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SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 8 (final)
Iliana
There is a fine line between collecting and hoarding. It’s all about volume and intention.
This week we explore this fine line. Iliana’s obsession with collectables has overwhelmed the small terrace house she shares with her new partner (but old flame) Rob, and her 18-year-old daughter Mia.
Rob moved into the house with a whole lot of his own paraphernalia, and the chaos increased.
There is conflict, clutter, and lots of Skylanders. Illy is a collector and loves ‘a set’.
The garage is packed to the gills. Is that some workout gear I spy? The pinnacle of aspirational clutter. It should be inside the house with clothes drying on it.
The couple’s bedroom is chaotic. The room has vomited clothes into the adjacent office-come walk-in-wardrobe. Poor Rob can’t work without a tangle of shoes as his Zoom backdrop. Thank god for virtual backgrounds. Also he doesn’t want to address the clutter issue with Illy and is walking on eggshells. Peter calls bullshit on that.
Mia was the young whistleblower on this mess, and it was she who called in the team to bestow calm on the household. Her room is deemed cluttered but she’s got nothing on my teenage kids.
The new family’s combined stuff is moved offsite to the hall, occupying 180 ‘bins’ and boxes. Bins is such an American word Pete. We say ‘tubs’ – bins are for rubbish. And for where the American president should go.
A stack of cushions is ceremoniously dumped from the ceiling – very theatrical and I love it!
Rob wonders how all their clothes fitted into the wardrobe – umm it didn’t. Remember the floordrobe? If you don’t, it’s on catch-up TV dude. He is surprised they have two lawnmowers, which is the kind of shenanigans you see when you live with clutter – no idea what you own.
Cherie gets stuck into making the inside walls a crisp white. She sprays the garage brick walls grey – hmm, I’m not sure about that. I love a raw rustic brick, and painting it creates an ongoing maintenance task.
Angie finds some rockstar memorabilia and the flashback to Illy with dark hair in 2015 alongside Billy Idol is the spitting image of daughter Mia – adorable. Such luscious locks, such cheekbones.
Illy is obviously a music buff and has an extensive music collection. Alas some of the packaging was damaged by floods. Peter encourages her to let go – she hasn’t listened to it in years – and if she had, it would not have been languishing in a flood-prone garage.
After a stern talking-to, Illy ruthlessly culls her music collection.
It turns out that music was one of the many things Illy had collected. Collecting is a dangerous hobby, Illy! Pete says just because you have a lot of things the same, it doesn’t make it a collection. A collection should be personally or financially significant. Good definition.
But I have encountered a lot of collectors who THINK their stuff is valuable. Also just because Corningware is listed on eBay as sold for $10,000, doesn’t mean it’s true. Let’s get real about what is worth money.
Meanwhile there are other collections to tackle. There is a story behind the Skylander collection – Illy bought them all for Mia as a kid, to keep her happy and be supermum. Mind you I didn’t hear Mia mention the Skylanders – so who were they really for? Anyway, Peter decides it’s a good enough story, and the Skylanders take priority. Decluttering is all about prioritising after all.
I love the idea of curating the camping gear to fit the dimensions of the trailer – yeah! Setting limits and keeping it real.
Rob has some music gear of his own – his dad’s guitar. His dad died aged 39, so it’s precious – and so is the sole existing photo of him and his dad. Whaaat – only one photograph – that definitely deserves pride of place.
70% of their stuff goes to the Salvos, meaning the cash equivalent of $10,000 for that charity.
Illy loves the under-bed storage, but what on earth is inside the white Kmart zip bags? No labels means no idea. If no labels, open tubs may have been a better idea here.
The master bedroom, walk-in robe and study nook look great though. The musical memorabilia has all been honoured, and Rob is rightly emotional. Angie’s hand-model plaster cast to hold Illy’s drumsticks is elite-level.
Were Illy and Rob instructed to wear the same colour as their bedroom makeover? I do love olive green, so no complaints from me.
Mia’s room also gets a makeover. It has been reoriented to create space.
Then for the garage. The camping trailer is looking shiny and the tubs and shelves are fantastic. But in case I haven’t said it enough, why are the tubs not labelled? OK I’ll keep shouting into the void.
Ily and Rob are destined to open and close these tubs many times throughout their lives to see what’s in them, and to perhaps repurchase their contents.
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 7
Leona
For Leona, working long hours has meant no to a social life and yes to loneliness. And clutter.
Nothing fills the heart of a 46-year-old single lass like impulse shopping.
Leona’s mum Katherine is worried her daughter is destined to spend her cluttered life alone. Well not quite alone – she is surrounded by 2500 items of clothes and 300 pairs of shoes.
Leona and Katherine share the same sparkling blue eyes and also the realisation that decluttering is essential.
Hopefully, Leona can remove some stuff and make way for a life partner.
Peter points out the aspirational Believe Dream Love style wall hangings. They haven’t been working, unless her manifestations were all about more garments. And maybe they were. Sometimes we gals gotta take love where we can get it.
197 packing boxes later, Leona’s stuff is transported to the warehouse.
The sorting space looks like the mortifying footage of third-world countries where our fabric waste ends up. Piles and piles of garments.
There is also memorabilia, books, handbags, linen and more.
Leona reflects on her habit of shopping to compensate for working hard and loneliness. While her friendship group were partnering up and having babies, she was wielding her credit card and shopping up a storm.
They start with a linen cull. Leona says she needs 30 pillowcases to service her two beds … um what? How often is she doing washing – once a year?
Going through the mountains of clothes proves challenging too. Peter suggests she fast-track the process by culling some piles without sorting through them. Like most decluttering clients she says nope, she needs to decide on every item. The FOMO is just too great.
After sheepishly admitting that she thinks keeping 200 shoes is reasonable, Peter talks Leona down to 70 – which is still aLOT!
Mumma Katherine does a runner at one point, and Peter pulls her back into the mix. Decluttering is hard for everyone. Leona has spent lots of money on all this stuff and removing it feels like a waste of money. I always say you can’t get the money back but you CAN get your space back.
Angie heads to a coin expert to have some of Leona’s coins valued. She has some real gems.
There are also some collectable cars that Angie wants to display.
Cherie opts for a spray gun to paint the garage walls, to keep as much distance as possible from the dreaded asbestos.
Back at the hall, Leona gets 197 boxes down to 49, a reduction of 76%. It’s a great result, and means $8000 worth for the Salvos.
Leona is rewarded with a home gym and a glamorous dressing room complete with makeup station. Perfect for all the Bumble dates I see in her future.
The Believe Dream Love wall hanging is removed from above her bed – I hope they took it back to 2005 where it belongs.
The wardrobe has been rebuilt and looks great, but I am not a fan of those soft hanging drawers that velcro over the clothes rod. They always end up saggy and misshapen. Here is an example from the Kmart website.
It’s all lovely and fresh though and Leona is rapt with the fresh start for her home. Bumble, here she comes!
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 6
Melanie
Mel is stuck in the past – clinging onto the childhood clutter of her now-adult kids 22-year-old Raven and 20-year-old Aneka.
This memorabilia is crowding out Mel’s new husband Rick, who has no space for his belongings and feels powerless to speak up. He is tiptoeing around the situation.
The sad marital bedroom is a reflection of their love life according to Peter, and he is right. How can anyone get intimate when surrounded by suitcases and detritus.
Aneka is feeling victimised. She and mama Mel need to sort through the bedroom clutter and communication clutter.
Raven’s bedroom is pretty messy. Let’s just say he’s not bringing any dates in there – they would run for the hills. Reasons emerge – the silly duffer accidentally set fire to himself as a kid and there are health problems and other hurdles which have contributed to the demise of his living space. I need to say also that Raven rocks an excellent curly mullet.
Mel makes a good point – she didn’t regularly go through the kids’ clothes with them to cull what no longer fitted – so cupboards became full and stayed full, meaning current clothes are piled everywhere. It is a cautionary tale about Clutter Creep.
The house is packed up and moved offsite where it can be categorised, curated and pondered in a neutral territory.
Peter requests the ‘kids’ to adult up and know that they are not kids in the family house any more – they are adults sharing a space.
He also appeals to Mel to respect her children’s decisions. Thank god Mel allows Raven to let go of the dead cicada collection he had in a Tupperware box.
Pete intervenes in Mel and Aneka bickering. Their communication style is flawed. But also it’s a pointless conversation about the age-old problem – “what does one do with the top sheet when you only wanted a bottom sheet?” Bedding manufacturers listen up – can we please stop packaging up sheet sets as though everyone on earth uses a top sheet? They don’t. And there are only so many ghost costumes you can make. I remember once my mum making me go to a Halloween party with a floral flannel sheet as a ghost likeness – it was embarrassing.
Mel tries to cling onto a bird toy she bought Raven that he no longer wants. Pete makes a good observation – you can’t attach an obligation to a gift. Do you hear that everyone? Gifts are given in good faith, but givers must let go of the outcome. She is determined to keep the toy in her room, but let’s remember the goal is to get the marital bedroom in ship shape – not be storing your kids’ plushies in there. Perhaps the endowment effect elevates her perception of this item.
Cherie is working hard on this federation home. It has some issues. A lot of the renovations content sounds like advertising, including the visit to Kmart but I do love Cherie’s skill and attention to detail. She even paints the fireplace bricks to make it pop. The makeover is sensitive to the era and Mel’s existing artwork.
Mel is now looking at her clothing collection. It’s a lot. And so is her recollection of her work history – working with sex offenders. No wonder Mel is hyper vigilant with her kids. She has seen some things and has a PTSD diagnosis to match.
Mel becomes sad that her corporate clothes are going to waste, and Peter reassures her they will go to Dress for Success. That bucks her up – clients really love knowing that their gear is going to a worthy cause.
Angie find some treasures of Rick’s. She is great at helping people pluck out meaningful stuff. He deserves to find some space of his own in the family home. She also finds some photos and other joys of Mel’s.
69% is decluttered. They donate a lot. $3800 worth is going to the Salvos.
The reno is fabulous as always.
Aneka’s bed has a remote control to access hydraulic storage underneath. Seems awesome, but I am skeptical of automating storage access. What happens if you can’t find the remote or the mechanism breaks? It’s a good use of space though.
The marital couple is thrilled by a stress-free haven to bed down in. What a lovely room – stained glass windows and all. They seem to have the same print above their bed as Raven – was there a 2 for 1 deal?
I think there is a lack of labels in the final reveal. Raven is pulling out plastic tubs and nobody knows what’s in them – I guess he doesn’t either. Same in Mel’s bedroom. White baskets atop the wardrobe – god only knows what’s in them – I’m sure Mel will find out, but how will they remember? Time will tell.
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 5
Dianne and Sonia
77-year-old grandmother and hostess-with-the-mostess Dianne has lost her entertaining mojo because her home is stuffed to the brim with Santas and other things. Di loves a festive occasion, but it’s so festive in there with stuff, that there is no space to be festive. Who the heck has the energy to bring out and put away 20 boxes of snowmen every year? Not to mention Halloween, Easter and birthdays galore. Certainly not Dianne, who has a partner with dementia and a 100-year-old mum also in aged care. Di is run ragged visiting her peeps and tripping over jolly bearded men in red suits.
The grandkids can’t come and stay because there is no room for them and they might get lost under rolls of wrapping paper. That’s the crazy thing – clutter bugs want to make a homely home with all the cosy seasonal trimmings, but the trimmings are so abundant that they keep people away.
Dianne’s daughter Sonia is desperate for help to get her mum back on track.
Pete uncovers a room of doom which they call a ‘storage room’. It would be great as storage if Di had it laid out like a Kmart warehouse where she could find things. But unlike a Kmart it doesn’t have a crew of jaded teens desperate for their next vape break, to organise and maintain stock. It’s just messy piles and Di, and she is overwhelmed and keen to get her house back and make space to LIVE and not store.
The house is packed up into a record number of 505 moving boxes and taken to the warehouse. A removalist transports a seated life-sized Santa across the hall and it’s all a bit creepy.
At the warehouse Di screams and clutches her pearls – not because she’s creeped out like I am, but because there is Just. So. Much.
300 Santas, plenty of Christmas plushies, and WTF a whole corner of Christmas trees. Just why, Dianne? The team could not even get all the gear unboxed – there is simply not enough space.
Di’s purchasing has been done in the name of making others happy, but let’’s assume Di was getting some dopamine boosts when she was wielding her credit card and waiting for the nativity scenes to be delivered. Someone take that Mastercard away!
Cherie commences renovations. She stresses over an extension which was tacked on in the 1980s for Di’s “growing family” (or was that growing hoard?) The extension needs a new wall frame to accomodate a new aircon.
Di starts sorting through the Santas. She sets up a giveaway box for her family to choose from because it softens the blow to keep unwanted items in the family rather than give to the Salvos. But Di’s offspring and grandies are probably cringing at all these items they never asked for.
And Dianne is still keeping too many for herself. Space is finite Di, and Santas are only used once a year! Well in theory anyway – when the team turned up Di had them spilling them out of every room at god knows what time of year.
Santas aside, Di is now pondering her myriad cake stands and other entertaining items. Sonia makes it clear that the fam don’t want all the palaver and fanfare – they just want HER. All that festive carry-on is Di’s love-language, but it’s an unbalanced approach which is robbing Di and her family of space and time. Put the curling ribbon and piping bag down Di!
Angie turns up and finds some old jewellery. I’m a sucker for vintage jewellery. Di tells a tear-jerker of a story whereby her grandmother got a locket from a chap who went to World War 1 and died, and then the chap’s bestie swept in and claimed the bride. Aawww romantic! (and slightly weird)
Ang also finds some candles and binoculars which will take pride of place in the renovated home.
Out the front of the house, a truck takes down an overhead electricity wire, affecting the neighbouring property too. We don’t know whose truck it is – hopefully not one of the major sponsors (and if so they have removed signage from the footage). Cherie ropes off the yard and it’s all a bit dramatic. The neighbour agrees to let them connect to his electricity – obviously not the neighbour directly affected by the debacle. Anyway like all TV dramas, it’s fixed soon enough.
At the warehouse, The Block’s Rachel Carr pops in to help Sonia because the volume of knick knacks is so high. It’s necessary for the pair to make some decisions behind Di’s back, and Di is peeved about that. She is yearning after the creepy Christmas items.
Di’s short-term feelings and decisions are not supporting her long-term decluttering goal. It’s a very common problem faced by Professional Organisers. The client wants and needs to declutter, but also wants to keep almost everything they look at. Like an alcoholic saying “one more drink.”
The team has gotta be practical with the gazillion items to get through. They pep Di up and she culls the festive wares enthusiastically. I don’t know what time of year this is filmed but I hope the Salvos take it all, because they do not like Christmas items outside of festive season.
Good to see the plastic Sistema containers have their lids attached before they are tossed into the donations box. The op shop people will be sighing with relief.
505 boxes go down by 85%. There are still too many Santas for my liking. The selection for extended family to peruse goes to a storage unit in the meantime. It’s nicely presented, making its uptake more likely. My experience tells me that if you present someone with a messy jumble of your cast-offs, they are not well received.
The house looks great. The peach coloured kitchen is modern with a nod to the 60s and 80s, matching Di’s hair and clothes.
The formal sitting room has greens to complement the original forest mural Cherie decided to keep. Angie has made a photo gallery. Di bursts into tears several times. She really is quite the adorable lady – expressive, appreciative and full of joy. I’ll bet she’s the life of the party after a couple of cheeky Baileys.
The dining room boasts Di’s mid century table. The lounge is a bright, casual space – the browns are banished.
And not a Santa in sight! I wonder where the team hid them …
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 4
Joe, Monique and Jake
Single mum Jo lives with her 25-year-old daughter Monique and 18-year-old son Jake. Another single mum in the series has me wondering where all the cluttered dads are. Not sorting garments and linen, that’s for sure.
Anyway, with Jo’s cervical cancer diagnosis and Monique’s mental health challenges, shopping up a storm has been just the tonic, yet their desire for new shiny things outstrips their ability to manage them.
The serial shoppers face their reckoning tonight.
Apart from the fact that Jake has only half-painted the kitchen, upstairs is looking reasonably decent.
Downstairs is where the clutter resides, and the camera pans across one of those horrid white cloth bears that every grade 6 gets at graduation. They are a bulky way to display only a few token signatures and end up shoved in the back of the cupboard.
Jo and Monique’s bedrooms and the spare room are under the spotlight. Jo wants to see her daughter’s room transformed to support improved mental health. It’s true that a hectic space is not conducive to a calm state of mind.
Jake is stressed as well, and the three of them are disconnected.
Cherie plans to upsize Monique’s bedroom and give Jake his own hobby room. She discovers there is no earthing to the lights and I have no idea what this means but the tradies seem stressed. After some hand-wringing they find a way to earth the lights and the obscure disaster is averted by some cables in the wall.
But even then it’s not smooth sailing. The stove doesn’t match the hole in the bench, which requires a perilous cutting operation. Tradie Pauly saves the day and pounces on Cherie with an awkward kiss. (what is this, The Bachelor?)
Monique’s punk makeup and clothing is impressive, and inspires Cherie to do a tailored emo aesthetic for her bedroom. I’m intrigued.
Angie micro-focuses on a jewellery box and an antique dresser, both due for restoration. She involves Jake to release some of his DIY energy and then a jeweller to satisfy her interest in a gorgeous opal ring. David the opal man agrees to restore the piece.
At the warehouse there are 1260 items of clothing laid out, 140 pairs of shoes and 100 handbags.
They start squabbling over the linen and Peter advises them to communicate clearly. Jo is feeling ‘bullied’, but Pete calls it tough love, and it’s working – for now. Between them, the mother-daughter duo culls 99 pairs of shoes.
But Jo’s not so willing to part with garments that served as retail therapy for her cancer diagnosis. Peter reminds her that she’s awesome, and clothes are tossed into boxes with newfound enthusiasm.
Cherie has been mad for textured wall panels this year (thanks to new sponsor Lux Panels), and Jo’s house is no exception. Thankfully, they look good.
Back at the hall Jake haphazardly pours a bunch of marbles into a donations box and I feel like yelling “please think of the op shop and put them in a lil baggie” but nobody listens.
The fam has done some pretty enthusiastic decluttering so I guess we can’t complain.
From 162 boxes down to just 29 means a reduction of 83%, and $6000 worth for the Salvos – it’s impressive. Things are looking good.
Pete gets busy in the kitchen decanting pasta into canisters – but I see SO many canisters like this with the homeowner eventually oblivious to the ingredients, allergens and best-before dates. Sometimes they don’t even know what the heck is in the canister. But Pete is correct about the aesthetics – it looks great.
As does the house. The living space is light, bright and welcoming. Angie gives Jake credit for the dresser. No more half-job-Jake! Meanwhile his half-job kitchen has been redeemed and looks great.
Monique’s bedroom is Addams Family-meets-Kmart and she is rightly thrilled. Jake loves his hobby room for tinkering. Again, no more half-job-Jake! Who needs Vyvanse when you have great lighting and power tools.
While the pale blue in Jo’s room would not be my choice of colour, the space looks fab.
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 3
Maree and Bridget
This tale is one of grief, familial bonds and op-shopping. Maree’s 18-year-old daughter Maddy tragically passed away 10 years ago and Maree and her other daughter Bridget (Maddy’s twin) indulged in some light hoarding. Kudos to them that their drug of choice was the local Salvos, and not heavier stuff like Temu and Shein. But now the family home is overrun with clutter and to top it off (but also understandably), Maddy’s room has been left as a time capsule.
There is no compulsory time frame to deal with the belongings of a deceased loved one. However, after some time passes, it’s always good to ask yourself why you are keeping it. Who is it serving, to keep Maddy’s room intact? Peter calls this unhelpful stuff ‘malignant clutter’.
But there is grief involved, so he needs to tread carefully. Maree says she has tried to tackle the room but descends into tears every time. Getting these belongings out of context and into the warehouse – a neutral space – will be great to alleviate this.
Bridget admits that the clutter has become oppressive. But she also fesses up that since moving out she has left some of her own stuff behind. She says that’s because she doesn’t want to clutter up her new home, a comment which is like a red rag to a bull for Peter.
Professional Organisers see this aLOT – empty nesters cluttered up with the stuff of their departed offspring. Adult kids: listen up – if it’s not good enough to take with you, it’s NOT good enough to leave at your parents’ house.
The team enters the living room, where there are some telltale clutter piles of things that don’t belong in a living room – crockery, stationery and even a rogue suitcase.
Cherie notices that there is a mishmash of styles – everything from antique to mid century and modern. She is determined to create a cohesive look in line with Maree’s preference, which is mid century. She is going to shuffle the rooms around, swapping bedrooms and creating a home office.
It takes 126 boxes to get the house packed up and moved to the warehouse.
Lots of linen, office supplies, homewares, artworks, and over 750 pieces of clothing need to be assessed. And four tables of Maddy’s stuff, which the team has separated from the rest of the contents of the house.
At the warehouse, Maree and Bridget are struggling to make decisions without each other’s approval, and Peter calls them out on it. He asks Bridget to agree to take all her belongings to her new house, and she is onboard.
The clothing cull results in 20 boxes for donations and I wanna know which Salvos – there is some nice stuff there. Bridget reveals that bright clothing has compensated for her feeling overlooked compared to her special-needs sister. This is a common and hard-to-avoid issue for siblings of people with a disability.
Peter doesn’t want to ban the duo from their thrifting hobby, but urges them to do it mindfully – ensuring purchases are practical and not aspirational, and that they adopt a one-in, one-out policy.
Besides curating some photos, Angie hones in on some artworks and discovers that the Ross Tamlin pieces are in fact genuine. Maree had picked up all five for $50, and they are actually worth $10,000 for the lot. Angie makes such a deal of it that I hope viewers aren’t going to be scoping the joint to perform a heist. Also let’s hope the person who let these go cheaply is not watching with remorse.
The reno team hits a snag – there is black mould and rotten plaster, so crucial repairs are required. Eye-catching pastel blue for a chest of drawers is Cherie’s aim – and my interest is piqued as that colour would not be my choice.
Now onto the hard stuff – Peter guides Maree through decluttering Maddie’s stuff and, wracked by grief she wants to pop outside – and now this episode suddenly feels like trauma porn. I’m sure the end result will be worth it though. Maree torches a representation of the Malignant Clutter as a ritualised way of shedding the painful belongings and moving into catharsis and healing. Hence Maree and Bridget are able to curate Maddy’s legacy.
WIth this renewed vigour, the duo is able to cut 126 boxes down to 25. That’s an 81% reduction. There are $7000 worth of donations for the Salvos.
The disability hoist and wheelchair are off to a worthy cause but we are not sure what that is. Alas my attempts to rehome similar items to rehab and aged care facilities in the past have been in vain, as they have strict protocols in place. I find the ‘Disability And Special Needs Equipment’ Facebook group to be great in Melbourne, and I’m sure there are similar groups across Australia. These items don’t come cheap, so keeping them out of landfill is the aim.
Peter pops into Kmart to get some organising gear. Nothing quite like those slimline flocked hangers to create a slick look in the wardrobe.
At the great reveal, the mum-daughter team is thrilled and energised. Goodbye clutter, hello mid-century minimalism! Oranges and greens tie it all together.
Bridget declares in jest that she is moving back. Not with all that stuff you aren’t Bridge!
I’m not convinced about the pastel blue dresser in the spare room, but as a cohesive space the room looks great.
Maree is rapt with her new dedicated office, which is no longer plonked in the living space. It’s really important when organising a house or room, to create zones. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 2
Renata
Childcare worker and empty nester Renata lives alone but surrounded by her belongings. Which poses the philosophical question – if a person is surrounded by clutter, are they really alone? Yes, yes they are, as we shall see.
The constant battle to stay afloat as a single mum has taken its toll, and Renata’s self-care has been non-existent. She has 30 years’ of aspiration clutter that she thought she would use but hasn’t.
Throughout the past decade or so her dad died, her marriage ended and her beloved cousin passed away. Grief has compounded her mild hoarding. Stuff represents certainty (at least in theory). It doesn’t leave us or die – so sometimes it makes sense to cling to it for dear life.
In light of the fact that Renata struggled to hold onto the family home after the divorce, I am reminded of another psychological clutter phenomenon – the scarcity mindset which makes it hard for people who have experienced financial hardship to let things go. Feathering one’s nest so you don’t have to repurchase, makes sense on one level. But on another, finding anything under piles of stuff is near impossible, so you repurchase anyway – all the while living in stress and mess.
Renata is a grandmama now, but her brood won’t hang out in her home – it’s full of clutter and unfinished renos. Her children call her situation embarrassing and isolating, and Renata feels judged and alone, hence my observation in the first paragraph.
But the fam is ready to assist. They roll up their sleeves to help empty out the house, probably relieved that finally, Renata’s home and life are getting some TLC.
The contents of her life are laid bare on trestle tables in the warehouse.
I’m talking 115 pairs of shoes, rack upon rack of clothes, 350 pieces of linen and 1200 books. Pete points out that if she read 1 book a week, it would take 24 years to get through them. And don’t forget we live in an internet era when most reference material can be found online much faster than leafing through a 1980s version of “How to care for your greyhound”.
It took 267 moving boxes to shift all of Renata’s belongings.
Meanwhile the renovation team has 2 days to blitz through the revamp. There will be hiccups but they will get it done as usual.
At the hall, Renata is digging her heels in about the linen. She exclaims “that’s a good blanket”. If I had a penny for every time a client says “that’s a good XYZ” I would be a rich professional organiser.
- Good doesn’t mean we need it.
- Good doesn’t mean we will use it.
- Good doesn’t mean we have space for it.
- And if it’s “good” and we aren’t actively using it, why not let it be good for someone else rather than hoard it ourselves?
Renata stumbles across her kids’ precious Christening outfits, highlighting the fact that the bedding wasn’t important after all, especially since it was shrouding what was. Renata – it’s time to prioritise.
Next she tackles her clothes, which were of such volume that she couldn’t sleep on her bed. Do you remember the viral Reddit post in 2020 about the poster’s boyfriend who revealed he slept on a nest of clothes? Well thankfully Renata is not like that, she’s been kipping on the couch instead.
While sorting her clothes she digs her heels in again. Peter confronts her. Her daughter Linda explains the alienating impact the clutter has had on their relationship. Renata had lost her way. The revelation loosens her cling on the clothes like laxatives on a cheese addict.
Peter also scrutinises her self-help and healthy cookbooks (is the chocolate fountain in the background intentional?), and starts throwing her books with abandon. “Renata, you are enough as you are, you hear me?“
The reno team finds a discrepancy in the floorboard heights, so emergency sanding is underway to make way for floating boards. The dining table is tiled to match the fireplace. A doorway is even moved – is there anything Cherie can’t orchestrate?
The spare room is prepped for Renata’s grandchild Sunday, who has never been able to sleep over due to the clutter. Rather than anticipating an inter-generational connection, Sunday’s dad and Renata’s son Nick seems keen to “palm her off” and go out on date nights. Aww, that’s touching Nick!
Renata finds a precious cassette tape of a 1970s family recording of singing and debauchery, and although it looks fragile, Angie’s eyes light up. Get the biro at the ready Ang in case it needs winding on.
After some light mischief at the hall, Peter proudly announces an enormous reduction in clutter. From 267 boxes down to 51. This is a much faster way to lose weight than the old cookbooks, Renata.
At the house Peter organises the clothes, Angie sets up the drinks trolley and Cherie artfully scatters some throw rugs and cushions – all much more enjoyable tasks than making decluttering decisions.
But the decisions and discussions have been rewarding. Renata says it has been a healing process, and Linda says it has brought them all closer.
The family does the grand tour and it’s full of fresh renovations and a neutral palette with splashes of colour. Slide shows are watched (obviously the cassette tape survived) and salty tears fall into cocktails mixed on the cute drinks trolley.
The spare room is all ready for granddaughter Sunday – but has the team ever left a toddler alone with crayons? Placing drawing materials in the bedroom is a rookie error. That new paint job won’t last long.
SPACE INVADERS SEASON 5 EPISODE 1
Stephen and Megan
Stephen and Megan are both performers. Steve in particular, has a big personality. Just as big, is the amount of clutter in their townhouse.
No surprises that he has ADHD – I see this a lot in my Declutter Coach work.
ADHDers have executive function issues, which means challenges staying on task and decluttering. Impulsive purchasing can also be problematic.
Due to clutter creep, the dynamic duo can’t eat at their dining table and they have started sleeping in separate beds. For their marital health, this has to get sorted.
A lot of the clutter is Stephen’s, but I spy a Shein clothing hall on the dining table, Megs! Also she admits she has books on the bookshelves that she can’t get to.
As an aside I often see trinkets placed in front of book spines on shelves. It’s a pet dislike of mine, because the trinkets look cluttery (yeah ok, you got a seashell in Fiji in 2002 – but is it still actually meaningful to you?), they gather dust and they impede access to the books. My preference is to pull book spines out flush to the edge of the shelving which gives a uniform look and removes temptation to dump items there.
Stephen’s guitars dominate their home. How many guitars does one need? A muso once told me “what I own +1”, but this mentality is not working for the couple. Steve admits that he wants a music studio. That’s good to know, as it’s always great to establish a goal and a priority, on which to base all decluttering decisions. In other words when contemplating each item, Stephen needs to measure its importance against that of his goal.
But he’s not at that stage yet, saying he doesn’t know where to start, to which Peter Walsh exclaims “that’s why we’re here!” – hallelujah.
Let’s get cracking then.
Everything is boxed up and Peter gives some (probably unsolicited) advice to Steve on how to pack up a guitar, all in the name of bubble wrap promotion.
At the sorting hall, there are 25 guitars, 4 tables of photos and books, another 4 of bedding, and then some.
Steve has 48 pairs of shoes and Megan the ballerina does not get off lightly. She may have zero guitars, but she has 184 pairs of shoes.
The camera scans across the contents of 196 moving boxes. 80% of it has got to go. Stephen and Megan are shook.
The reno team gets to work. Old light fittings are unscrewed and painting rollers work their magic. Acoustic wall panels and carpet underlay are also deployed, to bring Steve’s musical dreams to life without pissing off the neighbours.
Back at the warehouse, the clutter-couple are sorting through the detritus of their lives. Steve struggles to let go and starts clawing things back. Steve, honey, keep your eyes on the prize and aim for the music studio.
Pete asks a crucial question which is always useful when decluttering – where in this house will these items live? Setting space boundaries is crucial, and to date, nothing they own has had a home.
Megan and Peter drill down on the ‘one-in, one-out’ concept. If Stephen wants to keep these godawful boxed mugs he is clutching, he needs to get rid of some other mugs.
You see decluttering is not about getting rid of everything, nor is it about removing what you love – it’s about prioritising. Steve definitely struggles with this, and goes into panic mode when questioned about his belongings. Especially when Peter raises the stakes and says the one-in, one-out policy has to apply to guitars too. Pete is like a proud dad when Steve agrees to let go of 5 guitars.
Angie goes all micro focus on a cute pink collectible guitar, and researches the value on the rest. It turns out Megan has an identity as well, and Angie curates some cherished childhood princess and ballet memorabilia for display.
At the hall, Megan is gong through her clothes and comments that she has so many clothes that she often feels like she has nothing to wear. This is relatable – having a chaotic wardrobe results in decision fatigue and overwhelm.
Steve is also trying to cull clothes, and Pete gets strict on his sluggish decision-making. It turns out that Steve has analysis paralysis, and is freaking out about making the wrong decision. When in actual fact, it’s just stuff! What’s the worst that can happen Steve? We may get rid of something and miss it briefly in the future. Then we move on with our lives. Belongings are not people, they don’t deserve to be grieved.
Peter gamifies the process and gets Steve catching Megan’s shoes in a box. It’s a great distraction idea for an ADHDer, to help shift his focus so he de-obsesses over his own stuff.
They get 196 boxes down to a minuscule 41, a reduction by 81%. $9000 worth is off to the Salvos, and Steve is feeling great about it. The mood is ecstatic.
And rightly so, as the house looks amazing. The lounge, dining and kitchen are fresh and neutral and the guitar room upstairs thrills both of them – Stephen because he can jam and Megan because she can enjoy a calm shared space downstairs which features both their identities.
I’m not convinced about the while fluffy chair in the music room. My ADHD partner would spill red wine on it in a hot minute.
Lastly, marital harmony is restored by a beautiful master bedroom with all clothes off the floor and contained to the storage. A bed with under-drawers makes good use of bedroom real estate we often forget about.
