Welcome to Downsize with Style!
Are you planning to downsize to a studio apartment, townhouse or retirement resort?
If you are like most people, you have too much clutter and stuff accumulated and don’t know where to start.
It’s never too late to start your downsizing journey!
Take the first step towards a new chapter of your life today! Challenge yourself, you deserve it!
The idea for Downsize with Style was born when I read about the major physical change Australian cities are going through. More and more people prefer an urban lifestyle close to amenities. They choose to live in low maintenance apartments rather than big houses for various reasons: simplifying their lifestyle, saving money on furnishings, appliances and energy, gaining more time for travelling and hobbies or downsizing to start a new chapter of their life.
Downsize with Style addresses some of the biggest challenges empty nesters have: Defining their new lifestyle, de-cluttering, prioritising what to keep and storage optimisation and creating a happy home from day one. It is a practical style guide based on an easy-to-follow 5-step process to managing your downsizing project successfully. Additionally, you will find inspirational quotes to keep you motivated.
The five steps include de-cluttering, finding your personal style, visualising your ideas, planning your space and decorating small spaces. Furthermore, you will find expert tips from international designers, real estate and removal specialists! So, if you are planning to downsize, but keep procrastinating your move because you don’t know where to start, this book is for you!
Anyone interested in interior decoration, especially stylish downsizing, will find many valuable pointers and suggestions in this clearly written how-to book. Many subheadings in the chapters enable easy reading and absorbing. Similarly, many illustrations, showing possible layouts, provide a colorful graphic dimension. A five-step process to manage downsizing include devising a plan with checklists; identifying decorating essentials; achieving a stylish home within a budget; dealing with emotional/sentimental aspects; and refining one’s home/apartment lifestyle. Sample scenarios embellish the practical text. The book tells you how to visualise your ideas and layout and create a breakdown of essential items for various rooms. The use of colour to make a small space seem larger is among the many key suggestions to achieve one’s special decorative desires. Spaces for notes are also provided. Outdoor areas are also covered. Many tips from other international designers and related authorities add useful ideas. Rosters of where to donate, sell, swap and recycle have an Australian focus but they can be applied in the U.S. as well. Apt quotes from luminaries are a nice touch, but it would be worthwhile to add a bit more identifying information on the lesser-known figures. The title/subtitle, and cover design, are each quite effective.
DOWNSIZE WITH STYLE is available as print book and ebook.
Congratulations on the publication of your beautiful book Downsize with Style. What s stylish, fabulous, easy read. Best of luck!
This book is an important contribution to the shape of our cities as it encourages older people to downsize to apartments. There is an amazing new lifestyle full of activity that comes with retirees moving from large homes into well-designed apartments in urban locations. Downsize with Style is an excellent guide and support to help potential downsizers understand the steps along the way as well as the importance of good design in a more compact space.
Always leave it to the experts – that has been my motto and Bettina has proven me correct! This book is not only an instruction guide; it’s an inspirational guide, which makes it such easy reading with even easier application. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, insight and passion Bettina and happy downsizing to everyone who enjoys this ride!
You will discover
- How to overcome procrastination by working with a plan, checklists and practical tips along the way
- How to deal with emotional topics and items
- Creative ways of recycling and free cycling
- How to identify your decorating essentials
- Ways to enhance your personal style
- How to achieve a stylish home without breaking the bank
- 10 reasons to downsize rather sooner than later
- Expert tips from international designers, real estate and relocation specialists.
Dear Bettina, I came across your book “Downsize with Style” in the local library and I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I ended up buying it as it was the sort of book that I found I kept revisiting. I love how your personal values in relation to health and wellbeing also came through the pages of the book. Well done I will definitely be recommending the book and website to my friends - Karen
A treasure chest packed with innovative ideas and practical advice. Laced with inspiring quotes and overlaid with an intelligent philosophical insight to life and the emotional stress of change & moving – a must have for anyone planning a move – downsizing or not.
Everyone can use a little guidance now and then, and this book by Bettina Deda is a wonderful step-by-step guide how to downsize belongings without sacrificing style and beauty. The author states at the very beginning of her book that beauty and gratitude are two of the most important things to embrace in life and she has presented ways to achieve both of those in her lovely book about creating a beautiful home in the midst of downsizing…While I am not in the need of downsizing quite at the present I can really understand how this book would be a great tool for those who are. Well written and illustrated, this is a little gem of a book that I would recommend.