Make this the year you increase your pleasure in the home with resolutions which will get you inspired to finish lagging projects, learn new skills and add more pizzazz to your area. Sure, you can resolve to clear clutter (see number four under for a new approach to do that), but that’s not the only way to make a fresh start around the house this season. Let these 13 design settlements jumpstart your inspiration, then share your own thoughts in the Remarks section.
Amy Lau Design
1. Follow your heart, not trends. It is fun to keep tabs on what’s present in the design world, however when it comes to your home, remember you would be the trendsetter! Just because emerald green is one forecaster’s colour of the year doesn’t mean you ought to shun your treasured muted pastels. Let this be the year you keep true to you.
studiodetro.com
2. Mark your calendar to get a big flea market or antiques fair. A great way to get motivated is to attend a well-run antiques fair or major flea market, such as Brimfield at Massachusetts, Round Top at Texas or the Alameda Point Antiques Faire in Northern California. Pencil at the date and invite a design-loving friend to go along.
Best & Company
3. Broaden your style instruction. If a house project has you feeling frustrated or just uninspired, learning from the experts is a great way to get unstuck. Subscribe to get a design workshop, and read more decorating books, design blogs and ideabooks.
LLC, sheila Rich Interiors
4. Define the function of each room. If clutter is something you’d like to undertake in the new year, this can be a handy way to approach the problem. Going room , think of what you really use every part of your house for — watching movies and reading in the den, for example. Make sure that everything you have to do those things is at hand, and get rid of anything and everything unrelated.
More manuals to decluttering
Iris
5. Create a mood board. Get out your scissors, tape and heaps of dog-eared style mags, pour yourself a cup of something yummy to drink and put aside an afternoon for crafty fun. The online world is wonderful, but sometimes the physical act of cutting and pasting images can spark ideas that simply don’t occur as you are staring at a display.
Create a place for inspiration to flourish
Four Chairs Furniture
6. Offer your front door a facelift. When was the last time you gave the front door a second thought? It contributes a great deal to the first impression people have of your home. Is it in good shape? Can it use new hardware? A brand new colour? Look at adding something new, such as new potted plants in hefty urns to flank your entrance, a stately door knocker or contemporary house numbers.
AM Dolce Vita
7. Refresh your toilet. The beauty of a toilet makeover is that it takes so little to make a big impact. Splurge on fine hand soap and lotion, and place them in a small tray in your own sink (you can always refill the bottles with your typical stuff when they are empty). Snip a fresh bloom and float it in a bowl or cup, provide your sink and mirrors a fantastic scrub, and select out a stack of new, fluffy white bath towels.
IKEA
Melltorp Dining Table – $69.99
8. Personalize a plain piece. Instead of letting that plain white or wood piece play a supporting role, turn it into something special with a creative touch. Customize a plain table by having a piece of glass cut to fit the top and using it to display a lovely printed wallpaper, cloth or even gift wrapping. Paint the legs of a stool, then cover the back of a bookcase in grass cloth or burlap, or line your drawers with pretty paper.
Caitlin Wilson Design
9. Have something created just for you (and your house). Whether you dwell on your forever house or are renting your first apartment, using something created especially for you makes your room your own. There are a lot of wonderfully creative options available these days for personalized items:
Order a custom calligraphy-style address stamp.Commission a home or pet portrait.
Have your monogram put on pillow covers or towels.
Have your home amounts caked onto cocktail napkins.
Create a DIY monogram with stencils or iron-on letters to get a budget-friendly job.
Meg Padgett
10. Learn a new skill. In case you have not yet hopped on the DIY bandwagon, let this be the year you give it a go. Pick an area that appeals to you and search for tutorials online (read about reupholstering a chair seat here), pick up a book, or search for a local course or workshop to begin.
Schranghamer Design Group, LLC
11. Place your table at every meal. This is one of those small customs which can wind up making a massive difference in your everyday life. The setup doesn’t have to be elaborate, but commit to setting out actual glasses, plates and silverware, and cloth napkins, along with something extra, such as a vase of flowers, placemats or a tablecloth — even if you’re experiencing takeout.
Webber + Studio, Architects
12. Tweak the light. Lighting can make an wonderful difference in our experience of an area. For every room in your house, count the lighting sources — target for at least three but rather more. In case you’ve got overhead lighting, then place the fixtures on dimmer switches and nutritional supplement with floor and table lamps.
David Vandervort Architects
13. Purchase less but purchase better quality. I know it’s not always possible to purchase the things we have our hearts set on, but we can set a target to never fritter money away on furniture that can fall apart within a year or decoration purchased on impulse. Should you have your eye on a special piece, consider keeping a picture of it where you will see it regularly (like in your telephone ) as a reminder to save up for that which you actually want.
Inform us What home settlements would you prefer to test in 2013?