The new rules of calm

Then start afresh by getting rid of all your clutter. De-junk guru Dawna Walter's neat ideas show you the way to relaxed living.

1. Get super-organised with a slick, streamlined kitchen

The kitchen is the natural gathering spot in a home, so worktops can become cluttered in no time. Here are Dawna's tips for how to keep them functional:

- Put only essential items that you use every day on worktops for maximum space for food preparation.
- Get rid of all gadgets that you've had for years and haven't used in the last 12 months - they just take up valuable space.
- Throw out any chipped or cracked crockery - it's not only ugly; it is of course unhygienic too.
- Organise your cupboards so that things are stored closest to where you will use them - for example, pots and pans next to the cooker, and tea towels near the sink.
- Keep similar items together - like utensils in your cutlery drawer. It will save time and look more organised.
- Look for dual-purpose things - use the bowl from your scales for fruit, or buy a bread bin that has a chopping board for a lid.

From right to left: Bin, £54, Brabantia. Axis kettle, £89.99, Dualit. Bread bin, £55, Nigella at Bliss. Toaster, £49.50, Marks & Spencer. Retro scales, £15, Typhoon. Other items stylist's own.

2. Keep the look subtle on a coffee table

Any flat surface can soon be turned into a dumping ground for the clutter of everyday life, especially the coffee table, with old newspapers and dirty cups and saucers left there. So keep the top clear and just have a few favourite objects on display.

- Smart oversized coffee-table books look great. Stack them according to size for the best effect, keep the books dusted and don't use them in place of a coaster for drinks or food!
- Less really is more. Rather than crowding a coffee table with lots of small objects, choose simple ones to make a statement. A large candle or a vase with a single stem flower will catch the eye, and there will still be space for your other favourite things.
- If you use your coffee table for holding functional items, such as remote control sets (and there are enough of them these days!), put them together in a decorative box or on a smart plate.
- Keep under-table shelves tidy by storing your magazines and books in matching baskets.

Ekersby coffee table, £65, IKEA. Baskets, £6.95 each, The Pier. Photo album, £45, and matching address book, £25, Bureau. Epsom sofa in Perfection Natural, £949, Sofa Workshop. Cushions: brown, pair (with sofa); patterned (large), £35, patterned (small), £25, both John Lewis; turquoise velvet, £8.99, Woolworths. Felicia throw, £10.99, IKEA. Cream Milan rug, £125, Next Home. Other items stylist's own.

3. Clear your bookshelves and go for a more eye-catching effect

Books are the most difficult things for people to let go of, but if your bookshelves are completely full, your home will end up looking like the local library. Try these ideas instead:

- Pass on to friends, family or your local charity shop any books that you don't intend to read again - especially paperbacks.
- You can organise books in many ways - by size, colour, author or subject. Dawna arranges hers in blocks of colour and size, and breaks them up by stacking some on their side.
- Dust and light are the enemies of books, causing them to fade and deteriorate. So don't put your bookshelves in direct sunlight, and dust books frequently.
- Bookshelves are a natural place for displaying your favourite ornaments and photo frames and, by introducing occasional objects, it adds to the overall effect.

Agerum bookshelves, £44.90, IKEA. On shelves (from top): blue glass vase, £9.99, Next Home. Globes, £25 (large) and £15 (small), Habitat. Framed Sinarp print, £29.90 for set of four, IKEA. Blue funnel-neck vase, £14.95, The Pier. Stripe box, £20 for a set of three, Laura Ashley. Green box, £6.99, Woolworths. Silver box, £40 for set of three, John Lewis. Magazine holder, £4, Laura Ashley. Oval Lyckeby box, £8.99 for set of three, IKEA. Magazine rack, £45, Heal's. Epsom chair, £469, Sofa Workshop. Cushion, £18, House of Fraser. Milan rug, £125, Next Home. Other items stylist's own.

Page 2: Fireplace, hall, bathroom and stockists

If anyone knows how to inject calm and order into a home that's given itself up to clutter, it's Dawna Walter. She's the founder of The Holding Company, with its smart home solutions, and the co-presenter of the BBC2 series The Life Laundry. Her books include The Life Laundry: How to De-Junk Your Life (BBC Publishing, £8.99), How To Stay De-Junked Forever (BBC Publishing, £7.99) and De-Junk Your Mind (Penguin, £8.99).

First published in Woman & Home magazine: See the latest
Photographs: Lucinda Symons
Styling: Emma Morton-Turner and Debbie Page