Sacred Spaces

Cherry Menlove is passionately dedicated to the lives of homemakers and in making life more simple and beautiful. Tune in weekly for her inspirational tips and advice that celebrate every aspect of the domestic arts, homemaking, cooking, crafting, gardening and decorating.

You’ll also find Cherry - the UK’s modern domestic goddess - online at CherryMenlove.com and contributing to her fabulous forum.

One of the most sacred relationships is between a woman and her home. I am currently honing the relationship with mine, not by talking to the walls, but by assessing what fits, and what is fit only for the charity bag, by sticking to the strict mantra that order precedes beauty.

In 18 months of living in my current abode, I have discovered that there are certain places and surfaces that, if I allow them to, never get clear.

The main culprit is the kitchen table. Being the epicentre of family activity, it collects all variety of domestic flotsam and jetsam – discarded jackets, unpacked groceries, and little reminders for myself.

Before long I have picture frames that need painting, vases to be cleaned, and books that are in desperate need of a shelf. Instead of leaving ‘things to-do’ out and about, I have started limiting my reminders-to-self to a sweet chalk board, such as this heart-shaped one, from Decorative Country Living.

The kitchen stops being a dumping ground and starts being a sacred place when it’s reserved solely for family gatherings and meals, far away from that pesky television. One cannot underestimate the power of the kitchen table to unite a household, when it’s not hidden behind junk mail and scraps.

To keep life around the table thriving, remember, a well-dressed table is a happy table. Keep your table laid and ready for action by laying it for the next meal immediately after clearing it. Laying the table needn’t be a chore - replace those old, faded placemats with a pretty floral set, like this one, available at John Lewis.

Not only will everyone be less inclined to offload rubbish onto a laid table, but meals become less stressful, as they can be served immediately.

Stay aware of just how much you bring into your home. Eliminate purposeless knick knacks, recycle newspapers and junk mail, and banish bulky food packaging, which are all space-draining and ruin an otherwise blissful home life. Give clutter a home in this gorgeous rustic wooden crate from Live Laugh Love.

If you’re trying to reorganise your home, start small with one item of furniture – the kitchen table, as the hub of most homes, is a great one to start with. Hanging bits and bobs on Ella Kitchen Company’s peg board will become as habitual as flinging coats and empty packets around once was, and your home will be completely clutter-free in no time at all.

Please login below: