You’re ready to decorate. Most of us would like to hit the ground running with a new decorating project but that causes more problems than there need be. Before tackling any type of decorating, clear out any clutter that is hindering your efforts. It’s not like you’re a candidate for the Hoarding show, but we all have clutter and we have to address it.
Before You Start
Before you can get a clear picture of what the room actually looks like, clean it up. You heard correctly: Clean out the unnecessary stuff you have collected over the years. This includes bins of old bills, papers, bric-a-brac, old purses, grandma’s furniture and old clothes. Many times, the problem is that there is not enough space because you are storing things that should have been thrown out long ago.
Where to Start
Begin with the paper. Most areas offer recycling now. Bundle old newspapers, school papers, old notebooks, ads and junk mail together and place in the recycling bin. For bills, invest in a shredder to take care of them before throwing them out in the trash.
Clean out your closets. A good rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn it in at least six months, you probably never will. Give clothing away to Goodwill or hold a yard sale and make some change to fund the redecorating project. You’ll be surprised how much space you can find if the old stuff is carted away.
Go to the attic. Clear out old toys and boxes that you never look into. A clean attic is a place to put the Christmas tree or box up winter coats and things that you want or need to keep that are cluttering up the living spaces below.
Take Inventory of What is Left
After all of the clutter is gone (this is not a one-day task), take stock of what is left. What about that old mirror in the hall closet? Can you use it? Re-purpose some things around the house to be used to decorate another room. Put these things in one place so you can get a proper look at them and see if you can use them. It might require repainting but that is not as costly as buying new.
Go Room by Room
Start with one room when you decorate. The trick is to completely finish one project before moving on to the next. To keep the momentum going, start small like a bathroom and work your way up to the living room and kitchen.
Before you decorate, you have to clean up. It is hard to decorate and clean at the same time. Remove unwanted items from you home so you can start with a clean slate.
Words to the wise.