November in the home: calm, warmth and tidiness

I haven’t mentioned my Project Declutter for a while. It eased up over the summer when we threw open the doors and windows and the house felt twice as big. But now we’re shut inside again, I’ve started thinking about that clutter again.

The thing I want most from my home during November is calm, warmth and tidiness. I like the fun clutter of Christmas, but right now I want things to be organised and tidy. The calm before the storm, perhaps?

Now is a great time to sort out all those boring, but satisfying, chores you might have been putting off.

For me, a big job was sorting out my drawer of make-up and jewellery. I only do it about once a year and it gets so muddled up during that time – especially when little fingers are often secretly rifling through its contents. Dusty, chaotic and not very pretty – plus, I can never find the backs to any of my earrings. So, I spent an hour sifting and sort through all those old buttons and things. I use those little acrylic trays from Muji to keep everything organised. The result is much improved (I’m too ashamed to share any before photos), and should last about a year with a bit of luck.

This week I’ve been sorting out my clothes. Packing away summery things in boxes under my bed and finding all the hats and scarves. I like to put lots of lavender bags in with my clothes, plus various less natural moth repellents. You can’t be too careful at this time of year – moths love dark, overfull drawers and central heating. You can read my super simple lavender bag tutorial here.

Once the boring jobs are over, I’m enjoying making my home feel warm, fresh and simple. My favourite colours at the moment are white and muted greens. It’s perfect for November – echoes of wintry pine forests, but still very calm before all the glitter to come next month. Try some white chrysanthemums with eucalyptus for a pretty, fresh look which also smells lovely.

What are you sorting out in your house this November?