| It's that time of the year again, when we resolve to | | | | coordinated fabrics in the form of throws and pillows, |
| make changes that will improve | | | | and some new textures. |
| our lives. Your home is a big part of your life and a | | | | Replace large artwork with a grouping that will add |
| comfortable, inviting space can | | | | motion to the room.5. Make at least four changes in |
| really make a difference in how you feel every day. It | | | | your home to freshen it up for the spring and |
| seems only fitting that we | | | | summer. Change or reduce the number of layers in |
| should add some design resolutions to our yearly | | | | your window treatment to let |
| ritual.So here's my top 10 take on the design resolutions | | | | more of the outside in. Do what your grandmother did |
| that I believe can make a real | | | | - use lighter slipcovers on |
| difference in your home.1. Designate a space for | | | | upholstery and seasonal accessories such as bowls |
| clutter and resolve to keep it cluttered. Surprised? | | | | of fresh summer fruit and vases |
| While | | | | of fresh flowers. Pick up those heavy rugs. Now is |
| it's true most people would put getting rid of clutter at | | | | the time to send them out for |
| the top of their lists, I've | | | | cleaning. Replace them with light floor cloths or leave |
| been in enough homes to understand that if clutter is | | | | the floors bare for a cooling |
| part of your lifestyle, it will | | | | sensation underfoot.6. Rethink the least used room or |
| just keep coming back. I do, however, believe that it's | | | | area in your home. It may be great to look at, but |
| possible to control the | | | | if it isn't serving any function, you can do better. s its |
| impact of clutter in your home - and it's simple. | | | | formality no longer |
| Choose a spot that's not visible | | | | appropriate for your lifestyle? Are your college-aged |
| from the public areas of your home and designate a | | | | kids really going to miss the |
| surface, chest or cabinet of | | | | playroom? Should you have retired that home office |
| some sort for the paper and other things that usually | | | | when you retired?7. Walk through your home room by |
| end up in piles all over your | | | | room and consciously gauge its impact on |
| home. Give yourself permission to toss anything you | | | | your senses by isolating various aspects of the |
| don't want to deal with | | | | experience. What do you see, hear, |
| immediately into your clutter area without even | | | | smell? What can you touch? How does it make you |
| thinking about organizing, filing or | | | | feel? Make adjustments in each |
| putting it away later.Trust me, if you have no area for | | | | room as needed so that the experience is always |
| clutter you will spontaneously make one, and | | | | pleasant and inviting, and |
| another, and another. If you have a designated area, it | | | | appropriate for the room and its function.8. Create a |
| will contain the clutter and | | | | space just for you. It can be as simple as a chair in |
| keep you from feeling overwhelmed by it. You'll have | | | | which you can |
| a much easier time with | | | | escape with a good book or an entire room. Surround |
| everything in one spot when you do decide to sort it | | | | your space in your favorite |
| all out and, in the interim, at | | | | colors and textures. Make it a place you can use for |
| least you will know where to find everything you can't | | | | your most relaxing activities |
| find.2. Try at least one new color in your home to | | | | and the best spot you can imagine for just sitting and |
| break your "color habits". Be bold, do | | | | doing nothing at all. Sit in you |
| something unexpected or something you've always | | | | personal space at least 10 minutes every day.9. |
| wanted to try. If you are really | | | | Approach the design and decoration of your home |
| hesitant, put the color inside a closet door - | | | | with joy. Whether it's a little |
| somewhere where you can see and | | | | change or a major renovation, try to focus, not on the |
| react to it. The room which makes me smile in my | | | | chores involved, but on the |
| home is one in which the painter | | | | vision you have and the progress you are making |
| made a mistake and used a color that I never would | | | | toward it. Appreciate the changes, |
| have chosen for myself. As I | | | | and appreciate yourself for making them.10. Invite |
| was awaiting his return visit for a repainting, I | | | | guests a least once a month. When we tidy up for |
| discovered that every time I walked | | | | guests, we reawaken |
| into the room it made me smile. The room has been | | | | our consciousness of all the little things that we can |
| repainted a few times over the | | | | do to make our home inviting |
| years, but always with what I call "my happy | | | | and comfortable, details that often get lost in the |
| mistake."3. Pick the room or area in your home in | | | | chaos of our daily lives. Your |
| which you find it hard to relax and do three | | | | guests will feel it, but more importantly, so will |
| things to make the room quieter. For example, think | | | | you.Peggy Berk is an award-winning interior decorator |
| about replacing high contrast | | | | and certified interior refiner who |
| colors with a monochromatic scheme or toning down | | | | has worked with a wide variety of residential and |
| the color with a more muted | | | | commercial clients throughout the |
| version. Try simplifying the lines in the room and paring | | | | New York Metropolitan Tri-State Area and Florida. |
| down accessories. Get | | | | Her design firm, Area Aesthetics ( specializes in interior |
| those bookcases in shape, with all books flush to the | | | | redesign, home staging and |
| front of the shelves in size | | | | full service interior decorating. Peggy is the featured |
| order, and create some empty wall and tabletop | | | | designer on the Home Decor |
| space where the eye can rest.4. Conversely, pick one | | | | Exchange where she answers readers' decorating |
| room or area in your home that feels bland and the | | | | questions and writes a column for |
| most | | | | "HDE Monthly." Author of many articles in her area of |
| uninteresting and do three things to elevate the tempo | | | | expertise, she also writes the |
| and energize the room. Try | | | | monthly "Rental Redesign" column for Rental |
| introducing higher contrast or bolder colors. Layer in | | | | Decorating Digest. |
| accessories, some interesting | | | | |