Self-confessed organiser and mum-of-three Lucy Mansey says she has always been fascinated by how organisation can impact your life.
A teacher for many years, she says it wasn’t until she moved to Sydney and worked in interiors and design that she realised home organising was a thing.
“That’s when I fell in love with it,” she recalls.
“And with hit shows like The Home Edit, which base everything around home organisation I actually realised you can make it into a profession,” she says.
Today, she charges from £45 per hour and is cited by Davina McCall as “the Marie Kondo of Britain”, another TV tidying expert.
Mansey’s roll call of celebrity clients includes Laura Whitmore, Jamie Laing and Millie Mackintosh.
Mansey has also organised the homes of Tamzin Outhwaite (“I organised her fabulous wardrobe”) and Angela Scanlon.
“I organised her wardrobe and then went on to do her kitchen and playroom. She’s a busy working mum, like many of my clients, so it’s nice to be able to alleviate some stress in people’s lives. Keeping on top of the house is a job in itself!”
How to tackle each area
Mansey says it’s about maintaining a system that works for each individual client, but there are some golden rules.
“The main things I’m looking for are how can we best make use of the space? It’s often the case when you go into a kitchen or closet, you shove stuff into cupboards and hope for the best.”
Part of the process is taking absolutely everything out of the space, going through every single piece and rearranging it so the system makes sense.
Home office
Mansey points out that working and home environments have merged to become “a jack of all trades”.
As well as using a Samsung M8 Smart Monitor to work, watch TV and exercise, she recommends utilising vertical space with a peg board for paperwork, putting shelves around a doorframe, and having a caddy which neatly holds things and can be tucked away at the end of the day.
Kitchen
Mansey believes you need to have a way of maintaining your cupboards. “So every few months, you’re checking sell-by dates, getting everything out and having a good edit.”
She says the thing she often finds when she goes to clients’ houses is they have duplicates of food.
“In order to stop that from happening, to reduce food waste and save money, make sure you can see the food you buy,” stresses Mansey.
“Don’t overstuff cupboards. Don’t have products on top of products, because that’s when it all starts to go downhill.”
Wardrobe
“I think you have to be ruthless, because it can become overwhelming, very, very quickly, especially if you like to shop,” says Mansey.
“First of all, try and create a seasonal wardrobe, if you have the space to store clothes. Box-up, vacuum pack or store clothes you’re not wearing at that point in time and do a changeover.”
Finally, she says to become a ‘bouncer’ – and adopt a one-in, one-out policy.
Read more…
Check the average house prices and rents in your area with our Housing Market Tracker.
Conversation