A New Year, A Fresh Start

Are you feeling 'blah' about your decorative surroundings? Feel like you need to try something new? Typically, the beginning of a new year brings on these feelings and more. With the start of a New Year, you look around your surroundings and decide, 'This is the year for a fresh start'. Then, you ask yourself a few basic things; ‘How do I start?’, ‘Where do I start?'. Do you then become overwhelmed and quickly defeated?

Start. Just the word can evoke strong emotion. There is always so much that you want to get to and starting just one room takes some planning and thought. So, I find myself really taking a good look at the room. I think about what I want the room to be. Maybe it just needs a deep cleaning. This alone has worked for me many times. There’s something about a freshly cleaned room…

If you are completely changing what the room has been to what you want it to be, then EMPTY it. Yes. Empty it and begin with a clean slate. Own your decision. Will it be a dining room? TV room? Bedroom? Will you be repainting? Adding an accent wall? Hanging wallpaper? Then start.

Maybe you aren’t completely changing the room out. Maybe you just want to make it look like you did. So, take that really good look at the room again and you’ll see what shouldn’t be in the room. Start there. Pick up anything and everything that doesn’t belong in that room and take it directly to where it should be: dirty laundry-laundry basket or room, dishes-in the kitchen(sink or dishwasher), etc.

From there, begin to edit the items in the room. Look hard at every item in the room and if it doesn’t make the cut to stay in the room, do 1 of 4 things with it; donate it, sell it, store it or trash it. It’s hard to ‘let go’ of things that you have an emotional tie with, but remember you are going for a fresh start. Having less in the room will open it up and make it look bigger too!
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Rearranging the furniture is next and the key to getting your new look. Flip the furniture to the opposite side or take out a too-big chair. Buy new bedding or lamp shades. Add or take away a throw pillow or 2. Edit and organize that book shelf. Take down many small wall items and replace with one BIG piece of wall art. Remove heavy window coverings, replacing with sleek blinds or sheers. Small changes will help you end up with big results!

I hope you’ve gotten a few good tips to help you begin your fresh start in this new year. Maybe you need some more help to get the results you’re looking for. Click here to check out my website to fill out the Contact Me form. I’d love to help you ‘DouxOver’ your room or home this year!​​