The trend toward minimalism and decluttering has led many to a rather spartan way of living. If you prefer things to be a bit more plush but don’t want a lot of stuff, you can still enjoy a beautiful home. Color, light and moving air are all wonderful ways to freshen and beautify your space.
Use Color
If you don’t want a house that’s all one color, do try to stay within one family or tone. For example, if your living room is a warm tan with a lush brown or rust carpet, stick with warm beiges and creams through the rest of the house. If you chose a pale grey for your living room, stick with white, cool blue and other misty shades throughout the rest of the house.
For those who like painted trim, make sure you choose a color that can easily be touched up if it gets scuffed or dinged. A custom trim color can be pretty, but if you can’t easily replicate it you’re facing either a lot of work or a ding you can’t fix. Because baseboards and door trim can easily get banged up, be ready to touch up when needed.
Create Filtered Natural Light
No matter the view outside your home, having something on the windows can help you feel secure. Use simple sheers to filter the light coming into your home. If you love a more vintage look, lace drapes are a lovely addition. For those on a tight budget, consider using a loose weave cotton, such as tobacco cloth, as a sheer drape.
If you need to add more coverage, keep things as simple as possible. Tabbed curtains over a plain rod that are long enough to cover the bottom of the window without touching the floor will make cleaning easier. For those who love bold curtains, or if your windows are not uniform in size, create a hanging line for your window coverings that matches all the way around the space. Tall curtains can create a sense of elegance.
Set the Stage for a Single Item
Inside your home, choose your focal point. If you have an open concept space, you’ll have flat surfaces all around you. Choose just one of these spaces for an eye-catching flower arrangement, glass sculpture or figurine. Leave the rest of the space wide open. Invest in an air purifier that you can discreetly tuck away to reduce the amount of dust that will build up on these surfaces.
Make sure that other flat spaces are completely cleared away. If you have a spot on your kitchen island where mail piles up, invest in a hanging wall basket where you can contain all this paper until you can deal with it. Don’t let things pile up on tables, cabinets and counters.
Go No Maintenance on the Exterior
Vinyl, steel or metal siding with wrapped vinyl windows means that you can wash but won’t need to paint your home. You can put in low growing ground covers or artificial grass in Orlando or your particular locale to reduce the time you have to spend mowing. If you do want live plants outside your home, skip digging the garden and put in pots loaded with one vigorous plant.
Use Technology
Even if you have a vintage sofa and love Victorian lace, invest in a robot vacuum. program it to run around your home every night and wake up to barefoot clean floors. Program your nest thermostat on your phone so you can make sure that your home is comfortable and cool as soon as you walk in the door.
Remember to decorate with sound as well as color and light. If work has you stressed, come home to some Mozart piano thanks to Alexa. For those who like popular music, create a dance mix to boost your energy in the morning.
Conclusion
Your habits can also make your home much easier to manage. Don’t leave clothes sitting in the dryer. Make your bed when you get up. Put dishes in the dishwasher as soon as you’re done eating. Finally, before you bring home anything new or new to you, carefully consider how you will feel about this item in a month. Will you be enjoying it every day, or will you be frustrated because it’s in the way?
