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Get set for the New Year |
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Do you ever notice that it’s much easier to relax and unwind if your home isn’t “cluttered”? Psychologists have found out that the state of one’s house has a large influence on the person. So, as the New Year approaches, why not de-clutter, redecorate and revamp your space?
Redecorating doesn’t always require a lofty budget. You can give your space an entirely new look without spending a lot of money. By rearranging furniture, eliminating clutter, and switching accessories between rooms, your house can be reinvented to look effortlessly designed and to better suit your family’s lifestyle.
Flexibility – as in seeing lots of things in your home as moveable or transferable – is another element. It could be something simple and basic, like propping framed pictures against walls so they can be shifted about easily to refresh a space.
For an easy and quick revamp, focus on de-cluttering and then adding stuff you can to redefine your interior with minimal efforts. The Week gives you a few tips that you can try out as you gear up for the New Year.
Throw out stuffs you don’t need
Don’t be clingy and sentimental about things you haven’t used in the past year. Throw out chipped décor items and accessories that are adding to the visual clutter. Throw away old magazines, donate books that you won’t reread, and give away clothes that you haven’t worn for quite a while. The key is to make space for new things by giving away the stuff you don’t use anymore so that when you add something new, you won’t be crowding your space.
Reupholster your furniture
You don’t have to buy a new set of furniture to give your space a new look. Replacing your pillow covers and reupholstering your sofa cushions can have refreshing effects. Search your drawers for scarves, tablecloths, or even pillowcases that compliment your color scheme. You can use things you already own to soften a dresser top or the edge of your nightstand, or perhaps lay a pretty shawl over the armrest of a sofa or at the foot of a bed. Opt for pastel colors while choosing the fabric as it has a soothing effect. It may be a little hard to maintain but with regular dusting, even light colors can be kept clean.
Photo Courtesy: Arjun Shah
Use candles and dried flowers as décor items
Candles are a decorative item that many people forget to use. White ones are the most sophisticated, but grouping colored candles can create a soft focal point on a dresser or end table. Group candles on a shelf in odd numbers and try different heights.
Dried flowers can be clustered together in vases and even trays and are easy to maintain. Place a bunch in a pretty vase on the bedside table in your bedroom or at the center table in your living space.
Add indoor plant/s
Look around your house to see if one of your existing plants can be taken inside, and then move it there. An indoor plant will add some life to a mundane setting. For containers, look into your kitchen cupboards. Old teapots and cups, glass bowls, even baking dishes can make unique containers.
A pleasant smell in the air
During winter, our homes become cold and there’s that smell in the air that you come to associate with chilly months. If you don’t have any potpourri or incense in the house, cut up some orange peels and allow it to dry, and then mix with whatever sweet spices you have in your cupboard. It only takes a pinch of cinnamon or any other spices. Place your potpourri in an open bowl in any room to freshen the air.
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