THIS WEEK’S HOT TOPIC TO TAME IS: THE LIVING ROOM
Welcome to Week 4!
I hope that you are getting into a routine for the kitchen by doing the dishes and cleaning off the counters each evening (Week 1) and getting into a routine regarding entering and leaving the house (morning and evening routine) (Week 2). And I also hope you are enjoying your entertainment center as well (Week 3).
To stay in the living room so we can continue working on the public spaces, lets look at the flat surfaces - the coffee table, the end tables, and any other flat surfaces (other furniture pieces, floor, etc.). Our goal is to eliminate clutter, organize any remaining items, and ‘homify’ it (make it yours with decor).
Let’s Go!
As with each project or section of the house we do, the steps and process are the same.
THESE ARE THE BASIC STEPS FOR PROJECTS (WHETHER BIG OR SMALL):
1) Remove contents
2) Eliminate and consolidate
3) Organize likes with likes
4) Return to space (organizing product optional)
So Let’s Break It Down Step-by-Step
1) Take everything off every flat surface (coffee table, end tables, other furniture, piles on the floor, etc.). Everything. If needed, set up a card table to put everything on. Clean your surfaces to have a fresh start.
2) a. Gather items that belong in other rooms. Put them all in a laundry basket then do one delivery. Think children’s toys, laundry, papers. b. Eliminate (or call it purge or declutter or toss) anything expired, broken, not ever going to be used - be ruthless. Discard or give away duplicates/triplicates. Now is the time to thank an item for doing it’s job and then send it on its way. Think old newspapers and magazines. c. Consolidate where applicable.
3). Look at what is left. Keep likes with likes. For example, if you choose to have a couple of ‘coffee table books,’ keep them stacked together on the coffee table rather than one of every surface. They will make a bigger impact.
4). Put things away. Use the proper container or storage item. Think a large basket for extra blankets or a small basket for remote controls. Or the proper size bin for current magazines.
5) “Homify’ and make it yours. Now is the time to display treasured pieces. Add a pretty object that has meaning next to the lamp on the side table. But be careful, you really want to have white space and not to clutter your flat surfaces back up. More is not necessarily better. For example, one large object makes a much bigger statement than 7 little tchotchkes. Choose the best of the best. Or perhaps grouping 3 similar items from a collection together as that will make a bigger impact than if those three items were in three separate areas.
And you are all done!
I’ll use my living room (a work in progress!) as my example.
On the end table on the right, you can see that beside the lamp I have a vintage globe. Just one thing. If I had many things on there, it would feel cluttered and the other objects would detract from the globe.
Also of note, I actually don’t have anything (GASP!) on the little round table between the two chairs. Call me crazy! But since I don’t have anything in mind for that little space for the winter, I will leave it empty and clean.
Oh, and before I forget…. Definitely take before and after pictures! It’s neat to look back and see how far you’ve come.
So there you have it! Another week of gaining control of your life. One step at a time.
Let me know how you are doing! What is working for you? What tips or tricks have you discovered that you want to share?
Blessings,
Melissa