Simple Ways to Change the Enviornment In Your Home

Hey there! So you want to spruce things up in your home? I totally get it. Sometimes we can lose ourselves in the things we keep. One day you have a spacious living room that sits your whole family comfortably and then the next thing you know, you have a cluttered mess! Well, if you are looking to change your surroundings, the best place to start is by cleaning your old mess.

• Begin with those old storage boxes in the closet, storage area, etc. A good rule of thumb is to get rid of anything you haven't used in 2 years. Most likely if it has been that long, you will never pull it out of storage (even though you keep telling yourself you will).
• Invite a friend to help you get rid of stuff. They can be a great person to help you decide what is worth keeping and what's good to give away or trash. Remember that they should be someone who doesn't live with you. They have to have an unbiased opinion about those questionable curtains you bought when you first got married and never used for example.
• Don't put too much pressure on yourself though, some items are definitely worth keeping such as family heirlooms or that beautiful figurine you bought while traveling. If it gives you joy in your heart and it means the world to you, keep it (and hey once everything is done you may want to take it out of storage and show it off). But if you feel impartial about it, THROW IT OUT.
• Finish one room before you begin the other. If it doesn't belong in the room you are in, move it to where it belongs, then when you get to that room and it still doesn't work. Get rid of it.
• Make sure to dust the curtains, wash your windows and clean the mirrors. This makes a huge difference in the lighting of a space
• If you have done this and are ready to move on... let's do it!

When you walk into your home, what do you see on the walls? Does the paint color accentuate the feeling you want in the room? For example,

• Light gray is associated with a more modern and open feel when paired with white trimming.
• Tans and browns make a room feel cozy and comfortable.
• Blues stripes tend to open up a room (blues give off a cool feeling), if running horizontal-the room seems wider. When the stripes run vertical-the room seems taller.

What about your pictures? You can go one of two ways with picture frames. The first is to have the same frame for every picture (in various sizes) or you can be more creative with different picture frames in different shapes and sizes but in the same color scheme. See the pictures to the right for examples.

• Frames that are the same color and shape give an elegant and organized look..
• Different metallic frames add color and reflect brightness to the room
• The way you organize your photos also makes a difference
• Savers tip: use the frames you already have and spray paint them yourself

Curtains!!! You can always change your space with different curtains by changing the color, texture, style, length or thickness (changing the amount of light coming into the room). Maybe even add shutters to the outside of your home for a different look as well.

There are so many DIY ideas out there on how to change your flooring.

• If you can't afford changing your carpets, then spring for a large rug in the color you like. Adding designer looking pieces to your floor can also change the environment in your home.
• Have tile in your kitchen? What about changing it to wood? There are cheaper ways to create the wood look besides using actual wood flooring, such as laminate wood flooring. It's cheaper, but also looks great!
• Another option is to change the color of your already existing wood floors. Such as refinishing them with a darker color.
• In the kids room or play room, adding a colorful playmate can bring life to the room, adding a fun and exciting feature.

Here are some ideas that I came up with in my own home.

• I added plants of different types in my living room and placed them on a small side table next to the window. They add color to a normally one colored space. Besides, plants use Carbon dioxide which is the product of us breathing and creates oxygen in the process. I always love a home with plants, because I honestly feel like they don't have that musky or dust smell when you walk in. My favorite plant is my basil plant. It smells amazing and I can't wait to use the leaves in my cooking.
• I have to admit I love wine. Moscato is my absolute favorite! So instead of wasting the wine bottles when I was done with them, I decided to reuse them. So what I did was put my granular items like sugar, salt, and coffee into them. I used permanent marker to name them. To make it fun I used multiple fonts all around the bottle. See picture. I colored the cork and reused it as the lid. Make sure to thoroughly wash the bottle and take off any labeling before you place anything inside ((I have also seen people create chandeliers out of old wine bottles so keep that in mind also)!
• I haven't bought them yet but I plan on getting table mats. I just bought a new kitchen table and am trying to think of the color I want for my dining room. But table mats can add color to your dining room. Base the color off of any color in a photo already hanging on the wall to tie everything together.
• I bought these cute pink storage containers at Target to hold my small items like nail polish (I have tons of vials) and another to hold my makeup. I use another to hold our mismatched socks until I'm ready to go through them. But you get the idea a bunch of small stuff + storage container = organized.I made sure to throw away anything I hadn't used in awhile, even with the socks. Pairs I couldn't find I threw away.