These days, finding your way in day to day life is a challenge that demands every ounce of energy you can muster; even more so this time of year. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and all the rest rushing on past in the weeks and months after.
During the holiday season people will drive themselves super crazy unnecessarily. Family and friends visiting push you into taking on tasks put off earlier in the year. I know some feel the need to make everything perfect and beautiful no matter the cost or stress involved. I marvel at the home improvement projects I see others take on this time of year.
I say stop the madness! Take a step back and look at your surroundings very closely. See the forest through the trees. If your need to nest feels uncontrollable, I recommend the following design baby steps to reduce the stress factor.
1. Clean all your windows. This one task will make your home look like a million bucks, especially during dull days if you don’t live in constant sun. A professional window cleaner is very affordable and will cost way less than ripping out a wall or adding more stuff to your space. Make them sparkle.
2. Choose a space you think everyone will be spending the most time in and start there. Take a photo of your room. What do you see? EXACTLY! Start by paring down and editing so that you can add things back in a little at a time. Do you really need all that stuff crowded in with people AND decorations?
3. Now, if you must bring in new stuff, look outside of your very very clean windows and use some of those colors in nature you see. With a few pillows, maybe a new set of window panels or roman shades you can refresh the space with a very small budget and no installation headaches. Bring in some live plants. If you don’t have a green thumb by all means add silks but very sparingly. Make sure they are good quality with deep colors, otherwise what’s the point?
4. Forget about the new shower and sink at the moment. Add some fresh white towels and a crisp new shower curtain. Again huge change, little cost. Same goes for your guest rooms. Why torture yourself?
These few baby steps will slow you down a bit and help you make better design decisions when things die down and you have the time to really choose wisely. You will feel better, your spaces will welcome your guests and your wallet will thank you! Splurge on gifts and your table instead, that’s more enriching and that is what your friends and family will remember most.
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