Refreshing Your Home in the New Year

Maeve's Method Coach, Katie, shares tips on refreshing home for the new year.

Post originally written by Katie McCann, Maeve's Method Coach

It may seem trite but, the new year really is a great time to refocus and shake up our routines and surroundings for the better. Take this opportunity to refresh your environment, take a look at your home from a fresh perspective and thus, reap the benefits of change. Making even a few small changes to your home can give you an entirely new appreciation of your space. To get you started, here are some tips we shared throughout the year with Realtor.com to revamp your home.

Kitchen

Most people spend a great time deal of time in the kitchen.  Make the space bright and inviting by including a bowl of green apples or lemons for a pop of color.  Ensure it’s not only inviting but functional by doing that deep cleaning you’ve always been meaning to get to, like cleaning oil splatters from the kitchen walls and stove. Also clear the counters of any non-essential appliances.  You can also leave a recipe book open to your favorite recipe for a conversation starter. Lastly, take this time to sort, organize and purge the inside of your pantries to make way for what you actually want, use and like.

Junk Drawer

The junk drawer can end up being quite a frustration for many.  It ultimately ends up being a dumping ground for odds and ends that you just can’t seem to find a home for.  Take the time to corral all those little items and with a utensil or drawer divider to create categorized sections.  Label these categorized sections too to help keep you and your family accountable.

A great accountability tool is to plan to sort through your junk drawers once a quarter to discard anything that doesn’t belong or you no longer use or need.  My husband will open a drink with the bottle openers we have in our junk drawer and then leaves the bottle caps in the drawer, for example.  No worries though as one of us will just clear out these miscellaneous items every so often to get us back on track. You can also take this time to check to ensure any pens or markers actually still work and throw out any that have run out of ink or are broken.  You can also test out any extra keys and discard of any that you don’t know what door or car they belong to.

Living Room

The living room is often a main hub of any home.  A great way to guarantee you are sending out the message that this is the place to socialize and relax is to include plenty of blankets, pillows and throws so you and your guests alike can be comfortable. Lighting candles for a natural glow and fresh scent also evokes feelings of calm.  And to breathe some new life into the space, include fresh flowers or house plants on a table or windowsill.

Bathroom

Make sure guests feel comfortable by making sure the toilet isn’t running, none of the faucets or showers are dripping and that the door locks properly. And as we told Realtor.com, tuck away any “impolite” bathroom decor including magazines, a plunger, toilet bowl cleaner or air freshener.  Everyone knows these exist but we all don’t have to visually see them everyday, especially when entertaining. #bathroom

Bedroom

This space can easily turn into a quasi office, laundry room, free for all space. Respect yourself and or your partner by removing extraneous distractions including your laptop, TV and yes, even your phone.  Regularly up keep your space by putting your clothes away at the end of each day to avoid waking up to a visual and literal mess.  Open the windows, even if for a short burst if it’s cold, to pump some fresh air into the space.  Try utilizing an essential oil diffuser or humidifier as well.

Basement

Bit by bit, take the time to get your basement organized as to avoid it being in a constant state of disorder. Allow yourself to avoid filling every square inch by leaving some breathing room and space to grow so the area can be best maximized.

Yard

Your yard is quite literally the first impression of your home your friends and neighbors receive.  Take the time to mow the lawn, trim the hedges, weed, paint the fence, plant bright flowers, clean your windows, power wash the exterior of the home, clear over piled newspapers from the front stoop and toys from the yard and park the cars in the garage. You want your home to be the highlight, not all of your families belongings.

Photo Credits: 24 Cottonwood Lane, William LeMond

What other ways can you refresh your home? Share in the comments below.