We’ve all familiar with that January refrain: New Year! New Me! New Resolutions! New Plan! New Everything! We have all been gripped with that frenzy of energy that comes with symbolically kicking the last 365 days to the curb—only to be overwhelmed by everything that stretches out before us, waiting to be changed. While we can’t claim to holding the secret to following through on your resolutions, we can offer some guidelines on where to start, especially when it comes to making your home feel as fresh as the new year!
Easy on the Eyes
Photo by Jen Jones (I Heart Organizing)
Do you lose your line of sight as soon as you open the pantry? Looked at the same spot in your cupboards five times without seeing the thing right in front of your face? The human eye can be easily fooled; make it easier on yourself by upping the contrast and painting the back of your cupboards a different color. A slate grey or deep blue can offset white cabinetry perfectly, or a splash of bright red or yellow could be the missing pop of color to add some warmth and life to your kitchen. It’s a small project, but it can make a big, bold difference!
Paint It Black
According to Houzz.com, one of the hot new trends to keep an eye out for in 2018 will be matte black appliances and hardware. After the gleaming luster of brass and the history-rich luxury of aged gold and copper, all of which took hold as popular trends last year, the bold impact of a solid black surface will certainly make a statement. Similar to the effect of minimalist white interiors, a matte black finish soothes the eye and calms the feel of the entire room—but where white adds a feeling of space and light, black adds depth and sophistication. Re-finish some of your surfaces or hardware, or think about replacing your existing ones, and re-make your bathroom or kitchen into a suave, muted escape.
Things are Looking Up!
We spend a fair amount of time preoccupied with how to decorate the walls of our home: paintings, wallpapers, hip paint colors that shift from year to year, paneling and wainscoting, etc. But how often do we think about how we can add some personality and dimension to the fifth wall of any room—the ceiling? You would be surprised how much difference even the subtlest change to your ceiling can make to the overall atmosphere. Think about stripping your walls of their outdated wallpaper and picking a fresh design to decorate the top of your room instead. Add a few choice pieces of antique and vintage ceiling lamps or chandeliers to create character! Or if you’re looking for something a little more crafty, but not too strenuous, you can always follow the example of Atlantis Home blogger Judy Aldridge and install your own custom ceiling beams. The inexpensive project will instantly take any room from stifling and drab to something with dimension and dynamism.
Don’t Get Tangled Up
The longer you stay in one house—with your family growing and gradually making it your home—the more clutter naturally collects. Of course, most of that “clutter” is important and necessary for both practical reasons and sentimental reasons, but there is a fine line between keeping thorough records and keeping a hoard. Don’t get so caught up in re-organizing and beautifying your storage areas that you forget that not everything should make the cut. Before you think about how to transform a crowded office into a neat work station, consider first whether all of the folders on that desk are completely necessary. If your kitchen cabinets are looking overstuffed with mugs, maybe the solution is not installing hooks and finding creative new ways to stack them, but sending some of the old ones on their way to Goodwill. A fresh year isn’t just about building on what you have—it can also be just as beneficial and liberating to prune away the old growth and make room for the new.
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