Spring cleaning has a multitude of meanings and proposes for each individual. Does anyone else get excited purging and taking ownership of your space?
Let’s dissect that phrase “taking ownership to your space”. Once you have taken ownership of your space, you dictate it’s flow. You don’t let it get out of control because everything has place, purpose or function.
I am guiltily for letting my spaces get out of control. For one, my living room was constantly taken over by toys, and up until recently, shared a space with our dining room table**. (See bottom for that story). My kitchen STILL has more ownership than I do. (We are also working on that, haha). But life happens. What is a living room without people LIVING in it? What is a kitchen without being cooked in?
Our homes are not staged showcases. However, our homes and daily activities don’t need to physically consume us with the products or materials that we use either.
Take one step at a time. You know what has ownership right now? My drawers. My goal is to tackle and organize every drawer in my house because, guess what DRAWER?! I own you! You don’t own me.
What does organizing my drawers mean to me? Not having a ridiculous argument with my husband on where the stamps are. Not scrambling looking for a pen when I’m writing down a confirmation number. I can also find the birthday candles, my extra deodorant, a spare toothbrush- you name it! All without getting aggravated or taking up unnecessary time and negative energy.
I also need to own my hallway closet. Because that space definitely owns me. I cringe when I open it. I cringe when my mom opens it when she needs a towel or is looking for something. I can never find my holiday kitchen towels and I bet there are a million random things that I need, but usually go out and buy because that’s just easier than tackling the closet. How will I feel when it’s done? No longer embarrassed every time someone needs something in there. I’ll also feel confident that I can access my needs quicker. I will also feel RELIVED that it’s no longer weighing on my shoulders to get finished. Is it also weird that I get a little excited when things look nice and functional? Maybe add a little wall paper? Pine shelving? Woah let’s not get carried away- I’m getting more excited than I should.
Interior design is more than just picking out paint, tile, cabinets, or furniture. It’s about designing your life around your needs, wants or lifestyle. Own the space your in and take control of what is seemingly out of control.
Having trouble purging or reorganizing? Maybe just a fresh set of eyes that says, “hey, why don’t you move that piece over here, so you can have X, Y, and Z here?” I can help you take ownership of your space.
If you feel like reading...
**Quick note back to our dining room being in our living space. We moved in and copied the layout of the previous owner. We were getting quotes to demo and put a 15ft (yes that’s all) addition to the one side of our house- until one day, - all the credit goes to my husband for this- he said, why not just flip flop the rooms? UMMMM. How did we not think of that sooner? BYE BYE $20,000 quote on a tiny addition. Hello $50 gallon of paint and some WOman power moving furniture around. Okay let’s be real we got a new couch and table too, but it definitely did not cost us $20K. It gave our house flow and function to our lifestyle that made so much more sense in so many ways. REDESIGN, reorganizing, and repurposing can help!
