JANUARY is the perfect month to transform your living space by clearing it of the clutter that can spoil its appearance and add to daily stress.

"It's the nature of modern life that new possessions flood into our homes all the time," said Debora Robertson, author of Declutter: The Get-Real Guide to Creating Calm from Chaos (Kyle Books, £12.99).

"Clutter drains you of energy, steals your time, robs you of storage space and fills up your weekends with things that need cleaning, mending or putting away," said Debora.

She believes that with a bit of planning and a new approach, it is possible - and even quite simple - to achieve a smart, organised haven. To imagine what it would feel like, she suggests recalling the sense of calm and relaxation experienced when staying in a hotel, where there are "just enough" possessions for your needs.

Here is her guide to transforming four key zones in your home.

l Conjure kitchen calm

"Believe me, if you get your kitchen right, everything else will flow from there," said Debora. "It's the room a lot of us use the most, and getting this right prepares us to work a similar magic on the rest of our homes, one bit, one bite, at a time."

Step 1: Do the "15 Fling"! Take a rubbish bag and set your kitchen timer for 10 minutes. Fill it with 15 things you don't love or don't need. "Don't think too hard about it, otherwise you'll remember you have some emotional attachment to something that will make you indecisive," she said.

"Don't, whatever you do, look back into the bag. As soon as that buzzer goes, seal the bag, put it in the outside bin. Do this once a day and do it in other rooms too."

TIP: You can do the "15 Fling" with possessions that are in good condition and useful but just not for you, and recycle them at charity shops. Oversize appliances and gadgets gobble up space, so you're not a person who's ever going to make your own yoghurt, ice cream or bread, get rid of those gizmos.

l Create a stairway to a clutter-free haven

"Hallways, staircases and landings can evolve into a lively obstacle course of casually discarded shoes, coats, bag, sports equipment - and heaps of things which are on their way into your house, and heaps of things which are on the way out," said Debora.

"They're also the first areas you see when you come home, so it's worth making an effort to keep them looking neat and welcoming, to avoid that just-walked-in-the-door heart-sink of doom."

Step 1: Limit what you keep in the hall to the stuff you'll be using this season to give yourself a fighting chance at order. Wellingtons, winter boots and heavy coats take up a lot of space, so try to find storage for them when they're not needed.

TIP: A basket or two makes a great place to keep things you are de-cluttering until you can get them out of the house. Make room for a mini-recycling spot, so you can open post and dump anything you don't want, ready to go out.

l Reclaim that living space

"Living rooms can very easily become stuffed with unloved bits of inherited furniture, '"it'll-do-for-now" pieces, family memorabilia, half-done craft projects you're going to do one day (newsflash: You're not)," said Debora.

"Papers and magazines sit fatly on tables, books spill off shelves, remote controls seem to have undertaken their own breeding programme somewhere in the corner. Yet this is a space where you're supposed to slough off the physical and emotional pummelling of the day and relax."

Step 1: Start by considering what you mainly use your living room for - is it entertaining, reading or relaxing? Remove what's no longer needed for other purposes.

Step 2: Cut sofa cushions to a realistic number and donate the rest to charity. Go through ornaments and photos on mantelpieces and decide on those you really want to keep and move the rest on.

Step 3: Choose furniture that has built-in storage, such as console units with shelving, ottomans or footstools with removable tops, or vintage trunks that can double as a coffee tables.

l Store away for a serene sanctuary

"Often, the room in your home that should be the most nurturing and restful is the source of most anxiety," said Debora. "Clothes burst out of wardrobes, second-best bathrobes slump gloomily on hooks, unread magazines clutter nightstands, and chairs groan under the weight of clothes.

"But your room doesn't have to look like something from Pinterest. Order has its own beauty. A clean, aired, well-organised bedroom with clear surfaces and a freshly-made bed is one of the most soul-pleasing and nurturing places on the planet. You can create this for yourself."

Step 1: Pare back bedlinen - you only really need three sets per bed. Store by folding a fitted sheet, top sheet, duvet cover and pillowcases, so they fold up into one pillowcase from the same set.

Step 2: Start with a 10-minute cull of underwear - put everything that's worn-out into a bag and get rid of it. Next, look at clothes - but do not, whatever you do, dump everything on the bed at once. You'll feel overwhelmed and probably give up. Instead, set a timer to give you a set period to sort out what you like and wear from what you don't.

Step 3: Lastly, get rid of any item that doesn't make you feel good.