Every so often, our spaces need a refresh. Whether the space’s function needs to change or just its style, a refreshed space makes a difference in our moods, productivity and overall comfort.
Before you start your refresh, ask yourself these two questions.
- How do I want my space to function differently?
- How do I want my space to feel?
After you answer those two questions, you also need to consider the budget. A refresh does not necessarily mean huge dollar signs. To help stretch your budget consider reusing items you already have and simply getting rid of items you no longer need. The new energy that can be generated by getting rid of things as well as introducing that ‘old chair’ into a different space is pretty remarkable.
To start the transformation, keep the answers to the first two questions in mind and follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Purge / Keep / Consider
- Donate items you no longer use to your local charity and throw away all garbage.
- All the items you need/want in your refreshed space should be moved out of the space so you can reimagine (and clean) your space.
- There are always a few items a quick decision on whether they stay or go can not be made. Place these items to the side for consideration later.
Step 2: Clean Your Space
no matter how tidy you keep your space, when you move everything out of it you need to vacuum, dust, and clean baseboards.
Step 3: Tackle any major projects
such as painting, wallpapering or building a new piece of furniture. Color sets the mood of a room, so make sure you consider how you want the space to feel when choosing color..
Step 4: Put it back together
Bring in the larger pieces first and then the smaller pieces and for goodness sake make sure everything you bring into the space is clean!
- Make sure not to simply place items returning to the space back into the same place they used to be.
- Think about moving a piece you have in another space into this space as part of the refresh.
- This is also the time to go back to your ‘consider’ pile. Bring the items back into the new space and see if they fit or if it’s time to let them go.
