From 12 dressers to one: how Liisa cut the clutter
Finnish Liisa Niiranen, 44, moved from a big house to a one-bedroom apartment and pared back much of what she owned. “It weighed on me to have so much stuff around, because I saw it as unfinished tasks and things to take care of,” Liisa says.
“Our former house had felt like a burden for a long time. A large detached home has lots of space, and that space demands upkeep, cleaning, renovations, and time.
I felt worn down by having so much around; I saw it as unfinished work and things that needed attention. It seemed pointless to maintain extra square meters and clean three bathrooms when one of our sons was about to move out and the other, nearly an adult, mostly came home just to sleep. We even had a storage room we called the junk room and a large walk-in closet—easy places to stash things that didn’t have a better spot.
Last summer, we took a guided architecture tour in Old Rauma, on the western coast of Finland, where I stumbled on the house of my dreams—even though I wasn’t really looking. We bought the small 1800s-built house in September.
The living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and entry total just 47 square meters (506 square feet). An additional 23.5 square meters (253 square feet) contains my business’s treatment room, a sauna, a dressing room, a shower room, and a loft where my younger son lives.
Moving to a much smaller house didn’t worry me. We’ve had a boat and, these days, a summer cottage, where we’ve spent a lot of time in summer. In those settings, I’ve challenged myself to make small spaces work.
I started decluttering at home for the move during the second week of my summer vacation. We had lived in the house for 14 years, and we had to let go of a lot—and be decisive.
I gave away most of it through a Facebook gifting group, where you simply agree on a pickup time and leave the item on the porch. I also passed furniture to our older son, who was moving out at the same time. I sold a few things—like a pressure washer, an unused hunting knife, and a stamp collection—on the Tori online marketplace. Otherwise, I didn’t have the energy to start selling for just a few tens of euros.
We had accumulated a lot because the house was so big. I took in things from my dad’s and grandmother’s estates, and items my mom and sister wanted to let go of—because we had space.
”I’ve noticed it doesn’t matter how many square meters you have—they’ll get filled anyway. ”
I’ve realized it doesn’t matter how many square meters there are—they’ll fill up anyway. We had, for example, 12 dressers with drawers full of everything: books; activity materials from my practical nursing career; early-1900s textbooks I had collected; and clothes. After the move, we had just one dresser—and, amazingly, everything essential fits into it.
I gave most things away: I tossed old study materials and work samples; donated the activity materials to a private care home; took books to the library’s recycling shelf; brought old eyeglasses to the optician for recycling; and sold vintage collectibles to a man who runs a home museum. The rest went to a charity shop and to the Facebook gifting group.
It feels good to donate when what you give goes where it’s needed. The worst would be having to take usable items to the dump.
The easiest things to pare down were furniture and kitchen gear. I let go of many rarely used appliances—like the air fryer, toaster, immersion blender, and electric kettle—that needlessly took up counter space. For example, I used the immersion blender only a couple of times a year when puréeing lingonberries. My quality of life didn’t suffer from not being able to toast bread those few times a year.
”The strongest feelings were tied to the kids’ old crafts and drawings, of which I had saved eight boxes.”
From pots and mixing bowls, I kept the ones that can nest, so they take up less space. Because I’m a bit of a bargain hunter, I had stockpiled a lot of food bought on sale that we constantly used in cooking. We had the equivalent of 12 kitchen shelves’ worth of space for food. After the move, there are only two shelves, and now I buy food only as needed.
The most emotion was tied to the kids’ old crafts and drawings, which I had saved in boxes in chronological order. There were eight boxes, and just as many keepsake binders compiled by daycare. I skimmed through the boxes and binders and decided the boxes belong to the boys. Our older son took his to his new home, and our younger son’s boxes are in the attic until he moves out.
Before the kids were born I collected old pieces—like dishes, coffee tins, and country antiques. They’re waiting in the attic for next summer and a yard sale. I’ve also brought some back into use, because old pieces suit the house’s style.
Even my son has been surprised that I’ve gotten excited about decorating with old objects, string lights, and LED candles. When stuff and square meters don’t consume all my resources, I finally have the energy to style our home.
