Spending so much time inside over lockdown has shown many of us the importance of feeling happy in our homes.

It was during this time that stay-at-home mums Carly Macfarlane, who lives in Maldon, and Emma Redwood, from Brentwood, had the idea to help people declutter their homes and fall in love with their own space.

When restrictions began to ease for the first time last year, they received requests from friends asking them to help organise their homes.

Carly, who was pregnant with her second child at the time, said: "Lockdown made people sit and look at the reality of whether they are happy and feel calm in their homes."

She added: "Some friends wanted us to help tidy their homes, which included organising their kitchens - it was great to be able to help them."

After Carly gave birth to her daughter in February and as lockdown restrictions eased, the duo worked hard to turn their passion for decluttering into a business.

The result is Home Style Essex, a decluttering and organisation company based in Essex and its surrounding areas, which was launched by the duo in July.

The women, who each have two children and a shared background in retail, help residents to find solutions to organising their space and making it home.

Carly said: "This is a job that uses our skills and it makes us happy - it's lovely to know we're helping people and improving people's lives, and it lets us be flexible around our families."

It is all about making the client comfortable, Emma said, so the duo are willing to hold consultations with potential clients over the phone, Zoom or in person.

"We are happy with any option - whatever they want to do," she said.

"We then decide how long we think it would take and go from there."

A key aspect of Carly and Emma's work is helping people whose homes have fallen into disarray due to mental health issues.

"There's people who are struggling with hoarding and mental illness," Carly said.

"It's about being understanding and letting that client know that we want to support them and make their lives better."

One client told Emma that her ADHD and OCD had improved because she is less overwhelmed after the pair decluttered her home.

"We've given her a fresh start," said Emma.

The women even offer a bereavement package to help those who have lost loved ones.

"To go through a loved ones' posessions is really hard," Carly said. "We can take the pressure off by helping to do it for people and guiding them."

The rise in Instagrammable homes has created an eager market for business' such as Home Style Essex.

Carly said: "We can stage your home for you so that it is ready for photographs."

The duo are also ready to service people's evolving needs since lockdown.

"We have had interest off the back of people working from home," Carly said.

"We can help people create a working space from home by decluttering their rooms."

And the women want their business to be as environmentally-consicous as possible.

"Something we really encourage is donating, selling items and stopping things going to landfill," Carly said.

"When we did a full house declutter for a recent client, she was a lot happier when she realised her items were going to other people to be loved.

"I think if you have an attachment to something, you just want to know that it's going to a loving home."

The pair want to help people wherever possible, and are always willing to go the extra mile to do so, fitting in clients' requests between school runs.

"We'll do anything we can, including evenings and weekends," Emma said.

"We're all around the central part of Essex and we're happy to drive - we're happy for anyone to ask us."

Carly added: "It's just nice that out of a really tough year, we've created something that brings us so much joy and every client we have is so thankful."

To find out more about Home Style Essex and to make an enquiry, visit its website via the link here.

To see Carly and Emma transforming people's homes, visit their business Instagram using the link here.

You can also visit the Home Style Essex Facebook page via the link here.