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When you’ve lived in a place for a while it can start feeling a bit dull and jaded. Sometimes the answer is moving house, but often the place you’re already in is the ideal spot and you just need to figure out how to make it feel special and fresh again.
The argument for staying put is especially strong if you have kids settled in their schools and have a supportive network of near-by friends. Or even if you live close to your work or shopping, and you get on well with the neighbours.
If this is you, but you’re fed up with your current four walls, we have some tips to help you fall in love with your home again.
Do Some Furniture Flitting
Moving the furniture around really can put a spark of newness in a room. Here are some things to try:
- Experiment with different seat groupings in the living room and put the TV on a different wall or in a different corner.
- Move your bed to the opposite side of the room.
- Push your desk out from the wall, so you sit with your back to the wall instead of facing it.
- Change the angles of furnishings, and the angles they’re at to each other. You only need a small change to completely alter the look of the room.
- Pull the sofa away from the wall. This can make a room feel bigger as it seems the wall is further back. It might not work if your room is tiny, but it’s worth a try.
- Rearrange lamp placements. They’re the same lamps but having them in different places creates a sense of newness.
If you decide to flit things around, give yourself plenty of time because experimenting with different layouts can be surprisingly absorbing – and tiring.
Blitz the Clutter
Battling clutter is an ongoing challenge. With the best will in the world, muddles creep in. Making a clutter-busting date with the house on a regular basis can help keep things under control.
If you simply have too many possessions to live with comfortably, consider finding out about self storage to help you create space at home. Some people like to rotate their things by season, keeping summer stuff in a storage unit over winter, for instance, then swapping things around as the seasons change.
This strategy has a couple of advantages. First, everything feels a bit new and fresh when you retrieve it after a few months, whether it’s clothing, seasonal furnishings, or hobby items. Second, it gives you some breathing space if you can’t decide if you want to keep an item or not. How many times have you got rid of something only to regret it a few months later?
When you’re decluttering for the first time, take it easy. Go room by room and pack what you’re not using into boxes. Trying to do it all at once can create even more of a muddle than you started with, particularly if you start moving items from one room to another.
Hang New Art
Having beautiful pictures or photos on the walls not only freshens up the ambiance of a room, art can also affect the way you feel, boosting your spirits and reducing stress.
If you’ve got artwork tucked into cupboards that you’ve never got round to hanging, make displaying it a project. And if you’ve got hanging art that you’re bored with, go and find something new. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Just look for a piece that speaks to you in some way, then hang it somewhere prominent so it gives you a regular little lift.
Don’t forget art in the bathroom. Pop a framed print above the toilet or over the towel rail.
Freshen up the Décor
Simple changes to décor can have a big effect. Try one or two of these ideas:
- Buy a new rug for the hallway, dining room or hearth.
- Invest in a cosy, comforting throw or blanket for the sofa.
- Get new cushions, or cushion covers.
- Replace tired curtains.
- Upgrade your bedding with new sheets, a runner, or a few extra pillows.
- Create an accent wall. Just decorating one wall in a room can lift existing décor.
- Bring in a few plants. Greenery or blooms can have a magical effect, brightening dark corners or lending a bit of structural height if your furnishings are all on one level.
- Paint or replace your front door, and if there’s room, add a bit of extra welcome with a couple of large pots of flowers or shrubs.
There are lots of ways to make your home feel like new again, and maybe something here has sparked an idea or two of your own.
Often, it only takes a small change, whether that’s decluttering with self storage or hanging a new picture or two. You really don’t have to build an extension or knock walls down – unless you want to, of course.