It’s that time of year again when many of us are making resolutions to take charge of our lives, lose weight and get healthy. But did you ever think of putting your house on a diet? Like weight loss, decluttering, reorganizing and redesigning your space will greatly improve your life – and it’s a lot easier than dropping those pounds.
Where do you start? I tell my clients to attack the rooms they entertain in most – the compliments you receive from friends and family will motivate you to continue in other spaces. Set aside a keep, pitch and donate area or container. Stand back, look at your room objectively – do you really like what you see? The first place the eye goes to when one enters a room is the right corner. You want that area to pop. If you’re tired of looking at it – toss it.
Pitch those tired, dusty floral arrangements, that art work you’ve had up for years and update the photos in your picture frames. Minimize the accessories you display on tables and countertops using the decorator’s rule of grouping like with like in odd numbers. Keep a few larger accessories and avoid displaying a lot of small items or the surface appears messy and makes it harder to dust.
Bookshelves grow clutter easily. Obtain a cleaner look by taking off the jackets from your hardbacks and removing at least a third of your books. Unless you want that library look, bookshelves look best when books aren’t lined up vertically. Stack some horizontally then bring in some artwork, accessories and greenery to add visual interest. Once you are happy with your shelves, you can deliver even more drama to your work by installing some inexpensive cabinet lighting.
Our economy and our environment make it charitable to bless others with our mess! My personal favorite is Bargain Box, an annual rummage sale of sorts sponsored by The Junior League of Columbus. Many non-profits or shelters are thrilled to accept your architectural salvage, gently worn furniture, linens, and clothing. Or, if you want to try to make a buck (perhaps to apply towards new décor), sell your items on Craigslist, EBay or at a local consignment store like Grandview Mercantile Revue.
For environmental reasons, please consider recycling – not just your magazines and newspapers but household items, appliances, cabinets, carpet – even outdoor landscaping plants can be recycled through great resources like Habitat for Humanity’s Restore or the cool website www.freecycle.org. Most of the time they will even come to your home and remove the items for you – how easy is that?
After you have finished your space – take in a deep, cleansing breath and enjoy your streamlined surroundings.
