HOME OFFICE ORGANIZATION WITH LUCY MANSEY, FOUNDER OF ORGANISED BY LUCY
“EVERY MINUTE YOU SPEND LOOKING THROUGH CLUTTER, WONDERING WHERE YOU PUT THIS OR THAT, BEING UNABLE TO FOCUS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ORGANIZED COSTS YOU: TIME YOU COULD HAVE SPENT WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS, TIME YOU COULD HAVE BEEN PRODUCTIVE AROUND THE HOUSE.”
words LUCY MANSEY editor Julia Restoin Roitfeld
A couple months ago, I came accross Lucy Mansey’s page on instagram. She had just organized someone’s entire closet which gave me serious envy, I looked up her page, and started to scroll and scroll through her pagE GETTING VERY INSPIRED! I AM GENERALLY QUITE ORGANIZED. I LABEL EVERYTHING, VACCUM PACK ANYTHING THATS OUT OF SEASON AND LEAVE IT IN STORAGE. LOVE EDITING, MINIMIZING, DONATING. BUT A BIT OVER A YEAR AGO, WHEN I WAS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT, AND THE SAME DAY WE EXPANDED INTO THE SECOND HALF OF OUR NOW 4 STORY HOUSE, I BROKE MY ANKLE! THIS MEANT, I HAD TO SAY BYE BYE TO THE MONTH OF NESTING I WAS SO MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND UNABLE TO ORGANIZE THE HOME OFFICE I HAD BEEN DREAMING OFF, AND KNEW THAT ONCE THE BABY WAS HERE, I WOULD HAVE ZERO TIME TO GET IT DONE. SO I FINALLY DECIDED TO REACH OUT TO LUCY TO COME TO THE RESCUE. I NEEDED AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS, AND A BRAIN TO PICK, TO FINALLY PUT THE TIME IN ORGANIZING MY HOME OFFICE WHICH IS A BI LIKE MY “WOMAN CAVE” WHERE I DO EVERYTHING FROM EDITING WORK, TO ADMIN, TO ORGANIZING ALL THE SENTIMENTAL OBJECTS AND PHOTOS I HAVE….
LUCY AND HER TEAM MEMBER SOPHIE CAME TO TTHE RESCUE. IT WAS REALLY ABOUT LOCKING IN A DAY WITH NO OTHER DISTRACTIONS. I WANTED TO TAKE TIME INTO EDITING AS LOTS OF THING OF SENTIMENTAL VALUE (WHICH ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT TO CATEGORIZE AND EDIT DOWN….) I DIDNT WANT TO RUSH IT.
WE CATEGORIZED AND LABELLED EVERYTHING, FROM PHONE CABLES, TO STATIONARY, TO OLD ADMIN PAPERWORK I NO LONGER NEEDED… EVERYTHING FOUND A PLACE.
MY OFFICE IS NOW STREAMLINED, ALL THE BOXES ARE THE SAME, EVERYTHING HAS ITS DESIGNATED PLACE AND I KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I NOW HAVE A CLEAN DESK, WITH NO DISTRACTION, WHERE I CAN WORK, WRITE,BE PRODUCTIVE CREATIVE OR JUST DAYDREAM…
FOR YOUR EYES: HERES A LITTLE BEFORE AND AFTER
A FEW TIPS FROM LUCY:
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOPE ADVICES TO START EDITING YOUR HOME OFFICE?
1. IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME, DON’T TACKLE THE WHOLE AREA AT ONCE AS IT WILL BECOME OVERWHELMING.
2. TACKLE A CUPBOARD OR DRAWER AT A TIME, TAKING EVERYTHING OUT AND MAKING DECISIONS AROUND WHAT TO KEEP/DONATE/THROW AWAY.
3. ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THAT PROCESS, START CATEGORISING THE ITEMS (SENTIMENTAL/WORK/STATIONERY ETC).
4. MAKE SURE TO BUY STORAGE BOXES THAT WORK WELL IN THE SPACE
5. ENSURE THE ORGANISE IS INTUITIVE TO YOU SO THAT IT IS EASY TO MAINTAIN.
WHAT ARE USUALLY THE BIGGEST CATEGORIES?
GENERALLY SPEAKING IN AN OFFICE THE LARGEST CATEGORIES ARE SENTIMENTAL, PERSONAL AND WORK RELATED DOCUMENTS.
HOW DO YOU EDIT/ STORE SENTIMENTAL PIECES
IN ORDER TO ORGANISE AND AT A LATER DATE, ACCESS SENTIMENTAL ITEMS, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO SUBCATEGORISE THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD SUBCATEGORISE BY DATE, BY CHILD OR EVEN THE TYPE OF SENTIMENTAL ITEMS IT IS; IE ART, CERTIFICATES, CLASS WORK, PHOTOS.
WHATS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU THINK PEOPLE USUALLY FIND WHEN ORGANIZING A HOME OFFICE
AN OFFICE IS OFTEN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE STORE A MULTITUDE OF IMPORTANT AND SENTIMENTAL ITEMS, SO THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS OFTEN GETTING INTO THE RIGHT HEADSPACE AND TIME TO TACKLE IT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE END GOAL IN MIND WHEN WORKING THROUGH IT AS THE TASK CAN FEEL OVERWHELMING AT TIMES. IT IS, HOWEVER, A VERY CATHARTIC EXPERIENCE!
ONCE ORGANIZER, HOW DO YOU STAY ON TOP OF IT ?
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT ORGANISATION IS ABOUT CREATING A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU. REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED FROM YOUR HOME OFFICE - IS IT A PLACE WHERE YOU WORK (AND THEREFORE NEED IT TO BE CALM, SERENE AND DECLUTTERED)? OR IS IT MORE OF A SPACE WHERE YOU WANT TO KEEP MEMORIES AND PRECIOUS ITEMS (THEREFORE AN AREA THAT NEEDS AMPLE STORAGE AND LABELS AS TO WHERE EVERYTHING IS)? OR IS IT A MIXTURE OF THE TWO? CREATING SYSTEMS SUCH AS AN INBOX/OUTBOX WILL HELP YOU STAY ON TOP OF THE AREA. REGULARLY DECLUTTERING AND EDITING, THINKING ABOUT THE PAPERWORK OR ITEMS YOU NO LONGER NEED IS IMPORTANT TOO WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTENANCE.
