Space matters Downsizing means more than just getting rid of stuff.

When Cindy and Je Miller began planning to scale back their estate and downsize ahead of retirement, a three-day trial experience at Montereau sealed the deal for the Tulsa couple.

“I forgot my toothbrush, and (Je ) said I’ll take you home, but I don’t want to go inside,” Cindy recalls. “He didn’t want to leave the feeling here at Montereau.” at feeling was one of community and camaraderie. So the pair sold their home and made the move to a 1,400-square-foot apartment within the retirement community in September 2022. ough the distance between their former south Tulsa stoop and their current apartment is just a mile, Cindy and Je had more than 50 years of their own lives to sort through, including the heirlooms and material memories from previous generations.

Over the summer while their Montereau residence was being remodeled, they spent time in Michigan where Cindy helped clean out her sister’s basement. As a practice run, it helped Cindy clarify what was really important when she started on her own downsizing project, which entailed going room by room and donating items neither

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

Cindy and Je nor their daughter, Jamie, needed. inking ahead, Cindy didn’t want to leave their only child with a house full of things to sort through in a time when you’re most grief stricken.

Now the treasures Cindy has chosen to keep mean that much more: her maternal grandmother’s cookie jar, paternal grandmother’s squirrel planter, vases and the topper from her parents’ wedding cake. “Of all the items, this is the one I treasure most,” she says.

“I was able to bring our keepsakes and mementos because of being organized, adding additional shelving to our two closets and plastic bins, which are dedicated to keepsakes from our parents and grandparents.”

Does she miss anything they donated? “Nothing,” she says. “In the last six months, I’ve asked other residents and friends the same question and without hesitation they say there is nothing they regret getting rid of because it has led them here and living their life to the fullest.”

Purging was one piece of the downsizing puzzle. e other was nding e cient ways to use storage space, including:

• Modifying a small entry coat closet into a pantry and large spice rack, which frees up kitchen cabinet space.

• Credenzas, which add storage for photos and the TV.

• Modifying a glass cabinet into a bar cabinet. “I purged all the colored martini and wine glasses, saving the clear glasses for a more classic and contemporary look,” Cindy notes.

• Updating hardware and paint to modernize keepsake furniture. “I am really pleased that with a professional paint job and new hardware, my 1975 hope chest is a great addition for stowing away keepsakes. Without modernizing the look, I wouldn’t have brought it to our Montereau home.”

• Paper keepsakes can also accumulate. Cindy sorted through a bunch and used photo albums for display — a swatch of cloth and concert and sporting event tickets all take on more relevance when they rest beside photos pertaining to the event. TP