I was watching “Love it or List it” last night and I found myself getting super angry again. I don’t watch a lot of television, but when I do, it is almost always decorating shows. For some reason though, this particular show makes me so violently angry! Here are these whinny people, who have a home five times the size of mine, complaining about lack of space and storage. If you look at the homes on this show they are almost always filled with junk and clutter… no wonder they want to move! I shout at the TV “your home is not the problem, you are”, but they don’t seem to hear me. Then they go and look at these clean, beautifully decorated homes and they actually think to themselves “my home will look like this if we buy this home”…well, hate to break it to you, but your new home will not look like that beautifully decorated home because when they move, they take all the furniture, art and pretty stuff with them. You’re left with an empty home that you are going to fill up with all your crap and clutter …. insanity I say, INSANITY.
K. So, I’ll admit that when we were looking at buying our first home I had a really hard time looking past the ugly too. We looked at nice homes with lots of space, but if they had super ugly wallpaper, clutter, bad furniture or smelled like curry….well, I just couldn’t get past that! When we first looked at this home it was so clean and clutter free…in hind sight I should have known it was staged to sell! They had three kids and not one toy was visible! I fell for it hook, line and sinker…and the truth is, so does everyone else!
Why not stage your home to sell even when your not selling? I’m not suggesting that you get rid of all your kids toys or go to the same degree you would if you were going to really sell, but a little fluff and shine can make you love your home all over again! Hire a professional organizer or decorator or get a friend to help you out! In most cases you don’t need to spend much to get your home looking more showroom ready, just clearing clutter and positioning furniture and accessories correctly can make all the difference!
Why do I care if my pillows are lined up nicely on my couch or if my pictures are all hung straight and symmetrical on my wall? Well, because it is more pleasing to MY eye. Because when I take the extra time to “stage my home” with pretty accessories and stack my baskets and books neatly, I love my home all over again. Your home is your sanctuary and a reflection of you. Make it beautiful, take care of it and take pride in it. Stage it for you and no one else. Your home should be beautiful because you are worth it!
So… Day Four: Flip your hangers backwards in your closet today. I know, you’ve heard this a million times, but it does really work! It only takes five minutes to flip all your hangers around and when you wear a shirt and wash it, hang it back the right way. One year from now, toss any clothing that is still hanging backwards!
