Clutter Challenge 4: Living Areas
Living rooms and dens quickly become catch-alls for everything! How do you want your living room or den to feel? This is the place where we congregate, where we relax, and lounge. Does your space(s) feel like somewhere you want to spend time?
What doesn't belong in this room? If you will make a point of clearing out this room regularly, it will become a habit.
Food and everything accompanying it always needs to go back to the kitchen.
Are toys overrunning you? That's a very common problem. We solved this at our house by having a big container to store baby toys then, as the kids grew, they were allowed three in the living room at a time. That may sound tough but we had a small living room.
Electronics and all paraphernalia not being used at the time need a station. A basket or decorative box works great!
Too many pillows? If they're not being used and they don't bring you joy, toss them. You'll never miss them.
Do shoes need a place to go? Ikea makes great shoe organizers that get them out of site or, better yet, put them where they belong.
Do you have too much furniture? Can people get around easily? Is there a flow in your living room? Maybe your furniture is just oversized. That's happened to us before.
How many knick-knacks do you need in here??? Think of how much easier it would be to keep clean when you get rid of unnecessary items. I have a set of shelves in my living room. If it doesn't fit on one of them or on one corner of my coffee table (notice I said one corner), it doesn't get to stay.
Got any old magazines that need to go? How about books waiting to be read? Either read them or pass them onward. Nursing homes love receiving donations!
Does your furniture feel tired? You can always replace it with good quality used furniture found on Marketplace, garage sales, and many other places. You're not trapped in this furniture if it no longer reflects you! You can even buy slipcovers!
How's your rug in here? Old, tired? How's your carpet? You can always lay a nice rug on top of it!
Check out your art too. Is it tired? Does it still reflect you? That's an easy change and your whole room will feel so much lighter for it!
Think about moving one of your houseplants into this area. Plants change the energy everywhere you place them. An ivy can live in just about any condition, low or high light. If you have fake plants here, seriously consider getting rid of them unless you keep them dusted and pristine. Otherwise, they hinder the energy.
What are your challenges in this area? Feel free to ask questions. I'm here for you!
Need a home/land Feng Shui Consultation? You can change your life when you change your environment! I can also help with organizational problems for an hourly or daily fee.
Until next time...
