Instead of cleaning, decorate
Trying to maintain both a beautiful interior, and a neat and organized home, can be a daunting endeavor. One of the worst mistakes that you can make when planning the design of your residence is to arrange it in such a way that your decoration actually gets in the way of maintaining tidiness. Some set ups may lead to the accumulation of messes, actually working against the home maker. It is, however, possible to arrange your home in such a way that it will naturally lend itself to organization, and will make the job of home maintenance a little easier.
There are two kinds of messes that can mar your home; dirt, and clutter. Dirt, along with dust, grime, and mold are the sickly substances that attach to walls, collect under furniture, and stain windows. Dirt is something you want to completely eliminate. For this, you should always plan your home's design around expediting the cleaning process; making the elimination of these unhealthy substances as easy as possible.
Clutter, on the other hand, is made up of items that you own, and is simply a result of them not being put in their proper place, or worse yet not having one. For this, your plan should be to develop a home with a flow in which objects will almost naturally end up in their proper places.
CLUTTER
Maintaining organization is the key to a clutter free home. Some clutter is simply trash, and should be eliminated as swiftly as possible. This often includes old mail and outdated magazines. The easiest way to deter the build up of expired clutter is to integrate a trash can into the room's décor. If it is a room that doesn't lend itself to a trash bin, you can be creative with your receptacles. Almost anything from bright plastic containers, to elegant carved wooden chests can be used, especially if it will only be used for dry items. A good place to find fancy antique bins at a great price is a yard sale. Containers can be used as primary garbage cans, or can be used as a staging area where trash is deposited initially, and is then later transferred into a larger container.
Most clutter is made up of possessions that you want to keep. Generally your strategy should be to find a way to funnel these objects easily into a proper place. To do this you will first need to assess what your problem clutter is. These are the objects that constantly turn up in the wrong spots, creating that messy look. The type of clutter you have is usually determined by the room you in and what its purpose generally is.
Once you have assessed the problem objects, you need to develop a system of categories for the different kinds of clutter in the room. An easy way to do this is to divide the items based on the container where they will go. For instance, all paper goods go in drawer A, all plastic goods go on shelf B. Categorizing these objects in this way will greatly expedite the cleaning process, whenever clutter builds up. Try to avoid being too specific; create broad categories that will be easy to remember and find. You can even try placing tasteful labels on the containers, in places where they can't be seen such as inside of a drawer or on the back of a shelf.
The kind of container you use to store your items will be a major part of your decorative set up. Shelves are great for display items. They use the height of the room so they don't take away from traffic flow, they allow the items on them to be displayed in a highly visible manner, they allow you to categorize items based on the different shelves, and their height protects the higher-up objects from children. Drawers are perfect places for useful items with little decorative value. Cabinets work for temporarily displaying items. Opening the door will reveal your beautiful collections, creating an almost instant transformation in your room.
The neat and tidy look of your possessions, lined up in their proper places, and displayed in tasteful receptacles, is a kind of decoration in and of itself. A setting in which everything is in its proper place will speak more to the quality of your home than almost any piece of décor that you can buy. Even the plainest white room will take on style when filled with shelves of decorative items, curio cabinets, and elegant furniture drawers.
If toy clutter from your children is a problem, get them involved. Place a brightly colored container in any room where toys messes occur, and explain to the child that this is where any of their toys go. Get them to help you clean up a few times, and eventually they will start to understand the concept. You can even turn this into a game, timing how fast they can get all of their toys picked up and into the bucket.
DIRT
Dirt is more difficult to organize around than clutter. The grime that builds up in your home will accumulate more based on the occupants of the space and their actions, than on any design you implement. However, by planning your interior accordingly, you can create a setting that will expedite the removal of the dirt in your home, and make cleaning less of a chore.
The first step in this job is the removal of clutter described in the first half of this piece. Once you have removed the clutter from an area you will notice an almost imperceptible increase in "flow" in the room. Flow is simply the ability for people and objects to move through a space. By increasing the flow in a room, you will make it easier to get to and remove dirt.
You should make sure that none of your furniture is blocking any other furniture from the rest of the room. Tables are often the problem here, being centerpieces in many areas, and may have to be repositioned in lieu of convenience. Windows too should be left with as little in front of them as possible; you don't want to have to lean over a statue or plant every time you want to wipe one down. A possible exception is windows that are higher up, and may benefit from having a piece of furniture beneath them which you can climb on when cleaning. However, you should always use caution when climbing on any object that was not intended for this use.
Placing your furniture on rollers, or positioning them so they can easily be placed on furniture coasters, will make it less trouble to clean underneath. Do not store boxes beneath your furniture. This may be the only way to eliminate clutter however it also becomes a difficult place to clean, as you will have to bend over, move the boxes, clean, and then replace them. Rarely seen closets are a much better place for box storage.
Interior design is not a static art; it is a form in motion. Your home should be constantly evolving towards a perfect version of itself. You should always be searching for the right balance between decoration and ease. If you consider the properties of dirt and clutter in a room, before repositioning objects and items within it, you will save yourself a lot of annoyance and effort in the future.
Joey Lewitin is an author, artist, and designer of home décor accessories made from imported stone. His line of Unique wall clocks in stone can be seen at http://Pebblez.com/clockbeautiful.html
Or if you don't use anchor text
Joey Lewitin is an author, artist, and designer of home décor accessories made from imported stone. His line of unique wall clocks in stone can be seen at http://Pebblez.com/clockbeautiful.html
If you've ever seen Frank's decorations on TLC's Trading Spaces,... Read More
Perhaps you are a vendor who would like to begin... Read More
With so many types and brands of water softeners to... Read More
Many people are not aware that the air inside our... Read More
Decorating your home and office can be a challenge if... Read More
I love burning candles and have them all around the... Read More
There are several world renowned wood stove manufacturers that make... Read More
Among the varied accomplishments of it's inventor, the lamp was... Read More
It's fun taking something apart and putting it back together... Read More
Like the storied countryside of England, grandfather clocks from that... Read More
When we talk about scents it could refer to a... Read More
Kitchen island design ideas not only include choosing the right... Read More
Discount bathroom vanities can be found in many places, some... Read More
Room Air Purifiers Room air purifiers replaced tabletop units in... Read More
If Josiah Wedgwood were alive today, even he would be... Read More
The living room is the setting which will blend the... Read More
We all take a certain pride in the interior of... Read More
At one time, ceramic tile was only for the wealthy.... Read More
With unlimited possibilities available, table top fountains can add understated... Read More
You can add some splash to your kitchen without spending... Read More
One of the most beautiful, versatile and efficient accessories that... Read More
The blades of a ceiling fan make all the difference.... Read More
There was a time people thought the world was flat.... Read More
In interior design, the blinds found on windows and doors... Read More
Massage therapists are in high demand. Consumers recognize the physical... Read More
Lighting for seniors requires attention to some specific details. When... Read More
Some people have a natural artistic ability when it comes... Read More
FIVE EASY STEPS TO DECORATING ETHNICNEW YORK, NY - With... Read More
Fitting new couch slipcovers is a great way to instantly... Read More
One of the easiest ways to accent and decorate your... Read More
As a decorator, I have gone into many different homes... Read More
Ah yes the good old Tin Can. The tin can... Read More
Upholstered armchairs and sofas are comfortable and attractive additions to... Read More
Its summertime and the livin' is easy or at least... Read More
If you love animal prints or have an exotic theme... Read More
Should I buy silk plants and flowers for my home... Read More
Probably not on its own, but its an excellent example... Read More
Budget decorating. You see this phrase a lot but what... Read More
We all take a certain pride in the interior of... Read More
Not just food for pandas or the stuff of cheap... Read More
Antique glassware needs a gentle hand. This month we'll give... Read More
The beauty and warmth of granite makes it an ideal... Read More
Ceiling fans sell at a wide range of prices. They... Read More
The basic belief behind Feng Shui is that there are... Read More
Christian art is wonderful for inspiring us. Cathedrals and churches,... Read More
Are you looking for that special something to turn your... Read More
If you are looking for durability and easy-to-maintain features in... Read More
I spent a recent weekend curled up with a stack... Read More
For picnic tables, decks, porches, patios, and sidewalks, decorators are... Read More
It's fun taking something apart and putting it back together... Read More
Since there has been a trend in recent years towards... Read More
The Mathmos Color Bubble is made by Mathmos - the... Read More
If you have a breakfast bar or wet bar in... Read More
Every part of the world has its share of natural... Read More
Now if your children are like mine they want to... Read More
One of the most crucial elements to consider in building... Read More
For those who want the warmth of wood, but are... Read More
The bathroom may be the hardest room to decorate. Its... Read More
Looking for the most impact from a small decorating budget?... Read More
If you would have your rooms interesting as well as... Read More
Roman shades are inexpensive and elegant window treatment to block... Read More
Woven wood shades, also known as bamboo shades, are a... Read More
In order to help give a room a classier touch,... Read More
Candle making can be a fun creative hobby. It can... Read More
A duvet is a type of bedding, similar to a... Read More
Butcher Block Table - A Working Piece Of FurnitureA butcher... Read More
Interior Design & Decorating |