Property
your Load
Lightening
ing:
e-Clutter
D
I
t may take an hour, it may take a week,
however much or little is needed, it is
you who will ultimately benefit from your
homes detox. Choose a day when you have
plenty of time and open up all of the windows. Next let’s tackle the clutter. Instead of
thinking of this as a chore, think of it as the
1st step towards your new improved home.
In the case of de-cluttering. Less is best!
As we are all accustomed to seeing our
homes a certain way, day-in, day-out we
become blind to the unsightly clutter hiding its best features. If you could walk into
your home as it is now, and see it for the
first time it would be like putting on a pair
of spectacles. You would probably see the
pile of shoes, coats, bags, keys or post in the
entrance. The mountain of old magazines
and newspapers in the lounge. The bursting
wardrobes, failing to contain the clothes that
may return to fashion. You would see the
chemist contents collected in the bathroom
and the unused gadgets in the kitchen.
If you don´t use it – loose it!
Many books have been written on clutter
and the effects it can have on our lives and
I am sure that most of you will agree that
when you do get time to re-organise and
clear out your blind spot, be it your car,
handbag, garage, top drawer it leaves you
with a sense of wellbeing, of achievement, of
pleasure.
In order to detox your home and get ready
for the summer sunshine, open your front
door and take a good hard look at what you
see. Your entrance should be as light and
welcoming as possible so that you always
feel happy to be home. If your lighting is
not correct, it may be time to change your
light fitting or clear the window contents. Try
changing your window dressings to something light and airy like a sheer and buy
some fresh flowers to lift your spirits.
Look at your living room from a new angle and make sure that your furniture is
arranged correctly, if all your furniture is
placed around the walls you will make it
look smaller and uninviting. Whilst paying
attention not to obstruct any doors or passage ways, re-arrange your furniture to
08 | Choice Options
create and define specific areas, such as
reading, dinning or even watching TV. If you
have shelves or bookcases make sure that
you have not over crowded them, thin them
out and let them breathe. It can be a good
idea to have a special storage box for your
decorative objects. This will enable you to
change your displays to suit the season.
•
Your dinning area needs ambience
and this can be achieved with lighting, mirrors, linen and artwork.
•
Next take a look at your kitchen,
most could easily afford to lose a third of
their contents. Focus on your fridge, remove
magnets, photos, notes and menus from
your fridge door; this immediately creates
a cleaner more spacious feel. Clear your
surfaces and add a pretty bowl of fruit, some
fresh herbs or flowers and some nice new
colourful linen. New door handles or knobs
can make a huge difference if you feel your
kitchen is looking tired.
•
If you have a utility room that has become a chaotic place then it is time to take
action. Have a good clear out and if necessary invest in some extra shelves, wall racks
or cabinets.
•
Is your bathroom feeling a little dull?
New fluffy towels will make a huge difference and if you feel inclined to give it a
bigger boost, changing your taps, mirror
and lighting will give it an instant update.
Your window dressing should be simple and
clean, remove any curtains and add a blind
or change to opaque glass. Think of your
bathroom as your personal Spa.
•
Your bedroom can easily receive a
facelift with the addition of new lighter and
brighter bedding and window coverings.
•
Put away the warm and cosy bed
throws and go for crisp white cotton or colourful creations that will bring the summer
into your home.
The main culprit of clutter in our bedrooms
has to be our wardrobes and the reason
that people with excessive clothing continue
to buy more is that they can’t find or remember what they already own. When you have
thinned out your wardrobes you will not only
have organised, spacious cupboards and
closets but you will save yourself
precious time when getting ready
each day. After you have De-cluttered your home take an objective
look and think about your colour
scheme. If you have any strong
colours or garish patterns, now
is a good time for change. Walls,
floors, curtains and sofas are the
main culprits of colour chaos. If
you can’t change them at least try
to cover or tone them down.
Never use just one colour in a
room but no more than three accent colours to avoid a confused,
busy look. If in doubt about mixing
colours and which colours would
compliment each other, you could stick to a
monochromatic colour scheme which consists of various shades of only one colour.
You can also manipulate the size and shape
of a room, using colour. Darker warm colours shrink space while pale cool colours
expand. If your property was built before the
year 2000 then it probably lacks sufficient
lighting in most of its rooms. For correct use
of natural light, watch how it enters each
room on a sunny day. Make sure your windows are sparkli