Happy New Year! As we start a new year and a new decade, everyone is talking about the resolutions they have decided to commit to. The majority of resolutions we make revolve around improving how we take care of our body, our diet and new habits. Though have you ever thought about how you take care of your home? Here are some simple tips to change how your home makes you feel to allow for more happiness and joy in your life.
1. Make your bed!
No one likes the hassle of making their bed in the morning. However, how does it make you feel when you enter a hotel room and see a made bed? Having everything put in its place brings calm to your life. It reduces stress, when you pass by your bedroom during the day or even if not until the end of the day. Seeing the beautiful linens and pillows neatly organized on the bed brings joy and these things are purchased to make the space beautiful, so don’t forget to use them.
2. Relocate that pile of mail in your kitchen.
Almost everyone has a stack of mail or papers that ends up in their kitchen. That stack causes me much anxiety, so I bought a basket to put the pile in and I keep it in the laundry room. I’m constantly in the laundry room and see it all the time so I can’t forget about it. If it gets tucked away in a drawer, it’s out of sight and out of mind.
3. Put your clothes away!
We tell our kids to do this all the time though we don’t take our own advice. Don’t let your clothes stack up in your closet; put what’s dirty in the laundry basket and put them away when they are clean. I go one step further; I organize my clothing by fabric/use and colors. It makes the space so organized, even though there are plenty of things that should probably be purged.
4. Let the sunshine in!
Personally, I don’t like window treatments, and it’s not because I’m an architect and it hides the beautiful windows and trim. I love natural light, the views to the outdoors and the connection to nature! I meet with many clients that are frustrated because their home is too dark and when I visit their home they have heavy drapes or stained wood blinds. The window treatments are beautiful, however they reduce the amount of light that is able to enter the space, and if they are a darker colors they absorb light instead of reflecting it.
What other ideas do you have for making your home a more comfortable and relaxing space so your home can feel like a retreat from the busy outside world? On Saturday morning, pour yourself a cup of coffee or make a cup of tea, and spend a few minutes walking through your home to see what you could do to make simple changes to your home so you can live your best life.
I hope these tips help you to make ordinary days into extraordinary days. Happy 2020!
