Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels
Chances are you spend a lot more time in your home these days than you used to. While your space doesn’t need to look like a showhome, it should do more for you than merely provide a roof over your head.
Like the Chinese practice of Feng Shui holds true, your environment has a very real impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Injecting your personality into your home and making it into a space that works for you can reduce your stress levels, making home a more pleasant place to be. Here are four ways you can create the home of your dreams.
Pick decor that aligns with your style
While you can make big changes to your home by painting your walls or changing your flooring, little changes to the decor of your home can have a big impact.
Over the years, many people collect decorative items that were either stylish at the time or were gifts they felt they had to display out of courtesy. While it might feel uncomfortable to let some of these items go, starting fresh will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Once you have a clean state, get on Pinterest, and start exploring!
Display prized possessions
Which items in your home do you have an emotional attachment to? Go through boxes to find items with sentimental value and make a point to display them instead of keeping them hidden away. Whether its a book you bought from an antique shop in Paris or a handmade decorative bowl from your trip to Brazil, displaying these items front and center will remind you of the great times you had and the meaningful memories you made when you acquired the item.
If you’re struggling to find a place to display your items, it might be time to upgrade your furniture. Pick a style that will really allow your special items to shine.
Try the KonMari Method
Decluttering is one of the best ways to turn your space into a retreat. Developed by organizational guru Marie Kondo, the KonMari method is a simple guide for tidying up your home.
Instead of finding ways to store all of your belongings, Marie Kondo encourages her clients to reduce the number of items they have by keeping only those items that ‘spark joy’. At the end of the process, you will be left with an environment in which you are surrounded only by the things you love.
Rather than tidying up one room at a time, the KonMari method stipulates that tidying should be done according to category and in a specific order:
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Clothes
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Books
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Papers
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Komono (Miscellaneous)
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Sentimental items
By starting with the easiest category and ending with the most difficult, you’ll get practice differentiating between items you’re keeping around out of guilt and items that actually make you happy.
Match your home to your lifestyle
Although you want your home to be beautiful, it also has to be functional. What’s functional for you may not be for someone else. Sit down and make a list of the things you need your home to do for you. If something isn’t working, brainstorm ways you can change it.
Maybe you need lots of space to exercise, but doing it in the shared space of your home isn’t ideal. Could you trade that massive bed in the guest bedroom for a sleeper sofa and work out there instead?
Remember that your home isn’t meant to look like anyone else’s; it should be just as unique as you are.
Love this. As a realtor, you’d be surprised how often I get asked about what looks good or not. I’ll be using some of these tips with my clients. Thanks!