It’s the middle of weekend. Thankfully you made it through another busy week. But what about your house; has it made it through another busy week without enough of your attention? So what are you getting done this weekend? If it’s something as usual as cleaning the house why not turn it into a memorable outcome by re-working a room? It’s not that much different from cleaning, but the outcome is much more voila and it could be an outcome that would make life at home more fulfilling and motivate you to keep it that way. Here is a quick step-by-step formula for reviving a room in your home.
If there’s no time to do a full overhaul, i.e. paint, flooring, new furniture, etc., why not do a facelift, which can take as little as an hour or two, to depending on the room. It is easier than you think. Here’s a quick example of the process. The easiest and most sweeping way to accomplish a fast facelift in the shortest amount of time is first remove everything from the room, except for the furniture and major accessories. Remove all papers, clothing, mail, clutter and anything that is not a part of your vision for the room. Place this assorted pile of stuff in another room. Just pile it up somewhere for the moment. While you’re moving all the clutter away, be thinking about exactly what your vision is for this room. What do you want to do in this room? How do you want to feel when you are in this space? Is it a living room for greeting guests? If you’re working with a bedroom is it also your dressing room? Is it where you hang out for television watching, or for reading or for both? If it’s your kitchen is it where you sit and have meal is it where you prepare meals or both? Just think about how you want to use the room and how you want to feel when you’re there.
Now that the room is clear of anything that’s not a major piece of furniture, spend a little time cleaning the floor wiping counters or tables with paper towels and Windex or using a bit of furniture spray where needed. This can be done in short order. Once you’ve got the surfaces and floors clean, then the real fun begins. You’ve had time to visualize what you want from this space. Let’s start from the floor up. The room was, as they say the vernacular, “tow up from the flo up.” So we now rework from the floor up to make a transformed space. Are the upholstered pieces and tables where you’d like them right now? Is there enough room to walk around with the amount of furniture pieces you have in the room? If no, slide the big furniture to where they fit better and remove pieces if there’s not enough space. If yes, we’re ready for the next step.
Consider what’s on your walls, which should be clean if not clear. Is there art on the walls? Paintings and Photos should all be at eye level unless they are in groupings on the wall. In that case, they can be evenly spaced.
Weekends are the time for renewal. There’s an adage that recreation is re-creation. Even though you’re getting work done at home it should be satisfying and fun. When it comes that, for example if you’re working on your room put on your favorite music, your headphones too if you like, and rock out! I can’t imagine the time on my treadmill without music blasting, It makes the time so much more enjoyable. You can also enjoy an audio book while getting things done over the weekend. It’s fun. It’s multitasking and you’re getting more out of the time. Mindfulness expert, Dr. John Kabot-Zinn would disagree with my view here. He points out that we should focus intently on the moment and what we’re doing. He says, otherwise we miss the bubbles from the dish soap, the feeling of the warm water or the squeak of a clean dish. I love and respect for John Kabot-Zinn, I just feel more satisfied by enjoying sound while accomplishing otherwise mundane tasks. I also get inspired by what I listen to while working at home.
Now begin the process of re-incorporating all that you left out of the space back into it, being mindful that every item should have a place that it lives in your space without interrupting the vision you have for the room. Clothing should have a home in your closet or in your storage drawers. if there is not enough space consider moving some out to season things to another’s room or moving things out.
Everything you own should either be useful or beautiful. Keep that in mind as you go through this process. Good storage is essential to a successful space. Make sure you have the right amount of storage. If you use the right storage solutions you won’t have to live with clutter. Once you’ve found a home for everything that fits your vision of the room, everything else you removed from the space will need a new home or be to give away (Craig’s list or random act of kindness), throw away (you’ll enjoy having more space than having that item), or donate (Salvation Army will give you a tax write off receipt).
All you need now is a vase of flowers or a $10 potted plant (Home Depot or Kmart). If you decide on a potted plant, here’s a simple solution for covering the pot. Planters can be costly, so instead, grab a piece of fabric or a towel. It can be any material that matches your room. First lay the fabric, then a piece of drycleaner plastic on a counter or on the floor. Center the potted plant on top of the plastic. Bring the plastic up over the pot and tie it with string around the top of the pot. Now bring the fabric up just above the pot and tie it (just above the top of the pot). Turn the excess fabric down over the string and arrange it to look like a burlap bag that you’ve no doubt seen on the bottom of a tree that’s been uprooted. Now place in a sunny corner, stand back and appreciate your work. And you have the rest of the day to spend enjoying your updated space!