BEFORE starting on any new design scheme, or before a re-style - you need to look at what you already have, and decide on what you want to keep and what can be re-housed.

Many of my clients have found that just de-cluttering a room can transform it - and possibly save the need for complete redecoration as it gives the whole space a new lease of life.

Your decoration and accessories can get lost among the clutter collected in everyday life very easily.

People constantly strive for the modern, show home' look so that they can have friends round and feel proud of their home - but it is often easy to forget that show homes are not real life - they do not have all the items that we all collect during our lives cluttering up the place.

But we all have clutter in our homes - it's a fact of life!

Clutter is simply anything that is not needed or loved in your home, or something that is not in its correct home.

You can have the most beautiful home, but if it has clutter (to whatever level) it will never feel as comfortable and relaxing and finished as you would like.

There are many reasons why we have clutter in our houses - life is busy and it is inevitable that some amount of clutter will build up. But if it's kept under control it is easier to create a beautiful and relaxing home.

Where do you start?

Here are a few key things to remember:

- Prepare! Have a variety of boxes and bin liners to hand, along with sticky labels, marker pens etc. This will make your life easier as you go through your home.

- Start with one room at a time. For every item you find, ask yourself whether you want to keep it or get rid of it. If you want to get rid of it, is it rubbish/recycling or could it be given to charity/family/friends? - have a box for each and start to fill them.

- Keep wardrobes and rooms more organised by rotating with the seasons.

Pack away items that are out of the current season (ie in summer you won't need jumpers and coats). When the next season comes around, pack away what you don't need and get out of storage what you do.

- Take one area at a time - you will then start to see a real difference rather than if you jump from place to place.

- For a family why not have colour coordinated boxes in the hallway - then anything that needs to be done/moved can be put into that person's box rather than put in piles that create a cluttered look in even the tidiest of houses (this can be done with post, toys, school bags, shoes and much more). This can create a very stylish and practical storage solution.

So by now you will have thrown away, recycled, given away and packed away - and you will be left only with those things you need and those that you really love.

At this point you will have a much better view of your home and the space each room has.

Now is the perfect time to assess the space and create the room design that you want.

You won't have to work around items that you don't want to keep, and you can really see what you have to work with.

You can now start accessorising your home and creating that all important new look.

Get rid of the clutter, create space and get that beautiful home!