Establishing Your Home’s Personality – Day 4

Let’s talk decor for a moment.

I know what you are thinking. You want to know what in the world home decor has to do with a clean house, right? I’ll tell you. It has everything to do with it.

First, the more “stuff” you have the more you have to clean. You have to take a step back and evaluate the things you own and ask yourself, “do I like this enough to clean the dust off of it every week?” If your answer is yes, then keep it. If not, put it in a box to donate, sell, or relocate. Remember though, if you relocate it you are still going to have to clean it where ever it is.

Next, consider whether or not your current decor is appealing to you. If it isn’t, then you are less likely to be motivated to clean it. While most of us cannot afford to do a complete remodel or hire an interior designer, we can do little things that make our homes more appealing and enjoyable to us.

It took me years to figure out what my “style” was. Most of what I had when I first got married was hand me down decor or things I bought because it resembled the style I saw in other people’s homes. The things I filled my home with were a reflection of someone else’s style so I set out to find mine.

I sat down with a stack of magazines and started tearing out pictures of what I was drawn to. Pinterest would also be a great tool for this. After going through each magazine I noticed that what I loved seemed random and I was unable to fit it into one particular design style. Then I realized it was okay to be a combination of styles. I am drawn to a style that combines French, vintage, and cottage-country. That was my starting point.

Slowly, I replaced my belongings with things I loved. I shopped sales, resale groups on Facebook, yard sales, Craig’s List, thrift stores, and anywhere else that I thought I could get a good deal. The effects were astonishing. When I filled my house with only things I loved as opposed to things to fill walls and shelves, I took much better care of the house as a whole. And it felt more like home.

Finally, mix things up a bit. Don’t confine your items to their traditional roles. Canisters can be used in bathrooms. Dressers can be used in dining rooms. Using your items in ways that go against the norm creates interest and great appeal. When you find your home appealing you are much more likely to want to clean her and pamper her. Why? Because that means you get to sit back and enjoy it!
To read the other posts in this series: 31 Days to a Clean, Fresh Nest.

For more blogger’s participating in the “31 Days” series visit Nesting Place.