Since 2020, we have seen a see saw of change, from work commutes, to remote work, and back to hybrid models for the most part. During this time, people have had to transform their homes to make space for work without infringing on their personal and family times, or vice versa. Your home is fundamental to your wellness. So, how you decorate it, look after it, and what you allow in it or to happen within its walls matter when it comes to maintaining your vitality. Below are some steps you can begin to take and make your home your inner charge station.
1. Picture it! How do you wish to live and experience your home? Look through magazines, online home décor social media posts, or recall places you have been to that inspired you. The visuals that grab your attention say something about what matters to you. I recall watching The Home Edit on Netflix and really longing to create more space, order and functionality in my cabinets, closets and storage. I was so inspired I stopped to think of a better way to organize my kitchen shelves inside my cabinets. I ended up moving my emergency stash of canned goods and stored legumes in clusters and chronological order on a top shelf. I turned another top shelf into my kitchen appliances shelf, instead of having them scattered all over. I bought myself a small step ladder to safely access these items, instead of risking injury climbing up on the counters, and getting frustrated in the process. I did the same for my pots and pans. What I use most is front and center, rather than digging into the deep ends of my cabinets for them. This saves me time every time now, and allows me to enjoy one of my most favorite hobbies, cooking!
2. Make a wish list. When you can picture how you want to live and experience your home, you can begin to make a list of what you need and want. I needed a step ladder when I reorganized my kitchen cabinets. This took priority over the baking appliances I want and didn’t break my budget. Next to each item on your list, mark how important it is and how it will improve your life at home. Prioritize your list and tabulate the cost so that you can determine when you will be best to buy these items. This list will help you time your purchases and take advantage of any upcoming sales. This list will also help you determine where in your home you will be able to store or place these items, or whether you need to make room for them.
3. Take inventory. Yes, really, take inventory. Go through your cabinets, drawers, shelves, closets and storage and look around you to assess and re-assess what you really need to keep or let go. Do this every season to stay on top of any new accumulations. By decluttering your home space, you will be making room for the new meaningfully. I had purchased a Smart Garden to grow my own vegetables in my condo apartment but preferred to place it somewhere other than my kitchen counter. Like many condo apartments in Toronto, my space is small; I need to make good use of every inch. Fortunately, years ago I had purchased a somewhat tall antique cabinet and had asked the vendor to cut a hole in its back so I can store my media in it. While I no longer stored any media in it, I had stuffed it with items I no longer used for business. I realized that this cabinet is the perfect spot for my smart garden. So, I donated many of the books I kept in it and moved some of my files elsewhere to make room for my smart garden. There is enough space for it and my stock of pods, a hole for the plug wiring to go through, and doors to keep my cats away from my greens!
4. Budget! With life getting more expensive, transforming your home also means doing so with peace of mind. Financial stress is a leading cause of anxiety and depression. To enjoy your new purchases or home transformation, it is imperative to do so with financial responsibility. Otherwise, you will be defeating the purpose of the home transformation. So, as mentioned above, next to each item on your wish list, note down the best price you can get it at and time it right. While you wait out the next purchase, get creative and think of new ways to accomplish what you would like to in your space. Look at how I managed to save myself from buying a whole other shelving unit or cabinet for my Smart Garden by transforming the one I already had. Not only did I save myself money, I saved myself from cluttering my space with more stuff.
5. Get creative. For every item on your list, see what you already have that you can use instead. Maybe, what you have can be transformed with a little help from your local hardware store. One of my decorating clients treasures her old antique sideboard but at the same time wants to refresh and modernize her living/dining room within her budget. I proposed new and modern looking brass hardware for her sideboard; an easy and economical fix she completely embraced to allow her decorating budget to go even further in transforming her living room.
6. Set healthy spatial boundaries. While tablets and wi-fi are making it easier for us to work from anywhere, many of my decorating clients are trying to create a separate, comfortable and inspiring space for their remote work in their home. When space is limited, the priorities set above become increasingly important in how the space is used. In small condos, the den is typically that extra room that can be turned into an office, a guest room or combination. There is no one right answer for everyone. There are, however, many options. Such as, having a sofa bed, day bed, or trundle in the living room for guests, and keeping the den as an office; that is if you don’t want to be reminded of work when you are trying to relax or entertain in your living room, or having multiple screens in your living space just isn’t the style you are going for. Room dividers can also help create that healthy boundary you need and come in many forms (plants, shelving units, decorative screens, etc.), especially for those without that extra room to use as an office. You get to decide what boundaries you need and how to create them to be able to enjoy your home whether you are working in it or not.
Comments