The start of a new year (February is still feels new to me) offers a chance for reflection and renewal. In home decorating, renewal can be achieved by decluttering and rearranging existing furniture, artwork, and accessories according to your home's architecture, without buying anything new.
Declutter
Take a moment to define the purpose for the space and what you want it to be used for. Imagine the room after it is organized and how it will make you feel to help motivate you through the process.
Next, gather all necessary supplies before you begin. This may include boxes or bins for sorting items, trash bags for items that need to be discarded, cleaning supplies for dusting and wiping down surfaces. Having these items on hand will streamline the process and minimize interruptions.
Emptying the room of all items. This means removing accessories, artwork, lamps, electronic devices, bookcases and furniture, decor, and furniture. As you do this, it’s helpful to categorize items into three main groups: keep, donate/sell, and discard. Examine each item and ask yourself: Do I need this? When was the last time I used this? This process aids in letting go of things you no longer require or use.
Collect all the items you wish to keep and group them by category (such as books, lamps, accessories, artwork, plants etc.). Group items by color or theme and keep pairs together.
Dust and clean every corner, including shelves, baseboards, and windows. This is also an excellent opportunity to assess the condition of the room itself. If you notice any repairs that need to be made, such as patching holes in the walls or touching up paint, now is the time to tackle those tasks.
Once the room is clean and free of unnecessary clutter, begin the process of rebuilding the room.
Rebuild According to the Architecture
Take a moment to look at the empty room and study the architecture. What is the architectural focal point of the room? Is it a window or a built in bookcase? Notice the shapes of the walls? This is where the reflection starts to happen.
Start with the big pieces first. Place the largest piece of seating furniture (sofa) first to directly face a window or a focal point in the room. Is it possible to float the sofa away from the wall? If there are any angles in the room place the sofa to complement the angle.
Place the next largest piece of seating furniture perpendicular to the largest. This will create an "L" shape. Where these two pieces meet add and end table and a lamp. If space permits, place the smallest seating opposite this point in the room.
Add furniture like coffee tables, end tables, lamps, trees, bookcases into the "pockets" of the room. Add rugs.
Add the artwork to the walls no more than 4-6" above furniture. Match the shape of the artwork, or art collection, to the shape of the wall it is going on. For example, a horizontal piece of art looks best on a horizontal wall. A collection of artwork can follow the angle of a vaulted ceiling. If artwork is not above furniture, hang it at eye level.
Fill in with accessories. Remember to work in odd numbers and keep like things together.
Shop from other rooms for "new" items that might function and work better in this space.
By following these steps you’ll build an enjoyable space by using what you already have.
Here are some examples of rebuilding according to the architecture.
I hope you learned some new tricks to renew your space.
Happy rearranging!
Sandra
Spence ReDesign
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