There's something about spring that gets us in the mood for change – a sense of energy and vitality that creeps up on us. Scientists even have a name for it: spring fever. Perhaps that's why this is such a good time to give your home a once-over and freshen it up for the new season.
Declutter
Start your transformation process with a good clear-out, getting rid of anything you’ve allowed to build up over the last year (or more). Before you begin, be sure you have plenty of sturdy rubbish bags or boxes ready for anything you decide not to keep, and labels so you can keep track of where each one is destined.
Tackle one room at a time so that you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed. Take everything out of cupboards and drawers, and sort it into piles – keep, bin, mend, donate and sell. Be ruthless. Have you used it in the last year? If not, get rid of it.
If paperwork is your clutter problem, consider going paperless. Do you really need the manual that came with your toaster? Or those old home-interiors magazines that you thought might come in handy for “inspiration”? Naturally, there will be documents that you need or want to keep, but do they have to exist in hard copy? Scan as many as you can and then get rid of the originals, using a shredder for anything that contains confidential information.
If you’re still struggling with the idea of downsizing your quota of possessions, try making the whole thing into a game. There are all sorts of good ideas out there, from the “365 less things” challenge, where you give away one item every day for a year, to the “12-12-12” challenge, which involves finding 12 things to throw away, 12 to donate and 12 to be returned to their correct place (again, do this regularly, and it will soon add up).
Once you know what you have left, it may be that you need to reconsider the way things are stored. Just because you’ve always kept your plates in that particular cupboard or your socks in that particular drawer, it doesn’t mean they need to stay there. Spend some time considering the most efficient and practical places for your belongings to live.
Clean
While decluttering, you may as well give everything a good clean, especially those storage units you’ve emptied. Before you put the “keep” items back, give shelves, drawers and cupboards a good wipe down with a damp cloth.
This is also a great time to tackle those cleaning jobs that don’t need to be done every week but definitely shouldn’t be left longer than a year. Move furniture – the sofa, the fridge, etc – and vacuum or dust beneath them. Give the oven a thorough clean, too – you can always get a professional in to do this if your heart sinks at the mere thought.
If you have carpets, why not consider hiring a carpet cleaner? You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make. Likewise, you’ll really notice the change if you get your curtains dry-cleaned. Sofas and mattresses can be vacuumed, and be sure to use this opportunity to turn your mattress, which will increase its lifespan.
A handy tip for kitchen cleaning is to fill a pan with a couple of inches of water, add several lemons (chopped up and squeezed into the water to release the juice), then allow to boil for a few minutes so steam fills the room. It will make it much easier to get rid of the grease that can build up on kitchen surfaces.
Don’t forget outdoor chores, too. Give garden furniture a good scrub, hire or buy a pressure washer to get stone or brickwork back to its former glory and tackle the barbecue. You can also clean windows, shutters, walls and anything else that looks like it could do with freshening up after the recent dust storms.
Restyle
Your home will now be looking so much better and, with the hard work out of the way, it’s time to get creative and make the most of your newly clean and clutter-free space. Refreshing your decor for spring needn’t involve a complete makeover. There are plenty of small changes that will update your look with very little hassle or expense.
Sometimes it’s a case of replacing something small but significant. Changing cushion covers, for example, can give a bed or a sofa a whole new look. Likewise, new lampshades are an easy update; or why not change the knobs on a chest of drawers or the handles on kitchen units?
Rearranging things also helps create a sense of freshness in a room. If you have open shelving units where you’ve displayed a collection of treasures – photo frames, vases, knick-knacks and so on – consider redoing the collection with different items. After all, chances are you’ve got so used to the old lot that you barely notice them any more. In the same way, you can swap out artwork or replace photos in frames with new ones to shake things up a bit.
If you’re willing to make a little more effort, consider an upcycling project. If a piece of wooden furniture is looking a little tired, for example, a coat of paint or varnish could bring it right up-to-date. There are some great techniques you can use to add interest, from lime waxing to distressing and crackle glazing. You can also reupholster textile-based furniture – or get someone to do it for you.
Decluttering, cleaning and restyling your home might feel like a lot of effort, but the results will be worth it. And just think, once you’re finished, you’ll be done for another year.
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