Did you say “Pre-decorate?” Most of us would like to hit the ground running with a new decorating project but that causes more problems than there need be. Before tackling any type of decorating, clear out any clutter that is hindering your efforts. Know what do to do and how to begin, to make your re-decorating go smoothly and hassle free.
Before you start get a clear picture of what the room actually looks like, clean it up. You heard correctly: Clean out the unnecessary stuff you have collected over the years. This includes bins of old bills, papers, items that you are not using anymore, furniture pieces, etc. If it still has character you may be able to re-use or sale.
Many times, the problem is that there is not enough space because you are storing things that should have been thrown out long ago. In some cases it may not be that it may need to be re-decorated it just might need to be found through all the clutter. De-clutter and get organized.
Where to Start you de-clutter process: Begin with the paper. Most areas offer recycling now. Bundle old newspapers, school papers, old notebooks, ads and junk mail together and place in the recycling bin. For bills, invest in a shredder to take care of them before throwing them out in the trash. I don’t think some of us really realize just how much paper from magazine to books to drawing from our kids that we have collected in piles. Its time to recycle and get rid of it.
Clean out your closets. A good rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn it in at least six months, you probably never will. Give clothing away to Goodwill or hold a yard sale and make some change to fund the redecorating project. You’ll be surprised how much space you can find if the old stuff is carted away. Don’t just do your closet, do your children’s closets as well. I couldn’t believe just how many clothes my kids had that did not fit them anymore, that was just taking up closet, dresser and even floor space.
Go to the attic. Clear out old toys and boxes that you never look into. A clean attic is a place to put the Christmas tree or box up winter coats and things that you want or need to keep that are cluttering up the living spaces below.
Now Take Inventory of What is Left; After all of the clutter is gone (this is not a one-day task), take stock of what is left. What about old wall hangings or mirrors hall closet? Can you use them? Repurpose some things around the house to be used to decorate another room. Put these things in one place so you can get a proper look at them and see if you can use them. Sometimes just refinishing or repainting can add that special touch of color that fit’s the room you are looking at. Re-doing something you already have is not as costly as buying new.
My tip to go room by room, when you start with one room when you decorate is start with a room that gets less traffic to make it less chaotic. When you finish that room and you see how great of a job you have done, you are prepared to move onto the next room with excitement. The trick is to completely finish one project before moving on to the next. Keep the momentum going until you are completely satisfied with every room you want to de-clutter and redecorate.
Before you decorate, you have to clean up. It is hard to decorate and clean at the same time. Remove unwanted items from you home so you can start with a clean slate.
