9 Ways to Transform What You Have

Organization expert Mridu Parikh, of Life is Organized, joins us today to show how bringing a creative eye to your home may give you the “renovation” you’ve been looking for!

Mridu:
One of our indulgences here at StyleBlueprint is seeing transformational home renovations. But if your lifestyle doesn’t allow for reconfiguring walls or adding a master suite, you can still experience a makeover you’ll be gushing over. Just mix some creativity with commitment and create a a wonderful, refreshing place to live. Here are nine simple ways to transform your home.

Rearrange your furniture:

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Explore around your home and look at each piece with a new eye. Ask yourself:

• Is the item being used effectively? When your decorative hallway table has become a dumping ground for clutter, removing it might be your best bet. Use it in your family room to showcase your long-forgotten frame collection.
• Can it be used for another purpose? Don’t be married to what a furniture piece is intended to be used for. Reconsider your buffet table as your tv stand. Or an armoire as your china cabinet.
• Is there too much furniture in a given room? A bookshelf, side table, dresser and armoire may be a bit much for one child’s room. Purge one of the larger pieces and use it for storage in another space.
• Can you change current layouts to cozy things up? Face chairs and sofas toward each other to encourage conversation. Cozy key seating pieces up to the fireplace.
• Can you give the impression of more space? In small rooms use fewer furniture pieces of a slightly larger scale to maximize floor space and opt for tall pieces, such as armoires, that add volume.

Repurpose things:

Be creative. (This is your license to surf Pinterest.) Think of new ways to use old things. Repurpose your containers, wall art and tools where you currently see junk or clutter. Memorable items can be used as artwork of furniture. Turn an old suitcase into a medicine cabinet or an old door frame into a coffee table.

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Clean your stuff:

• Bring forgotten gems back to life. Dust off and wipe down old items from the back of the garage or attic, like rugs, vases or artwork.
• Polish your barely used silver and use it to decorate your home. Your antique tea set or candlesticks will add a new and refined look to any space.
• Use a fresh coat of paint on worn furniture, cabinets or walls. Changing colors, adding design or simply freshening up is an easy route to home transformation.

Simplify:

Purge your spaces (rooms and closets) and make way for more space and freedom in your home. Ask yourself tough questions about everything you own, like:

• Is this item getting in the way of my ability to find what I need, when I need it?
• Is it broken, and if so, am I really ever going to fix it?
• Do I love this item?
• When was the last time I used this item? If I haven’t used it a long time what is the likelihood I will start using it now?
• What’s the worst that would happen if I got rid of this item?

If you’re brutally honest, you’ll find yourself surrounded with only things you truly need, use or love. And beyond the emotional and mental benefits of this exercise, your home will have a completely refreshed look and feel.

Use functional storage:

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Move storage from one area to another or invest in vertical solutions. Make the most of square footage with a wall of shelves that provide storage for a variety of uses — office supplies, games, crafts, china, linens, barware or books. Consider freestanding pieces in smaller rooms and wall-to-wall built-ins in larger rooms. Store everything by like items, whether they are in open or closed containers, from your blankets in a closet to your remotes in a basket on the coffee table. Effective storage can double the size of your space and freedom.

Change your room function. Just like that!

Are you using your rooms the way you really want to or how you think you should be using them? If you use your dining room once a year but create a “make-shift office” on your kitchen table daily, it’s time to consider a change. Convert your dining area into the office of your dreams. As for that annual formal affair, dress up your kitchen table or rent a table and chairs for that one event. (Or better yet, let someone else host!) Changing your rooms to suit your needs and habits is a rejuvenating feeling and one that will compel you ask, “why did I wait so long to do this?”

Reconsider furniture choices:

Do you eat buffet-style meals but have a large table in your kitchen? Consider barstools at your island or comfortable sofa chairs in lieu of the table. Making furniture choices that support your needs will transform your space, while making your life run much more smoothly.

Re-jigger your accessories:

• Rearrange large pieces of hanging artwork.
• Consider reframing art or better yet, frame a meaningful memory — like your grandmother’s kerchiefs or your child’s paintings.
• Don’t forget objects on a console or bookshelf that haven’t been changed in years. A simple swapping out can impact the entire feel of a room.

Infuse the real you:

Bring your hobbies, likes and passions to life throughout your home. Replace your prints with Casablanca wall art and bring out the movie-junkie in you. Display kids soccer trophies and goal-winning photos in a hallway. Inject your husband’s skiing obsession with skis mounted on the wall. The reflection of you and your family will make your home unique, memorable and filled with love.

 
PinMridu Parikh is a simplicity and organization coach for women who are tired of feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Through her real life and funny video blogs, on-demand classes and one-to-one coaching, she’ll show you how to get your life and family running smoothly, sans the drama, chaos and matchy-matchy bins. Awarded one of the “Top 20 Home Office Organizing Experts of 2013,” her adoring customers say “she’s better than a therapist” and are “in awe of her passion.” Prepare to smile, get uber motivated and take action with Mridu’s free 5-day organizing video series at Life Is Organized. Click here.