How to still love your house at the end of lockdown
1
Create dedicated zones
Spaces work best when we arrange them based on function and in lockdown that function often changes or is fluid.
If you havent got enough spaces to create dedicated areas for different tasks - ie work, school, play - set up a ritual for when the space shifts uses - ie when the kitchen bench switches from 'work' to 'restaurant'!
I tend to move my work space depending on my mood so I have a bag that all my things go in which I can easily take with me, and charging stations set up in multiple locations.
2
Write a list
With all this time spent at home we can easily end up in a spiral looking at all the things we would like to do, change or improve.
First job: get the list out Of your head and on to paper.
Choose a method of recording that is easy to update – I use Google notes so I can share it with my partner and we can both add things. And you can even make it a tick list so you get the reward of crossing things off when you complete them : )
3
Choose some quick wins
Lockdown is the time to tackle those niggly annoying boring details. The stuff you can usually ignore so you tend to never get round to it.
Paint touch-ups, replacing lightbulbs, hanging a hook.
My list of quick wins is super long so I'm trying to tackle one each lunchtime. Yesterday I finally put handles on our bar cupboard that have been sitting waiting for ten years!
4
Do Some deeeeeeep cleaning
Deep cleaning is more rewarding than the usual run-of-the mill keeping the house clean - becuase it takes longer for your results to disappear! And it can literally make a space feel new again.
I'm talking washing windows, scrubbing the grout on the bathroom tiles, removing the fly poo from the ceiling.
And as an added bonus cleaning counts as excercise so you'll feel doubly good afterwards ; )
5
Experiment with layout
A re-arrange is good for the soul. It helps us to feel less stuck. Pick a room that has been one way for a while, or whose layout has never quite worked. First remove all the small items and art from the wall - put that aside in another space so you can't see it. Now get to shifting. Try all the layout options before you decide which one to stick with.
Now go out for a walk... when you come back home start putting back the art and objects - but only put back the things that really work in the space and you want to have out on show. Anything left over - pack it away until your next re-arrange ;)
And a few more quick mentions to keep you going if you get this far!
Edit a cupboard
We unwittingly accumulate stuff, it's life. Every so often it's a good idea to choose a cupboard and do an edit. Reviewing one cupboard at a time is way less stressful than having to edit your whole house in one go if you decide to move! Plus, when you do an edit you often find you don't need a bigger cupboard, or a bigger house ;)
Give special attention to one area
Choose a room, a shelf, or a wall and curate that space so it gives you warm fuzzies every time you look at it. Get laser focused and make that one area the best it can be. It might be your bed - make it perfectly crisp and fluffed with fresh linen - or re-arrange a shelf with all your favorite objects.
Plan a project
So much of the fun of an interior project is in the planning, this is when you get to dream. Often clients tell me they hate the planning part, but that's usually due to not having time to really delve in. So, take the time now you have it : ) Read some magazines, draw, research, look at all the options. Get in to the nitty gritty. That way when lockdown lifts you'll be ready to go, knowing you've done all the leg work and it's just a matter of pressing go.