Five Ways to Refresh Your Space Using What You Have
I don’t know about you, but for me, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect over this past year as we moved in and out of lockdown, and from what I’ve heard, so has everybody else in the world. It’s been a time of slowing down, simplifying and taking stock. Home cooked meals, home schooling, baking sourdough and bingeing Netflix. Spending so much time at home has had its advantages, it’s been a great time to take a look around at your current space and hit re-fresh. Sometimes we can breathe easier when the clutter is gone and our space is clearer.
So what is the best way to go about this.
Here are some tips:
- Take a photo of the space you want to declutter and re-fresh
I find this works brilliantly. For some reason it allows you to see what’s really going on. Suddenly we see the cat box in the corner, the crooked books and the piece of ribbon someone tied on the back of the chair that’s been there since Xmas.
A photo brings into focus exactly what you DON’T like about that space.
Here is a before photo of some of my kitchen shelves:
Once I took the photos and realized how bad it all looked, it was easier for me to identify the problem. Ask yourself questions like: Are there too many colours clashing? Could I make this space more symmetrical? Could I store some of this in a cupboard?
- Get inspired by beautiful spaces
Find an inspirational photo similar to what you are trying to achieve and try out some of the ideas. Ask yourself why the photo appeals to you. Is it the colours, textures, symmetry, tone? Is it the way they arrange everyday objects in an interesting way.
Take a look at Pinterest and Instagram for ideas.
- Clear the space
Be ruthless. Take everything down from the shelf or out of the space.
Its easier to work when things are out of the way and your eye is not being thrown by items. You can look at things critically and then build from there. Decide what you are going to keep, store, throw away and give away.
- Have fun!
Select the items you would like to decorate with and play around.
Here are some ideas:
- Colour code your books
- Decide on one colour and tone scheme. I used copper, cream and whites to give it a clean, fresh palette
- Don’t go out and buy new stuff. See what you can use in the house. Search in your cupboards. You might find your grandmother’s vintage bowl that’s collecting dust in the cupboard that would go perfectly in that space.
- Set up the shot
Take another photo and breath easier
Living in a clean space effects our psychological well-being - we feel happier and calmer. Once you have refreshed your space, pretend you’re doing a style shoot and take another photo. You may find even more things to tweak. Keeping the space clean will be much easier once you have put things in their place. It didn’t cost you anything and took very little time to achieve and yet looks much better styled.
Happy styling!