Bruce McLaren Village resident and author Jennifer Beck understands more than most the highs and lows of decluttering a lifetime of possessions.
As a self-confessed collector, Jennifer and her engineer husband Peter had filled their large family home of almost 50 years with all manner of objects of interest, while Peter’s sheds were a haven for tools and projects.
Jennifer traces her passion back to her school days when she was awarded an Elizabethan sixpence that dated back to 1575 for doing well in English.
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However, her collections later expanded to hand-carved bread boards, square plates, household items printed with names of early New Zealand firms, and colourful Bakelite kitchenware to name just a few.
“I don’t like the word ‘stuff’,” she says. “There’s a lot of enjoyment tied up with these things, memories, sentiment… ‘stuff’ doesn’t do them justice.”
However, in 2019, Jennifer experienced an epiphany of sorts, and suddenly decided she no longer wanted to be a collector and instead it was time to downsize, discard and declutter.
This was compounded when she broke her wrist after tripping over a guy rope whilst camping and she realised that their home had become an obstacle course of furniture and that dusting so many ornaments was time-wasting.
The prospect of never-ending home maintenance was starting to make the previously rejected idea of retirement living look lots more appealing!
With that in mind, Jennifer and Peter decided to attend a presentation on downsizing being held at Bruce McLaren Village.
“One point the speaker made rang a bell with me – she said to have a look at what you are storing, and ask yourself, ‘how much of it belongs to other people?’”
The first idea, then, was to invite the children to come and retrieve their belongings, but that was just the start.
Jennifer says she never realised just how many decisions would be involved in the downsizing process, especially as she is a firm believer in finding a good home for objects in good condition.
“If I’m donating items, it has to be the right op shop. The Salvation Army is for more practical items, whereas hospice shops tend to sell more decorative or collectable pieces.
“What has taken us so long is finding the right place for the right thing.”
Her first bit of advice to others looking to downsize is to ‘start early!’
“By the time we moved into Bruce McLaren, it had been going on for quite a while and there were still some items which hadn’t been sorted out.”
Items such as beds, or casserole dishes, were easy to deal with. More tricky were the small items such as gifts or the contents of drawers.
One idea, says Jennifer, is to give certain items of significance to grandchildren, with a special message attached to give the item more meaning for them.
“We gave our granddaughter this 3D wooden jigsaw. When she was little she would spend ages putting it together and later she became an engineer.”
Another idea is to take photos of items – that way you can still enjoy them, but in digital form instead.
“I found that was a good way of letting go of things, like the bread boards, the square plates and New Zealand named memorabilia.”
Being a writer, Jennifer decided to share her experience in her memoir, Bits of String too Short to Use, to help others who might be looking to downsize their belongings.
“I thought it would be a good idea to write about the process because a lot of our friends were going through this.”
She says: “It’s been a good feeling to give away and make space. It’s quite relaxing and it helps you focus on what you really need.
“There is pleasure to be had in the simplicity. There’s a loss but it’s also a relief.
“It’s a relief to be here at Bruce McLaren without all the housework and property maintenance, and to have things simpler.”
The decision to move into Bruce McLaren was not quick, nor easy, and just as they were about to give up on the idea, the ideal apartment came up. On the ground floor, the doors open out onto a park-like garden with the bowling green beyond.
“To my surprise we said yes!” laughs Jennifer. “It’s just right for us, because our circumstances have changed.”
Jennifer and Peter prefer the look of their cane furniture now it's in their apartment at Bruce McLaren.
They dedicated the shelves of their bookcase to display a scaled down representation of their various hobbies and collections.
One shelf boasts an art deco ornament from a great aunt, while another has items from a former family bach. The next shelf sports a friend’s pottery, while another reveals Peter’s love of planes, with a miniature plane and photos on display.
A toolbox consolidating Peter’s passion is close by too. With help from a moving firm, they have put some items such as business records and reference material relating to Jennifer’s writing in a small storage facility for access if needed.
Jennifer says another idea is to use things in a different way, such as an old kitchen crock being used as an umbrella stand, and equally they were delighted to find a new use for furniture that had previously been in the way in their home.
“This table was in a corner, the rocking chair we always tripped over it and I never sat in it but now I do.
“And the cane furniture didn’t suit the lounge in our family home but I find it works really well here in the apartment.”
The biggest surprise for both of them, has been how well village life has suited them.
“We are enjoying it here, particularly the social events such as guest speakers musical entertainment and physical activities,” Jennifer says.
“The team makes a point of having fun and there’s been so much more laughter here than I expected.
“We have kept contact with old friends and made new friends also.”