I like to swap out throw pillow covers (so easy to store during their 'time out') and rearrange art and framed photos. I am all for shopping your own home and creating a fresh look by using what you have in new ways.
Created a denim bar on an empty swath of wall space and purchased fabric bins and organizers for the shelves in my closet to beautifully tame all the sweaters and items there. The visual simplicity is so calming. Currently swapping all hangers for wooden ones!
Also purchased two small lamps for the dining room table to add layers of light to the room. I absolutely love them!
I retired a few months ago from years as a teleworker. I needed to reclaim my space from where I merely worked and slept to a place where I fully lived. It required a ruthless declutter and a deep spring clean, together taking 2 months to complete. Then new sofa, three works of original art from galleries purchased years ago finally framed, new bed, high end bed linen and pillows, shower curtain, futon cover, strategically placed down filled accent pillows, the top Wirecutter recommended vacuum, and houseplants (which I'm rather good at keeping alive and thriving). I added a few small things - electric kettle and frother (coffee addict with frother saving $16 a day on lattes at the local bakery), water pitcher, matches holder for matches for candles bought cheap in bulk, and a Tic Tac Toe board game to play with friends at lunch (admittedly a splurge).
Everything purchased was intentional, nothing spontaneous, all attractive, transforming, and useful. I now find myself living throughout my space rather than relegated to my grungy study. Music and faintly scented candles fill the apartment and open windows push out stale air. I developed a cleaning strategy that works, morning and evening routines that I look forward to, and a commitment to write three days a week, doable without drudgery or the desire for procrastination.
All told this was a transforming undertaking. My home now serves as sanctuary rather than workplace. Maintaining it is a joy. I am delighted and so are my friends, a charming and comfortable place to entertain, a serene place to live. I don't suspect there's another major new thing I will require for months, if not years.
I just purchased some new OXO expandable drawer organizers for the kitchen. I didn’t realize how fresh the kitchen would feel even though drawer organizers are hidden away for the most part. And adding them didn’t break the bank!
We needed a new TV years ago and I really wanted the Frame. Basically, the guy at the electronics store talked us out of it because it was "outdated technology" (at the time-circa 2019?) and we'd get a better picture for less money with another TV...fast forward 5 years and I was still dreaming of the Frame. I loathed the big black rectangle on my wall. We bought it and I love it. The picture isn't maybe as wonderful, but it's a minor difference. And I do miss being able to adjust the angle of the TV into the room more, but it's worth it. I love the art we can have it on (my husband is an art teacher, so bonus points there!) as well as the framing on it-you can even find other frames on Etsy! I like the simple one we chose from Samsung. We do the subscription because we enjoy mixing it up frequently. It's a little thing that brings me a lot of joy. And I'm hopeful that the relatively new TV we have in the basement will be used in the future in a workout space as I stream workouts.
We've been in our house 20 years, with a major whole house refit 16 years ago. I have had itchy feet for a few years but we decided we will stay till the adult kids leave home. We always said we would move before we needed to overhaul the house again but the kids are taking their sweet time in moving out! So far we've replaced a few kitchen cabinet doors, repainted some rooms and put a new roof on the garage!! I tried to change things up with some new throw pillows and blankets for the sitting room.... but really we need a new couch!!
The main living area of my home is a hexagon, with a kitchen on one side and living/dining area opposite it. The ceiling are vaulted with fake beams, and in the center is a never-used fireplace. (Don't ask.) Behind the fireplace is a wall of bookshelves, which have never had enough light to be useful.
Last year I installed three remote-controlled, battery-powered puck lights beneath each shelf. I need to install new batteries because the difference those lights made (and the restyling of the books and accessories) meant I wanted them lit all the time! It looks like a gallery shelf, and is one of the best small investments I've made in my home since I moved here almost 30 years ago. (The other, substantially larger investment, is a bay window over the kitchen sink.)
We repurposed a larger over-the-sink mirror for our very small bathroom. Of course, while we were at it, we cleaned and repainted the room. One thing always leads to another....
Our laundry room needs more light. A new fixture is in the works.
My newest updates are new bookshelves and overhead lighting in my office, so I don‘t need to look at my workstuff while I am on parental leave.
Many museums for example the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam offer some of their older works in high resolution for free to use as you like. I‘ve used some of them for my the frame tv.
I like to swap out throw pillow covers (so easy to store during their 'time out') and rearrange art and framed photos. I am all for shopping your own home and creating a fresh look by using what you have in new ways.
Put pothos cuttings in a pretty vase with water! Bullet proof plant life!!
Created a denim bar on an empty swath of wall space and purchased fabric bins and organizers for the shelves in my closet to beautifully tame all the sweaters and items there. The visual simplicity is so calming. Currently swapping all hangers for wooden ones!
Also purchased two small lamps for the dining room table to add layers of light to the room. I absolutely love them!
Just got some new throw pillows, inserts, and a couch blanket! Fits the space much better and the new pop of color has been welcomed.
I retired a few months ago from years as a teleworker. I needed to reclaim my space from where I merely worked and slept to a place where I fully lived. It required a ruthless declutter and a deep spring clean, together taking 2 months to complete. Then new sofa, three works of original art from galleries purchased years ago finally framed, new bed, high end bed linen and pillows, shower curtain, futon cover, strategically placed down filled accent pillows, the top Wirecutter recommended vacuum, and houseplants (which I'm rather good at keeping alive and thriving). I added a few small things - electric kettle and frother (coffee addict with frother saving $16 a day on lattes at the local bakery), water pitcher, matches holder for matches for candles bought cheap in bulk, and a Tic Tac Toe board game to play with friends at lunch (admittedly a splurge).
Everything purchased was intentional, nothing spontaneous, all attractive, transforming, and useful. I now find myself living throughout my space rather than relegated to my grungy study. Music and faintly scented candles fill the apartment and open windows push out stale air. I developed a cleaning strategy that works, morning and evening routines that I look forward to, and a commitment to write three days a week, doable without drudgery or the desire for procrastination.
All told this was a transforming undertaking. My home now serves as sanctuary rather than workplace. Maintaining it is a joy. I am delighted and so are my friends, a charming and comfortable place to entertain, a serene place to live. I don't suspect there's another major new thing I will require for months, if not years.
I just purchased some new OXO expandable drawer organizers for the kitchen. I didn’t realize how fresh the kitchen would feel even though drawer organizers are hidden away for the most part. And adding them didn’t break the bank!
We needed a new TV years ago and I really wanted the Frame. Basically, the guy at the electronics store talked us out of it because it was "outdated technology" (at the time-circa 2019?) and we'd get a better picture for less money with another TV...fast forward 5 years and I was still dreaming of the Frame. I loathed the big black rectangle on my wall. We bought it and I love it. The picture isn't maybe as wonderful, but it's a minor difference. And I do miss being able to adjust the angle of the TV into the room more, but it's worth it. I love the art we can have it on (my husband is an art teacher, so bonus points there!) as well as the framing on it-you can even find other frames on Etsy! I like the simple one we chose from Samsung. We do the subscription because we enjoy mixing it up frequently. It's a little thing that brings me a lot of joy. And I'm hopeful that the relatively new TV we have in the basement will be used in the future in a workout space as I stream workouts.
We've been in our house 20 years, with a major whole house refit 16 years ago. I have had itchy feet for a few years but we decided we will stay till the adult kids leave home. We always said we would move before we needed to overhaul the house again but the kids are taking their sweet time in moving out! So far we've replaced a few kitchen cabinet doors, repainted some rooms and put a new roof on the garage!! I tried to change things up with some new throw pillows and blankets for the sitting room.... but really we need a new couch!!
Some great ideas that I am going to try
The main living area of my home is a hexagon, with a kitchen on one side and living/dining area opposite it. The ceiling are vaulted with fake beams, and in the center is a never-used fireplace. (Don't ask.) Behind the fireplace is a wall of bookshelves, which have never had enough light to be useful.
Last year I installed three remote-controlled, battery-powered puck lights beneath each shelf. I need to install new batteries because the difference those lights made (and the restyling of the books and accessories) meant I wanted them lit all the time! It looks like a gallery shelf, and is one of the best small investments I've made in my home since I moved here almost 30 years ago. (The other, substantially larger investment, is a bay window over the kitchen sink.)
Lighting post: [https://djmcneer.substack.com/p/to-guilt-or-not-to-guilt]
Window post: [https://djmcneer.substack.com/p/improving-the-view]
A good Kleenex box cover or a cute functional catchall dish can really make a difference. Those little tiny details do something for me 😊
We repurposed a larger over-the-sink mirror for our very small bathroom. Of course, while we were at it, we cleaned and repainted the room. One thing always leads to another....
Our laundry room needs more light. A new fixture is in the works.
My newest updates are new bookshelves and overhead lighting in my office, so I don‘t need to look at my workstuff while I am on parental leave.
Many museums for example the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam offer some of their older works in high resolution for free to use as you like. I‘ve used some of them for my the frame tv.