Meet The Tidy Coo, Our Guest Blogger

Do you need some inspiration when it comes to decluttering? Do you long for a more minimalist lifestyle?  

We invited Scotland's "Tidy Coo" Rosie Barron, author and influencer, to feature as our guest blogger this month to inspire us all to become more enlightened in the life changing magic of tidiness.

Rosie inspires her audience daily on her Instagram: @the_tidy_coo, giving us a peak into her home life and how she juggles organisation with growing children, pets, ponies and a family farmhouse.

Tell us about your home and what drew you to it initially?

We live in a lovely classic one and a half storey Aberdeenshire Farmhouse. I have to admit that I didn’t actually view the house before we bought it! I was elsewhere with our four children and my husband just sent me pictures. It was the outside space with stables which sold it to me, it had been a lifelong dream to have my ponies in my back garden. What I love about it now is the kitchen, which really is the heart of our home and I don’t think I will ever tire of opening the curtains to see the ponies outside.

 

Why decluttering and organisation and what attracted you to that?

Like many people in Aberdeenshire, we’ve moved a lot and I was frustrated that after each move I was having to take trips to the dump. It was whilst we were living in Australia in 2017 that I discovered Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and I was drawn to the concept of keeping only the things that you love and that support you.

 

What has been the most challenging part of your journey of tidiness?

I think it was getting my head around the concept of waste because, like many people, I don’t actually like to throw things away. However, as I say to the lovely people I work with, what is more of a waste? To let something sit unused in your cupboards, or to give it away so that it can be used by someone else?

 

Can anyone follow this lifestyle or does it take a certain person?

Absolutely anyone can, and I would say that it’s those people who think that they can’t that benefit from it the most. I am currently undergoing a diagnosis for ADHD and can absolutely say that being decluttered and organised is the only thing that keeps my brain on track. For me, being decluttered and organised is not about having a "Pinterest Perfect" house, or Insta-worthy photos, it’s about reducing the time that you have to spend on the boring bits of your life so that you can spend your time doing the more exciting things. Housework bores me, I’d much rather be outside with the children, dogs and ponies!

Which room in your home is the hardest to keep in check (tidy and organised)?

None! All the rooms can get untidy on the surface (particularly the sitting room and conservatory which are the ones the children are most in apart from their bedrooms), but everything has a home to go to, and so it’s super simple to tidy up when we need to.

 

What are the key features people should look for when taking on a tidiness project?

One of the biggest bits of advice that I give to people starting out is to NOT buy storage systems! Decluttering your home should be the main way to keep it tidy. I don’t mean that everyone should become a minimalist – I’m certainly not – but don’t try and organise things that you don’t need to keep. I’ve come across storage systems worthy of a museum in my work, but the things in them are either left in stasis unused, or the owner is driven to distraction trying to keep them maintained. After I have worked with someone, usually we have a heap of unused storage systems to pass on!

  

Do you ever have an untidy day in the house?

All the time! I have four children, six dogs and three cats in the house, with nine ponies, bunnies and poultry in the garden. The house is rarely ready for a photoshoot. However, it is super easy to tidy everything up when we need to. Being decluttered and organised is not about living in a sterile box, it’s about living surrounded by the things that bring you joy and about releasing your time so that you can do the interesting things in life.

 

We thank Rosie for her time and for sharing an insight into her world of tidy. Some of the tips she has shared will certainly help when preparing your house for sale. You can follow Rosie on Instagram and Facebook. where you may be inspired to follow in her footsteps.

Remember, if your home is packed full of your possessions it can make your home look not just messy but smaller – a real turn-off for potential buyers. So, before you are ready to sell your house or flat decluttering is a must.