"Uniquely You From Old to New"

Hello 2023!!!! Are you one of the millions of people who make a New Years resolution - spend more time with my kids, read more books, get up earlier and of coarse the BIG ONE - get in shape. (You know all the things.....change my diet, exercise more and dry January)

Have you ever thought setting a goal for your home? It doesn't have to be huge renovation project or purchasing tons of new furniture. It can be very simple things that change up your home and make it flow better for the way your family lives.

Declutter, Minimize and Organize

After Christmas, I do not know about you but I do not even know what the day of the week is. Seems like from December 25th to January 1st the days all run together. Once I get my head on straight it is off to get Christmas down and declutter and organize. Start small and move toward the larger projects that will take more time. I start in the kitchen and get all the decorations from Christmas down. This makes a place where it is clutter free. Gives my brain space to breath and the incentive to keep going. Take some time to go through your decorations and get rid if anything you did not use or know you will not next year. Get a box in your home and as you go through room to room place those items for give away to friends or to donate.

Now your mind will wonder as you are doing this if your like me. Try to stay on task and not decorate your kitchen as you are taking it down. You want to start with a clean slate. You are in the process of minimizing what you have out.

Moving on, I go through the house and gather up all the vignettes of decorations and organize them by category. Get them all packed up before heading for the all those ornaments on the trees. I tackle the small trees first and leave the large tree in the family room for last.

I label each tub with a label maker so I know exactly what is in it. Also, when I throw away decorations that have become too tattered or worn, I make a list so I know what I need to replace for next year. Christmas 2023, I will need some new garland for our outside space since I threw away our old one. It got a little charred from our fireplace in Oklahoma. LOL

Decluttering, minimizing and organizing makes gives your decorating eye a break and you can physically see your home. This makes it easier to decorate or make a decision to do a larger project like paint your room or purchase new furniture.

Removed the ornaments and touches of snow winter greenery and just left my berries, florals and some winter greenery for a refresh in the kitchen.

Winter Refresh

Even though Christmas is over we are still in the midst of Winter. So do not pack away the velvet and furry pillows yet. To keep our house cozy over the winter months I keep out the soft furry blankets, the velvet pillows and all the things that remind me of winter. They make my home have that cozy homey feeling as the temperatures outside are cold and sometimes we get a that soft white blanket on the ground..ya, know what I am talking about SNOW.

Pinecones can be used around the house for touch of texture and large bare branches from a beautiful vase. Maybe a bowel of fruit and sprigs of green just to spruce up your kitchen. I usually keep out like evergreen sprigs and white berries for seasonal touch. They are neutral and can be kept out all winter. Maybe a bowel of fruit and sprigs of green just to spruce it up. Placing candles throughout your home during the winter gives it a little sparkle too. I usually keep winter decorations out like evergreen sprigs and white berries. They are neutral and can be kept out all winter.

During winter the house is minimal so I can focus on projects that I know I can only do inside. Before you know it it will be Spring.

Pine Cones, Magnolia Leaves and touch of gold in a marble bowl for a minimal look for winter.

Pause and Take a Minute

Now do not be in rush like I said before as your getting things put away. Pause and look at your clean pallet after taking all those Christmas decorations down. This is a time to take an assessment, especially if you are looking to make some changes. If you are thinking of repurposing a room (ex. turning an extra bedroom into an office or changing your living room into a conversation space and bar area) or using the things you love in a different way.

Just moving furniture around makes you feel like you have a totally new home. So, enjoy the clean pallet for a week or so.

Now it is time to brainstorm and that means looking for designs you love and find the common elements. I love to search in books and also on line. Pinterest and Instagram are full of wonderful pictures and DIY projects. Even if you are hiring a designer, it is important to know what styles you favor.

Basic white furry pillows and velvet for a pause before Spring.

Make A Plan

One of the mistakes you can make in decorating your home is not to have a plan. We head out to Home Goods and see all the wonderful new decor and we love it all. We remember seeing that bowl or decor item on Instagram and everyone had it and I need to have it too. Here is where you need to stop yourself and make a plan.

Starting with a plan will set you up for success every time. You are purhasing things with intention and not just adding to things that really do not go together. It always gets me excited when a design board comes together from the paper to the actual room. Being patient is the key too. The plan will take time and does not come together like HGTV.

I hope this helped you as we head into the new year. They are points that I have to remind myself too. I get over excited and want to tackle it all. Decluttering, minimizing and organizing your home gives you a sense of accomplishment. Refreshing for winter makes an easy transition to move onto taking that pause after Christmas that we all need. This all leads you to the making the plan. So, for the next blog post we will talk about implementing that plan. Happy New Year Friends.

DESIGN BOARD PLAN

Here is a Design Plan I made for a client for redoing their powder room. It all starts with a plan and vision. Can not wait to show you how this all turned out.