Country Living: Keller + Keller
Fall Nesting Tips: #18
Small Changes
Elevate daily tasks into beautiful moments of the day. You know, we all have laundry. We all have to do paperwork. We have to shower and get ourselves presentable for the day. Most of us have to clean our toilets ourselves. In these long months of fall and winter, being stuck inside doing the same tasks day after day can be rather dreary and sometimes down right depressing — unless we make our homes a place of inspiration, peace and beauty.
Look around at the areas in your home where you perform daily rituals…your laundry room or closet, your bathrooms, your office or desk area.
Are they a pleasing place to spend time?
Do they make you happy when you enter or do you want to get out of that space as quickly as possible?
It is a great time to give those areas a quick makeover before the holidays take over our days. Most of those spaces are the smallest of the house, so the budget can be equally small and the time needed to spruce them up can be minimal. A quick coat of a fresh new paint color to make us happy when we open our closet doors, one roll of wallpaper to liven up a dreary office corner, a pretty quilt folded on a shelf, or a new set of baskets in the laundry room can work wonders on our psyche.
From my friend Alicia…Posie Gets Cozy
The impact of small changes in our decor can brighten even the darkest winter days ahead. Whether you live in an apartment, a rental or a custom built home, there are always small changes we can make to our surroundings to boost our spirits every day!
Go ahead and look around your home.
What small changes could you make today?
Find the rest of this series and other Fall ideas right here!
I need to do this in a a few spots. It’s amazing how nice a room can feel with a few pretty baskets to control clutter. Homeschool books take over around here sometimes. :)
Kim
.-= Kim @ Everything Etsy´s last blog ..Modern Handmade Child =-.
Hm. I would LOVE to do something to make my laundry area more attractive, but I’m not really sure how to do that since it is just a corner of the basement, has two windows, old rock foundation that has crumbly mortar – so I can’t paint, or hang a curtain to make the “walls” better looking. Any ideas?
.-= Abbie´s last blog ..The Birthday Boy =-.
Could you hang some wire across the old foundation somehow to pretty sheets from?
Hmmm…you could also paint a bookshelf a bright happy or pretty color and fill it with things like in the photo above …that would really brighten up your laundry corner!
I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. As a renter there isn’t too much I can do. But I have had fabric for curtains for a while. I probably should figure out what I want to do with it and how I want to hang it…
.-= Kristen @ Beautifully Imperfect´s last blog ..In Which I Stare at the Sky =-.
I could do this in so many places. If my kitchen were more organized, I think I wouldn’t despise it so much. Same with my master bath. It has become the family bathroom, with a constant supply of children’s toys, books, and clothes scattered about. If I had nice storage, that was appealing to the eye, I might like my bathroom again.. or maybe if I made the kids use their own bath. :-)
.-= Shannon´s last blog ..Holiday Decorating Inspiration =-.
Thanks so much for the inspiration to DO my closet, and this area here that I call my “office”:):) They both need a facelift! My sweet husband is just about to start a new project for me: redoing a closet to add more storage for my GROWING collection of dishes!!!! I am so excited that I will be able to have them all on shelves and not in boxes that I ahve to drag out all the time! Thanks again! XO, Pinky
Last week I did several “little things” to my kitchen, inspired by your website and one other. I am intrigued by the idea of doing something with my basement laundry area. Hmmm…. your ideas above are a place to start- I would NEVER have thought of hanging sheets on the wall! Doesn’t work in my space, due to nearly 100 yr old piping in the way… but I’m going to go peek at it with new eyes and see what I can come up. A space “you can’t wait to get out of” TOTALLY explains it! LOL!
.-= Spring´s last blog ..I am So Spoiled! =-.
This has got me thinking, now I just need to motivate. Ithink every room just needs a little bit of love.
.-= Cricket´s last blog ..Think Twice About Those French Doors =-.
Great idea! My laundry area is just my washer & dryer in the attached garage. Junk piled up on them and it is getting cold out there! I think just adding a rug in front of them on the cement will make doing laundry more comfy.
.-= DIYHomeDecoratingIdeas´s last blog ..Nov 3, How to Refinish A Dresser =-.
This is a great reminder and beautiful inspiration pictures! I have a few areas of need…my desk area and my dumplins toy area which is a bone of contention since I have no idea how to make it pretty! LOL
.-= Kacey R´s last blog ..{A Spooktacular Kind of Halloween} =-.
Ha–my problem is I am always changing things.
ooops I think I put the wrong link on my last commit!
.-= nannykim´s last blog ..Moving things around =-.
I totally agree with this … I just got a cute rug for our kitchen and everytime I walk in now it makes me smile! There are other places I need to work on though!
.-= Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish´s last blog ..Holiday Party Planning – Step 1: Creating a Hostess Journal =-.
I have the nesting bug, these posts are motivating me to get moving!
LuLu
.-= LuLu´s last blog ..a note to November… =-.
So many projects, so little time….
.-= Hannah´s last blog ..Giant Sunflower =-.
You’re so right! Just a little change here and there can breathe new life into a dull space. And sometimes just swapping things from different rooms can be a cheap way to change things up. Thanks for all the great tips and inspiration!
.-= Megan´s last blog ..Wedding Week Part I: The Decor & Details =-.
My little laundry room is the place I need to work on- actually it’s just a hallway through kitchen to study with just enough room for washer and dryer. The plaster ceiling came down a few months ago while we were away and DH has put up some sheetrock on the ceiling but nothing done to it yet.
.-= Mary´s last blog ..It’s Snowing Presents at My House! =-.
You have had the GREATEST series of posts lately. I am in awe each and every day. I awaken with a sense of renewal and the mindset that I am soooo blessed to be in a home and I can make it a blessing and a welcome haven for all you come here or live here.
I cannot thank you enough. You are tweaking my life, one idea at a time.
I have many areas in my home that need just what you talk about. I’m going to do something about them!!
.-= Suzann from The Olive Cottage´s last blog ..The Great Debate… =-.
I LOVE this post! Thanks for sharing!
.-= JOY´s last blog ..I love Advent Calendars! =-.
Do you know where to get larger baskets that won’t break my budget?
I’ve been seeing them at TJ Maxx/Homegoods lately…I am always keeping my eye out for ones that are on sale. Sometimes I see them at Pier One, Costco … you might not be able to find a big set of matching ones on sale, but if you are open to picking up an odd one now and then you can find some on sale!
i need to organize the kids toys….and get tem hidden somewhere so my house can look uncluttered!
.-= Stephanie@Geezees´s last blog ..Spices Art on Canvas Typography Kitchen Art 7×13 inch =-.
Our dishwasher died recently, so I’ve been using it as an opportunity to freshen up the kitchen with new dish towels for drying up.
I love baskets too, and like to ring the changes between the seasons by having interchangeable elasticated liners that overlap the edges. I have cream lace edged ones in spring and summer, and darker berry toned ones in winter. The liners stop things snagging and getting snagged. I also like that I can give the same baskets different looks in each room. I always keep the remains of curtain making to trim things or make appliqués for patchwork cushions.
.-= Janice | Sharing the Journey´s last blog ..Two Healing Books to Feed Your Soul or Give as Gifts =-.
(PS I meant “snagging and getting scratched“; I keep my laptop in one.)
.-= Janice | Sharing the Journey´s last blog ..Two Healing Books to Feed Your Soul or Give as Gifts =-.
I love this idea. It is so much less daunting to tackle little things. I am thinking how lovely it would be to find lovely baskets stacked in front of some really beautiful wallpaper in my airing cupboard. One roll of paper would be enough for mine, which would be affordable! What a change from just quickly opening the door and grabbing stuff from the slatted shelves and bare plaster that is there now. It would be a little private treat to myself every day!
.-= Aisling @ What a Beautiful World We Live in´s last blog ..Impressions of the Bog =-.
My desk could really be more pleasing. I need to learn to file paperwork right away instead of letting it pile up.
.-= Candy @ SoBella Creations´s last blog ..Giveaway Round Up =-.