clutter — Page 2 — Home and Garden Diva

How to Create a Warm, Inviting Home

Home may be where the heart is, but is your home a place those outside your family love to be? This is a question many forget to ask themselves regularly. Maybe you enjoy how your home is set up but is your current setup something that makes people want to stick around? Are your guests comfortable when they walk through the door? Are things organized? Do they have a place for their shoes and coats? Are there things to look at and keep them entertained during their visit? Today we are going to help you think of some of the things that are easy to drop the ball on when you see the same area day after day and are immune to your way of doing things.

Start Outside and Work Your Way in

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘curb appeal’ and know a little about it, then you probably understand just how important it is to make your home look nice not only on the inside but on the outside as well. Even if you aren’t selling your home, this is something you should keep in mind. What people see first when they walk up to your house matters. Do you want them to notice the fact that your yard hasn’t been mowed in months or do you want them to get lost in your beautiful marble entryway? Would you prefer them to notice the paint chipping on the side of your house or the beautifully painted mailbox you worked so hard to decorate?

Even if we don’t mean to, as humans, it’s only natural to make assumptions and expect that what we see on the outside is going to be similar to what we see on the outside. Wouldn’t you be shocked to see a run-down looking home and yard with torn apart cars that have been used for scrap metal outside, only to find a fascinating home that is organized to perfection on the inside, with expensive pieces of unique art all over the walls and a spiral staircase drawing you towards the upper level? You see, setting the tone from the get-go really makes a difference.

Keeping Things ‘Old School’

By ‘old school’, we do not in any way, shape or form, mean ‘outdated’. Sometimes, it’s nice to get in touch with our roots and add something fresh and new that isn’t as commonly found in others’ homes. Many people these days are so focused on technology and having the ‘best of the best’ that they forget the ‘best’ isn’t necessarily what’s popular now. Fewer people have bookshelves nowadays, for example. If you love reading or know of people who do, this may be a great addition to your home; adding sophistication to your style.

Offering Comfort for You and Your Guests

Staying comfortable is important and as we touched on a bit above, it is an important part of setting up your home. Lighting is one of those things many people simply forget about; this and the color you choose for each space truly do set the tone. Colors that help to relax and calm include: green, blue and purple. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to paint your entire wall one of these colors but finding ways to add accents of any of them here and there is always nice.

Another very important aspect of comfort is entertainment. Not many of us like to sit around without anything to do. Make sure you have things for your guests to take part in when they are staying over. A few ideas to get you started would be a gaming system in your spare bedroom, or board games that the whole family can enjoy.

Everything Should Have a Place to Call ‘Home’

Clutter can be overwhelming for guests. It gives the eyes too many things to want to focus on. To create an inviting atmosphere, it’s important that you limit how much you display. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to put everything away but choose wisely and don’t be afraid to alternate your favorite pieces from time to time. These ‘pieces’ can be simple objects such as lamps, flowers, family photos or awards. They don’t necessarily have to be paintings or anything fancy.

Attached Images:

License: Creative Commons image source
License: Creative Commons image source

Deborah Walker is a home improvement expert and has done interior designing for a lot of homes. She says that Marble Tiling & Flooring gives your house a very classy and elegant look.

Learning to Let Go – How to Transition to a More Minimalist Decor

by The Diva

We all know the benefits of a minimalist décor and almost every home improvement site you read about it seems is currently pushing the idea very heavily. Minimalist interiors are fashionable and modern, they’re easy to look after and keep clean, they’re efficient and they’re inexpensive. Meanwhile it’s easy to move home when you have less in it to move, and the items you do have suddenly take on more importance and drawing more eyes.

But there’s one problem – and that’s that you probably like your stuff, and suddenly having to get rid of it all can feel a bit painful and heartless. Here then I’m going to talk you into deciding to take the plunge and make the split, and at the same time show you how you can lessen the pain of separation….

Ornaments: Here’s step one – take everything on your surfaces that is either a: candle holder, placemat, vase, photo frame, tissue box, fruit bowl or non-essential lamp and put it in a box on your wardrobe overnight. Now spend some time in your room and see how it feels – nice and clean feeling isn’t it? Knowing this, you should now put back just a few – two decoration per half a surface maximum – and make sure to cut down your things by at least half.

Collections: The urge to collect is something that leads to a lot of clutter but it can be overcome. First of all note that if you thin out your collections and display just the pride of your collections that you will immediately make that one item seem that much more important and special. If you have a collection of blue and white china then for instance this can just look cluttered and dusty on a shelf whereas just one single nice blue and white bowl that you’re incredibly proud of can make a real statement and stand out. Likewise rather than having a collection of hundreds of DVDs you don’t really care that much about, how about having just a select few that create a picture of who you are and the kind of things you enjoy?

Boxes: You may think that having boxes full of junk on your wardrobes or in the loft won’t affect your décor – but you’d be wrong. Even though you can’t see this stuff, just having it there is enough to prevent you putting other things away, while having boxes on wardrobes and under beds means there’s less clear space in your visual field which we still register as clutter. If you have a box of old things that you haven’t been in for the last year then you should simply take it down, remove anything valuable or sentimental and throw it out. The point here is that if you haven’t used it in that long, you probably won’t use it again anytime soon either. And if you do find you suddenly need whatever it is? Then you can probably buy a new one.

Stop Buying: Of course to limit your clutter you also need to stop adding to it. One easy way to do this is with a ‘one in, one out’ rule, which simply means that for every new item you buy and display, you have to remove one old one to make space. This forces you to think more carefully about purchases and means you can’t amass too much.

Hi, I am Anne Warren and I write home improvement articles. I am passionate about home decor and share my experiences through guest posting. I choose Central Heating Boilers to get all info on central heating types, providers of home heating solutions.

Top Feng Shui Tips For The Bedroom

by Trish

Our bedrooms were designed for two activities: rest and romance. However, our busy lifestyles, coupled with the need to constantly multi-task or exercise, has rendered the bedroom more of an extension of the office or the gym than a haven for rejuvenation. The ubiquitous television has furthered reduced the bedroom to a gathering place for strangers rather than a sanctuary for solitude.

By using the principles of Feng Shui, we can restore our bedrooms to the heavens they were intended to be as well as increase our vitality, our health and the quality of our romantic relationships.

The First Easy Steps

Remove electronics

Feng Shui for the bedroom begins with removing all electronic and electrical devices from the bedroom, especially the television. If there is a need for an alarm clock, then place it as far from the bed as possible. However, all other electronic and electrical devices need to be removed from the room, including the telephone.

Electronic devices emit electrical signals even when they are turned off. These signals interfere with your sleep cycles as well as the energy in the room. Removing these interferences will result in more restful sleep.

Clear the Air

Another easy step is to open the windows every day so that energy in the room does not stagnate. This can also be accomplished by the use of a ceiling fan, but don’t use the fan while you’re sleeping.

Assume the positions

The principles of Feng Shui state that certain positions and styles of furniture are better than others. For example, the bed should:

• Not be placed under the window because this weakens your energy.

• Be placed against a solid wall.

• Not be in line with the door, which is called the coffin position, although the door should be plainly visible.

• Not be placed underneath overhead beams as this symbolizes the possibility of death.

Headboards should be made of wood rather than metal; padded headboards are also acceptable. There should be ample free space under the bed in order to facilitate the free flow of energy.

Sharp corners should be avoided in Feng Shui because rounded shapes facilitate the free flow of energy whereas sharp corners block it.

Mirrors facing the bed are verboten in Feng Shui. The energy leaves the body at night and will be startled if it sees itself reflected in the mirror; this will cause restless sleep or nightmares. Large mirrors are also thought to promote infidelity.

The Finish Line

Keep your bedroom free of clutter.

Displayed items should be kept to a minimum and only displayed in pairs. In other words, use two candles, two nightstands, and so forth. This promotes the concept of a couple whereas a single item promotes the concept of singlehood. However, twin mattresses should be avoided because this promotes separation. Try to use symbolic items, such as the endless knot, that promote the relationship.

Avoid having an aquarium in the bedroom as the movement of the water will promote the perpetual movement of energy in the room and will result in restless sleep. Plants and flowers promote the very active yang energy so they should be avoided as well.

Your bedroom should be relatively quiet and only items that pertain to you and your partner should be in it. Pictures of friends and relatives should be displayed elsewhere. Use cool and soothing colors such as tones of beige, green, blue and lavender and avoid bright colors such as red, vivid purple and so forth, as these promote the movement of energy rather than tranquility.

By using the concepts of Feng Shui in your bedroom, you can revitalize your romance as well as your individual energy and restore your bedroom to the haven it was meant to be!

Jeff Gross is a freelance writer and marketing consultant for Arverne Long Island online presentation. He enjoy’s in finding new creative ways to improve online visibility of his clients.

photo by: conceptDawg

Five Feng Shui Techniques That Will Help The Energy Flow In Your Home

by Trish

The art of feng shui is a way of decorating as to bring positive feelings and joy into a home. When you fung shui your home a person can find health and prosperity. Feng shui can be used in a variety of environments from office building to homes. The following feng shui home techniques will help you to enjoy your home more.

There are five ways that you can fung shui your home.

Clear Clutter: The first step is to clear the clutter, this means removing everything from the house that is not wanted. This can be done by organizing and then discarding the unwanted items. This is one of the most important steps and is a must.
Change Colors: The second step is to change the colors; this can be done by applying a coat of paint. Color is important when it comes to fung shui your home. There are five elements of color Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. The colors of fire can be seen in Red, Orange, Purple, Pink, and Strong Yellow. The colors of Earth are seen with Light Yellow and Beige and other Earth or Sand colors. Metal is the third color in the feng shui home technique with the colors of Gray and White. Fourth feng shui home technique color is water which is found in Blue and Black. The final color in fung shui is Wood featured in the colors Brown and Green.
Organize the Room: The third step is to organize the bedroom to allow for positive airflow by ensuring that your feet do not face the door when lying on the bed. The bedroom must also have an equal number of items beside the bed.
Close the Lid: The bathroom is the fourth way can be accomplished by closing the lid on the toilet and the door closed is a way to keep the good luck from going down the drain.
Clawfoot Bathtubs: The fifth way to fung shui your home is in the bathroom by adding clawfoot bathtubs. The clawfoot bathtubs which feature round corners can add a balanced flow.

A person can find that using these feng shui home techniques will help fung shui your home. A happier, healthier and more prosperous home can be achieved when using these tips. The addition of clawfoot bathtubs to your home will help with the flow of energy in the bathroom.

Lila is home decor specialist and blogger. For more information about improving your home please visit simplybathtubs.com