How to Unclutter & Decorate Your House
It is amazing how quickly your house can become cluttered, making it look neglected. Although it is harder to remove the clutter than it is to clutter your home, it is not as difficult as it might seem. As you get rid of the clutter, this is a great time to decorate your home as well. These two tasks seem to go hand in hand. There is no timeline, so don't feel overwhelmed and pressured. Uncluttering and decorating your house will take time, and it is not necessary to feel as if it must be done all at once. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Unclutter Your House
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Start small when getting rid of the clutter in your home. Sort through all of your belongings in specific rooms or even areas of a room. Create three separate piles. One should be for items you want to keep. Another should be for items you want to donate, and the last one should be for items to be thrown away. A good rule to follow is if you haven't seen or used the item in a year, it should be donated or thrown away.
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Create a specific place for every item in your home. Remember that every item should have a place and every item should be in its place. Use plastic containers with lids to store seasonal items. Be sure to label both the container and the lid. Consider adding the date that you use the items in the containers. This will help you know if you really need them the next time you unclutter your house.
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Add decorative storage to each of the rooms in your house. Hollow ottomans work well in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and even kitchens. This will also provide you with additional seating or tables. Place small plastic containers in the ottomans, each labeled with the contents. Ottomans used in the dining room can be used to store kitchen items such as extra linens, necessary but rarely used small kitchen appliances and the like.
Decorate Your House
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Choose neutral colors for your walls and furniture. This will make your home look larger and less cluttered. Neutral colors are easy to match with the accessories you use in your house. This will also help you to more easily sell your home when that time comes. Neutral colors make it easier for others to see themselves living in your house. Remember that lighter colors make your house look larger and darker shades will have the opposite effect.
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Give each of your rooms a specific purpose and decorate accordingly. Try to avoid having your home office in your living room or dining room. Section off a specific area with your furniture arrangements, faux walls or draperies when limited space forces you to "double up" on the purposes of one room. Use the guest room as a "multipurpose room." Add your home office or sewing/craft room there. Be sure to create storage for your office and sewing items so they can be easily removed when you do have guests.
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Keep it simple. Avoid using lots of accessories. This will make your recently uncluttered home look cluttered again. Keep the fabric you use simple as well. Avoid flashy prints, plaids and the like. Make sure your window treatments are not too bulky or heavy. Using bulky and heavy window treatments will make your rooms look smaller. Group small collections together to avoid having tables, mantels and counter space look cluttered.
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Tips & Warnings
Look for books on decluttering your home at your local library or online.
