The beginning of a new year can get you inspired to make changes or to do things differently. Read our ideas for resolutions to make this New Year a happier, more organized, and more beautiful year for ourselves and our homes.
- Get Organized
This first resolution is a great one, because even if you don’t get any further on the list, you’ll really feel that you’ve accomplished something, and you’ll appreciate it throughout the year. Clean out a closet,rearrange your kitchen cupboards, clear off and discover the floor of your garage. Organize a space and make room for what you need to do every day or every week, such as reading the mail, preparing bills, or reading. Next, make space for the things that you want to do—like cooking, crafts, or painting. Don’t be too grandiose in your plan, or you’ll get discouraged before you reach your goal. Let your organization solutions fit your budget -- large or small -- and you will feel revitalized and refreshed. Your space will work for you.
- Choose Your Style
If someone gave you $10,000 or $50,000 to redecorate your home, what would you do? Would you be stumped to decide even where to start? Or would you know exactly what you wanted and how to achieve that goal? To find "Your Style" gather ideas by studying decorating photos, magazines,TV shows, books, designer showhouses, and websites. If you don't know where to start, then take a style quiz, to refine your ideas. Tear out pictures, play with color chips, and make mental notes of things that really appeal to you, from china patterns and wallpaper to flower arrangements and rug designs. Keep your ideas and dreams in a design notebook. Then, when you're ready to decorate you'll have plenty of clues as to what you really love and want. - Live With What You Love
When you’re making decisions on purchases for your home, whether it’s a major piece or an accent, only bring into your home things you truly love. We’re not just talking about furniture or decorative pieces in a certain style. We’re talking about decorative elements that you want to live with. This resolution extends to color, texture, focal pieces, and collectibles. You’ll decide whether you want heavy drapes or light curtains, colorful walls or a subtle background, heavy mirrors or Chinese porcelain. How much better to have even one piece of something wonderful that you love than to have a whole house filled with humdrum pickups!
- Don’t Be Impatient! Wait for What You Want.
An empty space might be better than a wall filled with an impulsively-chosen piece of furniture or piece of artwork. Don’t buy something unless you really love it, or you might have “buyer's remorse” when you later find what you really wanted. Save your money for the "perfect armoire" or a "just right" dining room set, an oil painting instead of a poster, or a beautiful lamp rather than basic lighting. Don’t settle for something okay. You’ll find the pieces you love will be with you through your lifetime, and things you purchased on impulse will go out with the next trash. Buy with a sharp eye for quality, style, and function. - Reuse, Recycle, and Appreciate
The start of a new year is a good time to plan to economize. Use creativity rather than an unlimited budget to furnish or fix up your home. Be a savvy shopper and find bargains that turn to treasures with your own creativity. Don’t turn up your nose at used furniture. After all, used pieces become treasured antiques with a few more years. Scratches and dents provide a story, and an opportunity to fix and recycle. Fresh paint or refinishing helps you reuse a cast off. And with the work you put into these projects, you’ll discover a hidden piece to cherish.
To sum it up, why not resolve to make this year more beautiful for you and your home, more organized and efficient for your lifestyle, and more in tune with your own personal style? Happy New Year!
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