Neaten up, add color and other simple ways to spruce up your nest in 2009
Redecorating on the cheap: Cut the clutter
When looking ahead to home decorating trends, remember this color: mimosa. The warm hue –found in the flowers of the Mimosa tree and, of course, the cocktail –is touted Color of the Year for 2009 by Pantone, the global color-forecasting company.
But getting trendy is not the only reason it might be beneficial to add some yellow to your home in the months ahead.
Yellow is uplifting. It’s warm and cheerful. Just think of a pot of daffodils. Or a child’s drawing of the sun.
A splash of new color – yellow or otherwise –is one way you can make a change in your home in the new year, without spending a lot of money. There are others.
You probably know where THIS is headed.
“I think the first thing is to declutter, to edit the stuff you have. I know we don’t want to hear that, but getting rid of some of that stuff is going to make a big impact on your space,” says Kim Hazelet, a local interior designer and owner of Accentric, a home accent specialty shop at 1434 Hertel Ave.
Recycle. Donate. Sell. Pass along to someone else. For starters, decluttering is free. For another, post-holiday is a good time to begin because the decorations are coming down and everything is getting cleaned up anyway, she says.
From there, Hazelet suggests this: Instead of using lots of small accessories, choose a couple interesting ones that make a bigger impact. It’s also a good way to freshen up a room.
Choose a piece of artwork you really like and use that as a springboard for a couple accessories. Pick up one of the colors in a great vase and pillow or sofa throw, for example.
But make sure you are crazy about them. Remember these words from William Morris, the father of the Arts and Crafts Movement: “Have nothing in your home that is not functional or that you do not believe to be beautiful.”
Two other ideas: Add green plants to your home, Hazelet says.
And rearrange some furniture — even moving pieces from one room to another.
Here are some other ideas and upgrades to make in your home for 2009:
• Take control of cord clutter. Jumbles of loose cords from your TV, computer and other home electronics and small appliances look messy. They also can be dangerous, as anyone who has tripped over them knows.
Gadgets include clips, bundlers and more. Oxo Good Grips makes a clip for appliance cords. Or check out the Container Store Web site, containerstore. com.
For some before-and-after ideas, visit Real Simple magazine’s Web site, realsimple.com, under the “Home & Organizing” heading.
• Liven up your dinner table: If it’s in the budget, invest in some great dinnerware — such as Fiesta in bright colors, suggests Susan Reedy Jackson, an East Aurora interior designer.
“The color can really put a punch into your dinner time,” she says.
Even a few colorful accessory pieces can brighten meal time. (And they do not have to be new. Try thrift stores, estate sales, your mother’s attic.)
Another idea from Jackson, who runs Reedysign Interiors: Buy some magnetic paint, tape off a square in the kitchen, apply it and then paint the section any color you want.
You can use it to hang your children’s artwork, schedules, etc.
• Upgrade your lamp shades. It makes a huge difference. Experiment with different shapes, sizes and colors. It’s a great way to breathe new life into an old lamp.
Be sure to bring along your lamp base to “try on” various shade styles. None of this guessing stuff. And you don’t have to replace all the shades in your home at once.
For retailers, check the “Lamps & Lamp Shades” heading in the Yellow Page section of the phone book.
• Upgrade your soap. That’s right. You wash your hands often — at least you should — so why not treat yourself to nice soaps and a pretty dispenser or dish?
Do the same at the kitchen sink.
• Set up a home office/drop zone: Keep clutter at bay by setting up a multipurpose work station near your home’s entry, suggests Better Homes and Gardens. This is the spot where you will hang your purse or briefcase, charge electronic devices, and store paperwork.
Some of BHG’s suggestions to incorporate into the space include an A-to-Z file box for school information and other materials you need to get to frequently; charging station (use a pretty small tray to stow your phone, BlackBerry or iPod); a catch-all for pens; S-hooks for keys, and a purse hook (a robe hook on the side of your desk will work).
At the very least, create a single place for all incoming mail — a basket, drawer, decorative box. That is where the mail goes every day. Not on the chair in the hallway one day. The kitchen table the next. Anyone who breaks this rule does not get to eat off the new dinnerware.
Designate a place for car keys, too. A row of hooks by the back door is cheap yet brilliant, as long as everyone uses it all of the time.
• Indulge in new bath towels: Again, it may not be in the budget now but if your towels are looking shabby, save up for some new ones.
Wrapping yourself in a big, fluffy towel is a good way to start the day.
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