Your home is your castle. It’s supposed to be where you unwind, enjoy some quality time with friends and family, and spend entire evenings looking for the TV remote. Bliss. But we all know that home is where things can get on top of us. The endless laundry pile. The dishwasher. The vacuuming and the visiting in-laws. Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew how to tip the balance and make things just a little more enjoyable throughout the day? Let’s look at how we can do just that.
Lighting is everything
If your living environment leaves you feeling like something is missing, lighting could be the part of the puzzle that you have overlooked (check out a range of LED strip lights for ideas).
Lighting is like air. It’s overlooked until it’s in short supply. Light affects your mood to the point at which it can sap or boost your energy levels. And if you don’t think lighting can be that effective at helping to create a particular mood, perhaps a couple of examples are in order…
Have you ever walked into an office space and noticed that the bright clinical lighting is overbearing? Or perhaps you’re familiar with certain retail brands who prefer to bathe the interiors of their high street stores in low-level lighting (the effect might be to emulate the conditions of an evening bar, but you’re there to buy a t-shirt and you’d prefer to see it!). Either way, getting the lighting just right can make all the difference.
Stay on top of daily tasks
The little things make up the big things. When it comes to managing your home, you would be committing every housekeeping mistake in the book if you were to go even a single day without lifting a finger. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine (which is a catchy way of saying don’t let things pile up to the point that you can no longer see over the pile!).
For the most part, tidying up is going to take up the bulk of your daily home maintenance tasks. Just 10-15 minutes per day putting things back in their place can open up floor space, clear your tabletops, and forever put an end to the sight of every surface being used as makeshift storage. Clear home, clear mind. It really works.
Bring the outside inside
There is a very good reason houses are so popular. For the most part, they keep the cold out when it is cold and they keep the hot out when it is hot. But by hiding from nature, we are exposed for longer periods to a flat and manufactured sterile environment. Where the environment says “practical” your mood will feel hemmed in. Humans are party animals. We enjoy good company and good times. You can’t let your hair down in a museum. So don’t live in one.
Bring in some colour and movement and life in the form of potted houseplants and vases containing flowers of your choice. Mother nature already got things right – borrow from her eye-catching ideas for best results!