About Rita Wilkins

Rita Wilkins, also known as “The Downsizing Designer,” is a nationally recognized interior design and lifestyle design expert, TEDx speaker, and author of Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money and Freedom

Choosing the Road Less Traveled… So I could Live More

By Rita Wilkins, The Downsizing Designer  It’s been almost 4 years since I chose to live a much simpler life with less… 95% less. As the Downsizing Designer, people often ask if I ever regret giving up the big beautiful house I built that was loaded with design details, furniture and unique art and accessories [...]

By |2020-07-07T19:05:25+00:00July 7th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Choosing the Road Less Traveled… So I could Live More

Is it time to schedule an Extreme Decluttering Party?

By Rita Wilkins, The Downsizing Designer You’ve heard of extreme sports, extreme makeovers, and extreme food shows, and man caves, but do you know about extreme decluttering parties? It’s one of the hottest trends in completely overhauling one area of your home at a time, purging it of the clutter that you’ve been wanting to [...]

By |2021-01-14T10:59:33+00:00June 16th, 2020|decluttering tips, lifestyle, simplicity, simplify your life|Comments Off on Is it time to schedule an Extreme Decluttering Party?

Rewired, Refired… but Never Retired (From Learning)

By Rita Wilkins, The Downsizing Designer Report card day. Remember? Hand written, teacher notes, academic grades, effort grades, and “deportment” grades. Sitting at the kitchen table, our nightly tradition, Mom made one of our favorite casseroles. After our usual lively conversation about the day, we would get the “dreaded” invitation from our Dad, “Let’s have [...]

By |2020-06-10T14:25:24+00:00June 10th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Rewired, Refired… but Never Retired (From Learning)

Is it time for you to take on your clutter?

Help!  I have clutter creep. What's clutter creep? Is it a new disease? No, well, maybe on some levels it is, but mostly it is a bad habit that unless you take control of it, it could probably spread like wildfire. So, how do you know if you have clutter creep? Well for me, since [...]

By |2020-05-06T16:47:31+00:00May 6th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Is it time for you to take on your clutter?

Life Hasn’t Gotten Any Easier…You’ve Just Gotten Better

What have you been noticing and discovering about yourself and those around your since you’ve been in “sheltering in place?” Have you noticed a new mental toughness, a stronger muscle to adapt, navigate and rebound? The impact of COVID-19 on our lives has been profound, but what is even more amazing to me is our [...]

By |2020-05-05T16:43:26+00:00May 5th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Life Hasn’t Gotten Any Easier…You’ve Just Gotten Better

Are You “Dueling” with Clutter? How to Win the Battle and Get Your Life Back

Are fighting a never-ending battle with clutter? If you think you are alone, you’re not! According to the National Association of Professional Organizers: 54% of Americans are overwhelmed by clutter. 55% say clutter is a huge source of stress. 33% hold onto things they no longer want, need or use. Americans are “dueling” with too [...]

By |2020-02-19T20:44:35+00:00February 19th, 2020|decluttering tips, Design, downsizing, empty nest, freedom, lifestyle, minimalism, simplicity, simplify your life, Start Your Good Life, Starting the Good Life, trending|Comments Off on Are You “Dueling” with Clutter? How to Win the Battle and Get Your Life Back

Baby Boomers, Do Your Kids and Yourself a Favor… Declutter Sooner Rather Than Later (Your Kids Don’t Want Your Stuff Anyway)

I know it sounds harsh, but baby boomers, that’s our reality. Over the past 30 to 40 years we bought and accumulated a lot of “stuff.”  As we bought bigger and bigger houses we bought ever more stuff… or maybe we inherited a lot of it from our parents.  Regardless of where it came from, [...]

By |2021-01-14T10:52:21+00:00February 19th, 2020|Baby Boomers, decluttering tips, minimalism, simplify your life|Comments Off on Baby Boomers, Do Your Kids and Yourself a Favor… Declutter Sooner Rather Than Later (Your Kids Don’t Want Your Stuff Anyway)

Busyness… A Badge of Honor or a Burden?

Your best friend called wanting to connect… “Any chance we could meet for dinner this week?  I haven’t heard from you in a while and I’m concerned about you.”  “I’m so sorry… I can’t.  I’m so busy.” Your New Year’s Resolution is to exercise three times a week with friends – for the workout and [...]

By |2020-02-05T20:23:35+00:00February 5th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Busyness… A Badge of Honor or a Burden?

Downsize by Decluttering

The decision to downsize – or not – is on the minds of many Americans, especially Baby Boomers who have become or who will soon become emptynesters.  With fewer day-to-day parenting responsibilities, they suddenly discover more time and freedom to pursue interests that had been on the back burner.  They begin to prioritize their time [...]

By |2020-02-05T20:13:56+00:00February 5th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Downsize by Decluttering

Breaking Up With Your House and Your Stuff is Hard To Do

If you are a baby boomer growing up in the 60’s, you probably remember listening to Neil Sedaka singing “Breaking Up is Hard To Do”. Many years later, baby boomers are still singing the blues, but this time it is not about breaking off a relationship with a young teenage romance, it is about parting [...]

By |2020-12-16T16:46:57+00:00February 5th, 2020|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Breaking Up With Your House and Your Stuff is Hard To Do
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