One of the best ways to start off 2016 is to organize your home.
While this is something we tend to put off time and time again, in the end we all love how a well-organized home makes our lives easier.
If you're in renovation mode or planning to do a little redecorating you may want to check out these practical decorating ideas and solutions. It's amazing how a little creative thinking can really transform a space or solve a decorating dilemma. In the end, you don't have to break the bank to add a little organization to your home.
Have you ever thought of hiding your light panel or furnace control box behind canvas art? Sometimes the placement of these boxes can be troublesome. Simple canvas art can be purchased at decorating stores for a very reasonable price. Attach hinges to the edge of the art canvas and screw the art to the wall around the outside of the furnace control box. The art canvas will swing back and forth when you need to access the furnace control.
Paint chips can be lost or torn inside your wallet or handbag. Here's a brilliant idea that not only keeps your paint chips accessible when you need them but organizes them in a way that is easy to carry. Simply purchase a package of round, metal rim key tags. Cut your chosen paint chips from their strips and glue them to the paper key tag. Label them appropriately. Attach the rim key tag to your car keys and you are ready to go.
Do you have a hallway that feels bare and requires a little decorating? Perhaps it is too narrow to hang artwork? Here's an idea that will add texture and colour. Purchase inexpensive art frames and use them as wainscoting. Measure where you would like the wainscoting to appear and look for picture frames that will fit the wall space. Add moulding at the top of the frames and apply paint. Use the Internet to get ideas on the "how-to" for this. This can be a fantastic weekend project.
Replace those ugly air grills with some of the decorative sheet metal you can find in the hardware store. Select hardware stores carry beautiful sheet metals in all sorts of designs. A little white paint is all that is required and the results are amazing.
Apply cork tiles inside your pantry and kitchen cupboards for easy access to business cards and other day-to-day notes. This is a wonderful way to hide the mess these cards tend to make.
Lastly, if your workspace looks like mine, is covered in nails and other small paraphernalia, then this idea is for you. Simple mason jar lids can be nailed or screwed to the underside of cabinets and shelves in your workshop or office area. Fill the mason jars with random screws, nails, elastics, ribbons, string and anything else you may need to keep handy. Screw the mason jar up into the lid for easy access.
Barb Lunter is a freelance writer with a passion for home decor, entertaining and floral design. She also runs Blu Dog Staging Redesign. bludogstagingandredesign.com
