Giving your home a makeover doesn’t always require knocking out walls and buying expensive furniture. Instead, all you have to do is some simple organizing and decluttering to make any room look fresh and modern. Clearing out the clutter is easier when you use these tips to start making space for your favorite furniture pieces and decor:
1. Utilize multifunctional décor
Multifunctional pieces are amazing for helping you to keep things organized while adding to your home’s functionality. Look for pieces such as storage ottomans where you can put blankets or movies inside without disrupting their use. Coffee tables that open up also make it easy to stash your remote controls so that you can find them easily.
2. Employ the 90/90 rule
Most likely, you have items in your home that you don’t use on a regular basis. If you’ve been holding onto rugs that just don’t work in your home, then it may be time to let them go. The same also goes for outdated curtains, sheets and clothing. If you tend to hang onto items for long past their useful life, then use the 90/90 rule. If you haven’t used something in 90 days, then plan to toss, donate or trash it. Letting go of items is often easier when you can find someone else that can use it. As you go through this process, be ruthless. Then, make sure that each thing you keep has a designated space for storage so that you can maintain your newly organized home.
3. Install wall and ceiling mounted lighting and storage
It’s amazing what good lighting can do to a room, especially when it’s not taking up excess floor space (i.e., floor lamps). Installing ceiling and wall mounted pot and track lighting can free up space and make a room seem bigger. Using vertical storage makes a huge difference as well in how much floor space you have in the room. As you work, think about how you can use a storage unit to manage all of the clutter. Then, consider using ceiling-mounted racks to hold seasonal items such as holiday decor or sports equipment. Wall-mounted storage is great for keeping your books, kids toys and other smaller items all in one place. Storing everything up high gives you the opportunity to show off that gorgeous flooring that you love having in your home.
4. Digitize your memories
While you may hang a large amount of artwork on your walls, you can bet that a large amount of your photographs are just sitting around taking up space. While you are working in your rooms, look for photos, certificates, photo albums and other pieces of memorabilia that you can scan and upload to digital files. You’ll not only reduce the amount of paper clutter that is overtaking your home, but you’ll also make it easier to share your special memories. For instance, you might decide to turn that vacation photo into hangable art, or you could decide to share your pictures from a work conference on social media.
5. Tackle one room at a time
Staring at a whole house that needs organizing is overwhelming, and you don’t want to get paralyzed by being overwhelmed. Before you start decluttering, take a moment to identify which room needs the most work and tackle it first. You can then work through each one while you fill up your dumpster rental with the items that you no longer need. Keep in mind that each room will have its own specific needs. For instance, you might need a closet organizer to get your master bedroom under control. Taking a look at each room individually helps you stay organized while you clean.