Considering how much time we’re spending at home these days, now might be the perfect time to focus on how to refresh your home. Sometimes our homes feel a little stagnant. We become bored with our decor, our favorite chair begins to show wear and tear, or we simply outgrow a particular color scheme. Most of the time we don’t need an expensive overhaul; a simple refresh will do.
Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.
how to Refresh Your home
As a creature of habit, I do a refresh within my home twice a day. In the morning, I open all the windows, burn some incense, throw-in a load of laundry, and peruse each room for any necessary tweaking — like dead plant leaves or grubby fingerprints on the walls. Before bedtime, I tidy each room and get the dishwasher purring. This daily routine might seem a little neurotic, but for me it’s become more of a holy ritual than a chore. It’s proven to serve everyone in the family well. I rarely hear, “Hey Mom, where’s my thingy?” –And I love going to be and awakening knowing everything is freshly in its place.
Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful.
-Hazrat Inayat Khan
I’ve found there are three essential layers to refreshing your home. You might not want to do this daily like me, but try to do it at least a couple of times per week to ensure things don’t get out of hand, causing you undo stress.
Layer 1 | Take inventory
Take inventory of your belongings and their placement within your home. Whether it’s a hand-me-down chair that irks you every time you walk past it, the dress in your closet you skip over time and again because it just doesn’t fit right, or wall art your mother-in-law gave you that suits her taste, but not yours — if you have negative feelings toward anything in your home, remove it. It’s so much better to have an open space than to fill it with random hodge-podge.
Layer 2 | Reconnect
One of the best ways to reconnect with your furniture, decor, clothes, etc. is to clean them. It’s not necessarily about the grit and grime, it’s about refreshing your connection with the energy it holds. Maybe it’s not the sofa you dislike, maybe you need fresh throw pillows. Maybe you’ve added too many tchotchkes to the bookcase and simply need to dust and pair them down. Or maybe a quick closet reorg will bring those unworn pieces to your attention. Sometimes we think we need big expensive changes when it’s the smaller details that simply need refreshing.
Layer 3 | surprise
Each room within your home should include something curious — a conversation piece. In our eating area I created a black + white gallery wall with photos of six generations. In our living room, I hung a painting of a Netherlands church from WWII where my grandfather was hidden from the Nazis. My great-great-grandmother’s 1924 Singer sewing machine is showcased in our entry. These heirlooms tell our family story. If you own some storytellers, dig them out, shine them up, and showcase them.
–Discover more inspiration on my Pinterest board | Gallery Walls.
Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love.
-Nate Berkus
the flow-down
Right now, a lot of our well-being is dependent upon creating a healthy space where we gather with our families, optimize our workflow, homeschool, eat, rest, and thrive during these uncertain times. When we implement a little domestic cleansing each day, it encourages positive vibes within our families, homes, and overall well-being. –And that, friends, is how to refresh your home. –xo
*Featured Image | Paloma Contreras
