Revitalize Your Home - Part 4
If you’ve been following our series on Revitalizing Your Home, congratulations, you’ve made it to the fourth and final stage! For those of you just joining us, or if you need a quick refresher, here’s an abbreviated synopsis. We started this journey in Part 1 by guiding you to complete a quick evaluation of your space and giving you suggestions on implementing quick fixes with impact. Part 2 focused on color schemes, flow, walls, floors and ceilings and in Part 3 we discussed floor plans and room arrangement with a focus on functionality and accessibility. In Part 4, our final stage, you will critique your wall art, accessories, and storage.
Let’s start with art.
Throughout our lives we collect pieces of art. Some pieces you will love for a lifetime, others may capture a moment in time or place, and yet others may have been selected to complete a room and have no emotion attached to it. All of these are good! But, from time to time it makes sense to take a look at all of it to to see if changing the art might have an impact that helps us feel refreshed and excited about our home.
Sometimes, simply moving the art around your home makes it feel fresh and different—it adds a spark—almost as if it is new. Other times, we may have lost the love for certain pieces and are now ready to bring in something new. If you designate art that you are going to retire, give away, or donate to a good cause, the next step is to investigate sources for new art. Determine a budget for this investment. Are you looking to invest in a piece you will keep for years or do you just need to finish off a gallery wall with a simple wall hanging. There are lots of sources from online, galleries, and stores to asking another professional for advice as to what will really spice up the space.
Next up are the accessories.
The same attachments hold true when we talk about accessories. Perhaps you picked it up on a special vacation, maybe you had a favorite color for years and carefully selected items in that hue, or you may have even curated a very specific style of accessories to decorate a room. Sometimes we hang on to something because someone special gave it to us, which is admirable if you really love it. But after a time, as you are looking to update or refresh your home, you need to take an inventory of these items and consider what to keep or donate.
With accessories, sometimes less is more. It is also useful to use odd numbers when placing them. This is another area where a professional can come in and help. A professional will look at your space with a different eye than you do, and if you give them permission, they will move things around, take things out and it can almost seem like magic! You will be amazed at the difference this can create.
Lastly, don’t forget the storage.
Approach this area with some caution—be careful not to overdo it. Space for storage can become costly, so think carefully about what you truly need to store and why. Just because you have an item doesn’t mean that you still need or use it.
Ask yourself these questions:
· Will you be using it again? If so, when?
· Will you be donating it in the future? If so, when and to whom?
· Will you be gifting it to someone at some point in time?
· If you are not sure, then put it in a place that you will revisit in 6 months to a year (and mark your calendar!) and make a decision about it at that time.
This is great advice that I don’t always follow myself, but would be great if I did! For all of those items that make the cut for storage, you then need to figure out your options, which can include closets, built-ins, open shelving and cubbies, ottomans, armoires, cabinets or dressers. Don’t hesitate to enlist a professional to help you whittle everything down and get suggestions on the best options for storing what you keep.
Whew! At this point you have thoroughly reviewed all aspects of the rooms in your home and covered all the important areas. Hopefully you feel good about what you have done. You made some changes. You have decided on some areas that need more attention and have determined when you will attack those. You are on your way to a revitalized home! Now it is time to relax, enjoy and “Love the space you are in!”
As always, your local Decor&You decorator would be happy to help you through any part (or all) of the process. Simply click on the Find Your Local Decorator button below to find a pro near you.
