When you spend more time in your home, it becomes more and more difficult to ignore those little jobs that need doing around the house.
From clearing out those pantry shelves, to finally starting that little herb garden, there’s no time like the weekend to tackle a mini project or two. An organised home can help increase productivity and get those creative juices flowing.
Tick these five home improvement jobs off your list.
1. Organise Your Shelves
Image via Pinterest | Ombiaombia
Starting with some of the most visual spaces in your home is great way to feel organised and accomplished in a short space of time. Clearing the clutter off your shelves not only will makes your home look more visually appealing, but if gives you the opportunity to step back and think about what you really want to add back.
Living Room Shelves. These are typically on full display, so it’s worth spending some time taking everything off, giving the shelves a clean and then work on your styling process. Remember to group items and not spread them out evenly, as this creates points of interest. Arrange your books by colour, and by size. And work with height. If your objects are shorter than needed, add a few books underneath to give them some extra presence.
Bedroom Cupboards. While I prefer to hang my clothes, shelves (and drawers) are still necessary, and I’m pretty obsessive about how they are arranged and kept tidy. Naturally everything is gourd by category (jerseys, gym tops etc). All clothes are folded so that the fold is visible to the front of the cupboard, and all clothes are arranging by colour, from darker shades at the bottom to light ones at the top. While you don’t need to go that far, a simply fold and tidy exercise will have a big impact on your mood when you are getting ready in the morning.
Kitchen and Pantry Shelves. Out with old stale food in half opened packages is your first step. Decanting is something I got into for many reasons. I much prefer the aesthetic of opening my kitchen cupboards and seeing beautiful jars holding my food. It also encourages bulk purchasing for dry goods that last, which is usually more cost effective and it keeps the contents fresh for longer.
2. Paint a Wall (or Two)
Image via Whatbbuilt
Never under estimate the power of paint. Our walls are hard wearing prone to lots of wear and tear, and probably covered in a lot more dust, fingerprints and scratches than you realise. Even if you re not changing the colour, giving any room a fresh coat of paint can completely transform the room.
3. Start a Garden
Image via Gardenista
This has to be one of my longest running resolutions, with the most dismal results, so I hear you on this one. Luckily for me the housemate has taken over the role of landscaper in our home, and my kids are now truly invested in growing their own herbs and vegetables, that we can harvest.
It is ‘easy’ to start small, with little freestanding pallet that holds just three small plant varieties. It also allows flexibility if your garden isn’t set up for a permanent patch, and is less daily maintenance. Choose herbs such as rosemary and mint, which seems to need the least amount of care and attention.
For indoor spaces, consider window sills for smaller herb gardens and individual pots. These still offer a lot of personal satisfaction when you can actually use them in your cooking.
4. Decorate that Awkward Space
Image via Pinterest
Don’t left that corner spot in the room or under the stairs become the catchall for your general storage. If you really have nowhere else to store your items, consider brining in a screen to act as a decorative element and to help you hide the mess from sight.
Easy solutions for awkward spaces are benches (they look purposeful and stylish), a large indoor plant (which brings the area to life) or a statement chair (the perfect spot for those gorgeous chairs that either no one wants to sit, or you don’t want anyone to sit in). Depending on the location, you can also consider it the perfect place to hang an oversized piece of art. Instant style!
5. Organise your Home Office
Image via Bryantalsop
The top drawer in my desk is my “catch all” drawer. The one where I throw all my paperwork, receipts, floors plans, samples, basically anything that needs my attention, but not right now. I make a point to clear it out, or at least create a to do list for its contents on a weekly basis, so that it doesn’t start to overwhelm me.
This weekend make it your mission to clear out those drawers, file that paperwork and clear your desk top. You only need to do it once, and from then on it should become part of your weekly maintenance cycle. Your future self will thank you.
Looking around at the rest of your space, make note on anything that might need some work. Is your desk big enough now that you work from home full-time? Are the cables adequately organised? Is your chair comfortable? Do you work late at night and is there enough task lighting?
Nothing says self-motivated and ready to take on the year like an organised home office.
