I’m sure you are just like me and find life very busy. I feel like I go from one thing to the other either for work, parenting, athletics etc. Great fun but it’s busy… And it’s in those times that I’m truly grateful for a well edited and highly functioning home. Whether you live small or big, having a home that works and works well for you is I believe the key to our fast paced lifestyle.
Well everyone – after a long and cold winter, its finally spring and now is the time for a great “Spring Edit”.
Clutter is the easiest and quickest offender to deal with. When you’re busy, the last thing you want is to have to move clutter before doing basic tasks and quite frankly a clean slate is a luxury. I have a mantra that I ask myself when clearing my clutter: “if I were to move to the other side of the world, would I take this with me?” I find putting it into a perspective of true value is a great way to make those tough decisions.
After all the duplicates and unnecessary baggage has been dealt with, then on to sound advice from the culinary world; “Mise en Place” – where there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. This is when your home really kicks into true efficiency and no more digging through drawers and cupboards looking for the necessary. I find this state of efficiency really helpful for my day to day functioning as in theory no time is wasted hunting down my keys or the dogs leash as they are in their proper place. But it’s also great for those occasional surprises like hurricane Fay. If all is “Mise en Place” then there is no need to fumble for missing things in the dark!
Lastly, the one other tip I can give you for a well functioning home is a well laid out interior. I’m a huge believer in floor plans. By plotting your furniture from a bird’s eye view you can easily analyze traffic flow, sight lines, storage requirements and simply the overall balance of a room. This may seem a bit more complicated than the other tips and any interior designer would be happy to help although with all the new apps out there it’s easily accessible for all and it’s a breeze.
I find putting an interior to paper immediately takes away the sentimentality and you can finally see the forest through the trees. From a floor plan you can see so much more: do you have too much furniture? Is the scale of your pieces correct for the space? Do you have easy access to all main points in the room or is there a sofa in the way? Looking at your house from a floor plan layout gives you a different and more objective vantage point from which home-keeping decisions can be made.
That’s why I like to call it a “Spring Edit” instead of a “Spring Cleaning” because it should be a more thoughtful exercise rather than just a deep cleaning. To be exact, I think you should analyze your home in a more purposeful way, while always taking your lifestyle into account. After you have rid your home of the clutter then you should focus on the bigger picture and investigate themes such as flow and movement or the ratio of open space to closed space. Ultimately, the Spring Edit allows us to reflect on the spaces that we dwell in and make room (no pun intended) for thoughtful changes that will make our daily life more enjoyable.
Sponsored story by Beth MacDonald Interior Decorating Ltd.
