method of folding, which is not only neat, tidy and aesthetically pleasing … it’s also the best space saving system too!  Items such as T-Shirts can be folded, then stood upright and arranged with darkest colours at the back and lightest at the front.

Clothing of a slinky/lightweight fabric e.g. some dresses, or bulky clothing like coats or chunky jumpers, or fabrics that crease easily, should all be hung up … as these items are difficult to fold.  Poppy could really see the benefits of the KonMari method as she now knew where everything was, it could be easily located, accessed and put away, simplifying her storage whilst looking very pretty.

One of the great things about the KonMari process is that you are left with only what you truly love, so Poppy’s wardrobe now has clothes that she’s happy to wear and choose an outfit from every day, she loves the transformation.

I have struggled to embrace mindfulness with a constant busy schedule, but the KonMari method taught to me by Sam has made me realise the joys of only surrounding myself with what I truly love, going through the process of letting go items has increased my consciousness and mindfulness when it comes to purchasing clothes. Sam is absolutely incredible at what she does and will put her heart and soul into making sure you are completely happy with everything she has done with you. You will never regret opening your mind to the joys of the KonMari clothing session!

Poppy Cooke

Personal Styling and Wardrobe Management

Do you want to look put together rather than thrown together?  Some people find it really difficult to know what clothes to wear and

for the main part, what style suits them best.  It’s important that you feel great in what you wear.

It’s so easy to get stuck in a style rut and just wear the same things day in and day out, like leggings/joggers and oversized baggy sweatshirts and jumpers.  All body shapes, sizes and style dilemmas can be catered for, the goal is always to make you look and feel gorgeous!  

The trick is to make your outfit work for you and show off your best asset.  In collating ensembles for your wardrobe, it’s important to cater for each aspect of your lifestyle to ensure that this is reflected with items for; work, smart/casual wear, loungewear, sportswear/hobbies and evening wear … so you have outfits for every occasion.  It’s also good to change things up a bit and mix smart with casual, like putting a tailored jacket with a pair of dark jeans, heels and with a silky top to create a smarter luxury look accessorised with matching clutch bag and some statement jewellery.  

As stylists we take our direction from what you love and really listen to what you want to achieve, your vision and best version of you.  We help you choose colours that compliment your skin tone and styles that really flatter and enhance your best attributes.

What style do you want in your life?  What will get your mojo back?  Show more of your personality through your clothes, bring this back into your wardrobe and put the fun back into choosing what you wear.  Don’t get caught up in following trends … we help you find your own style, that you are comfortable with and find easy to wear.  This will build your confidence and take years off of your look/age. 

Heels make your foot look more elegant and your leg look longer in addition to making you taller, so they are a girl’s best friend (along with diamonds of course!).  Even if you can’t rock a high heel, kitten heels can still have a similar effect.  Heels and flatforms help with posture and definitely give a sense of presence too!  

Dressing to suit your body shape is key, as hiding your shape by wearing baggy clothes over compensates and can often create the opposite of the desired effect.  There are so many ways to work with your body shape that are really flattering and it makes such a difference wearing the right size clothes as it completely changes your silhouette and helps you create your own identity.

Wardrobe staples tend to be … 

Pair with smart or casual attire.

Straight cut is often a good choice, however, go with whichever fit is best for your body shape

A wardrobe must have, can be worn as smart casual workwear or dressed up for evening wear for a more glamorous look with carefully curated accessories.

They look amazing with jeans, a tee, shirt and jacket.  Also great with long skirts and dresses

A smart or smart/casual and very versatile piece that looks great with so many garments 

Looks wonderful paired with leather trousers/jeggings, black strappy sandals and sunglasses for an effortlessly cool look

Can be worn with a floaty dress or skirt in addition to jeans and trousers

Earrings, a bracelet and/or a necklace adds that touch of glitz and glamour

Great paired with a tee or camisole

A simple quality jumper is a versatile addition

Wear with anything, including dresses and skirts

Which is spacious enough to carry all your essentials, while elevating every look in your wardrobe

Shirt, dress or skirt, something that zhuzhes up your look

the classic that can be teamed with a casual or smart top to create the desired look

Choose something that suits but is eye-catching and adds some va va voom

NB: Of course, the black can be swapped out for another colour, lots of people choose, navy, grey or brown as there go colour base.

Be sure to avoid colours that make you look washed out and choose fabrics, prints, styles and colours that instantly bring your look to life … as adding a pop of colour can brighten your look and lift your mood.  Styling details visually draw the eye to them for example a rolled-up sleeve or jean hem for a more casual style, while wearing a sash tied belt to the side detracts from a waistline and using a french tuck on a top with jeans, is a more subtle way of drawing emphasis to your waist.    

And last, but not least, never forget to accessorise – you can literally make or break an outfit with accessories!  

What’s your style combination?
Professional and polished, corporate tailored, vibrant and bold, country casual, cool and edgy, elegant and sophisticated, chic and stylish, girly and pretty and to name but a few … the options are limitless. 

Gaps in your wardrobe?
This is what is meant when you go to choose an outfit to discover that you don’t have the right footwear to finish the look, or, the lovely sleeveless dress you are wearing, really needs the option to add a jacket, duster, shrug, pashmina to cover your arms and keep you a little warmer.  It’s so important to look the different ways of wearing your clothes together to establish a greater variety of outfits and find those important gaps and create your gap shopping list!

My fashion shoot photos show a variety of options for collating ensembles for various occasions and transitioning a look from day to eveningwear.  

Are you ready to freshen up your look and inject some style and sass?
Then let’s get started … and have some fun!

Evanthia

Evanthia reached out to me finding my contact details on the Association of Professional Declutters & Organisers (APDO) website.  Due to Covid restrictions at the time, our

initial consultation took place via FaceTime where she explained that her office/laboratory really wasn’t working for her any more.

Evanthia is an award-winning MSc Biologist and PhD student who is founder of her handmade beauty and body care business, Piotis Naturals in Norwich.  She uses only the best, safest and cleanest ingredients to produce her handmade Natural, Vegan, Organic Skincare & Cosmetics, so it’s vitally important that the layout of her laboratory/office, with all the; equipment and ingredients, etc, are all organised in a logical manner so they are easy to locate.  Due to Evanthia’s success in growing her business, she now wanted to increase her productivity and wished for some assistance to declutter and reorganise first.

We talked through her requirements and I formulated a plan where I could guide her on a ‘virtual’ basis, on FaceTime (or Zoom) to implement this.   Evanthia has a large shelving rack with a mixture of ingredients, containers, labels, and some equipment on it.  The items were not clearly visible and so tricky to locate and access.  I noticed that she was left-handed and yet the shelving rack, her main storage area, was located to the righthand side of her workbench.  The workbench has a shelf underneath which is where most of her equipment is stored.

The wall opposite the shelving rack looked to be approximately the same length as the shelving unit.  I asked Evanthia to please check the length of the shelving rack and wall.  She did this and confirmed that both the unit and the wall were 120cm long, a perfect fit!  This meant that she could have everything she needed to hand by relocating the unit to the opposite wall.

To best organise her storage shelving, I suggested large/heavy items be located on the floor under the first shelf on the rack, while the other items be grouped into sub-categories, such as: ingredients, containers, labels, packaging, some equipment, etc, together on a shelf.  I recommended less frequently used items and smaller/lighter items, be placed in a tray for ease of access, (labelled to identify the contents) and relocated to the top of the shelf rack.  Then I proposed additional overstock of the bulky items, be relocated to the garage to free up more space.  To aid the visualisation and implementation of the storage plans, I produced a floor plan and elevation drawings.

At the end of our phone call we, agreed a plan of action.  Evanthia removed all the items from the shelving rack/unit before relocating it over to the opposite wall and implementing the storage plan.  The unit fitted perfectly, this change really opened up the room, so now there would be space to locate a dual-purpose desk/vanity unit that she’s always wanted.

Evanthia’s work space was transformed and she was already noticing how much easier it was to access items from the left-hand side.  Everything now had a designated storage area, was visible, looked neat and tidy, clean and organised.  I’m delighted that by implementing these changes, they have really improved Evanthia’s working environment, enabling her to increase her productivity, which was her ultimate goal.