Interior Design Tips

Feeling ready to dive in to the world of living rooms and coffee tables? Here’s a quick beginner’s guide to getting you started with your next interior design project:

Style Starts Here

Many times, I will walk into a client’s space, and they are not sure why the room is just not that great. Usually, the problem is usually too many things, lots of little things, or it has just been put together over the years without much of a plan. The best thing you can do is EDIT. This is why tip #1 is to edit, remove and start over.

DECLUTTER: You need to de-clutter your Home and feel Organized. If your home, office, closet, or kitchen is organized, then you’ll feel organized. Let’s take a look at how to set yourself up for success in the key areas of your home:

Ideas on creating a calm bedroom using Feng Shui principles, see our post Feng Shui for A Good Nights Rest

De-clutter in 30 mins. Getting organized doesn’t have to be difficult. The key is to start small. One surface, one drawer at a time. For example, choose bathroom drawers or a bin under the sink; remove unused or expired make-up, creams, and other items. If you haven’t used an item in a while, you probably don’t need it. Once you get going and then complete an area, very often the rewarding feeling will encourage you to continue!

How often should you de-clutter? Often. If you are moving, or have moved recently, then you are forced to de-clutter and evaluate your items in each room, including the dreaded attic and basement items. When moving house you have to edit twice! The first edit is evaluating items you are packing for the move-out, and the second is moving in and unpacking. You are forced to de-clutter.

If you are settled, and not moving anytime soon, then you should try to cycle through your belongings each season, and tackle one room at a time.

Let’s take a look at how to clear the clutter from your home room by room, along with home decor and organizing ideas.

Think of this as a REFRESH!

6 Ideas to Reduce Clutter and Create a Clean Home to let your decor style shine through.

Let’s look at what we can do today.

1. Your Closet

The first step in getting organized is where you usually start your day, Your Closet. Start with your clothes, deciding what you want, what fits, and getting rid of the rest. It’s important to edit your closet and set yourself up for a stress-free morning routine.

One idea is to plan during the weekend your 5 outfits for the week - you will find you are organizing your clothes on a consistent basis, and ensuring your morning routines will feel much smoother and calmer since your outfits are already organized in advance. I know that prepping in advance also helps me to identify the missing pieces, and I know I have time to shop for the missing boots, scarf, or belt. I am shopping with purpose, not just shopping open-ended. Or maybe just buy a new outfit and know I can get rid of those unworn items. Planning ahead is a great way to start the week.

Did you promise yourself to workout 3-5 times this week? Organize those work-out outfits in advance too, you’ll be excited to put them on and pursue your goals. It definitely changes the mindset.

How about organizing your drawers of baubles, earrings, necklaces, etc with compartments. These Jewelry Organizers perfectly fit in your drawers.

“If you have time to go the DIY route, that will be a lot more affordable. You can do a high-end organizing effort on a limited budget by evaluating and organizing on your own. Just go one room at a time. There are many online resources - you have the whole world at your disposal for ideas.”
Deborah von Donop | dvd Interior Design

2. The Kitchen

The kitchen is no longer just for eating. It has become the epicenter of our homes and a gathering space for families and friends.

organized kitchen modern pantry labels on etsy .jpg

The Rise Of The Pantry: Today, more and more people are asking for a pantry. The more convenient it is to grab something, to see what you have, the more likely you are to use it. (In the old days this could be called the cold larder.) Try to put healthy choices in the front, in plain sight.

Use visually pleasing baskets and bins for storage
Canisters with labels - making it easier to see what you have and retaining freshness (and not storing food in the plastic long term)
Wine racks to store wine in a cool area - around 58 degrees
Pull out shelves are not just for new kitchens, you can find lots of storage retrofits for your kitchen

See our post: Great Storage Solutions for Every Kitchen

top kitc trends henry built storage solutions spice storage .jpg

3. Call in the Professionals

There’s a professional out there for just about every facet of your home, from interior designers to professional organizers. Yes, there is such a thing as a professional organizer, highly trained to help you manage your life.

Visit the National Association of Professional Organizers to find someone in your area. Increasing your organization will improve your productivity. Invest in yourself, your business, your children (yes organizing students with tools and strategies) an Organizing professional can help you if you are overwhelmed or just stuck and need a new plan of action.

“Everything in its place and a place for everything.”
Deborah von Donop | dvd Interior Design

Here’s a checklist of the types of Organizing & Productivity focus an Organizer brings to the table.
They offer techniques for improving organizing and productivity sessions with:

Corporate/business filing & records management
Digital Organizing (this is my favorite service, I need help with this)
Downsizing/tiny home living
Eco-organizing for businesses
Estate clear-outs
Moving
Practicing Lean Methods for daily productivity
Productivity (higher learning, new systems trending)
Student organizing (this is great for children and adults with different learning styles to get set up for success)
The Organized Closet: Wardrobe styling & creating capsule wardrobes (the most common type of organizing, I need this too)

4. Gathering Together as One

The Den / TV room / Homework area is where we live together.

If you are a family with young children, ample storage and play surfaces are a must but it’s also important to have a place to put it all away at the end of the day. A closet with bins or a cubby for toys, Legos, dolls and shelving for craft supplies and books will make Clean-Up Time easier.

And remember - less is more!

Create your main focal point, your TV, fireplace or artwork, and orient your furniture for conversation and the main activity. Try not to have too many knick-knacks on every surface. Plan a few staged areas and restrain from placing things in every corner.

Go through your books and magazines monthly. Your coffee table should have a few items, a grouping of 3 is most common.
Make sure the room is inviting for family and friends, relaxed not fragile. Hopefully, you have selected family-friendly fabrics and furniture like a coffee table you can put your feet up on, or have a Tonka toy run across in play.
Consider clearing all the accessories, pillows, books, and such out of the room, then with purpose place back little vignettes of only items you really enjoy in the primary areas. For this exercise, I like to take a photo of each wall, print it, then draw on the printed copy groupings that I would like to see in the room, similar to a magazine ready room. Whatever items are leftover can live in the guest room, or a box, until I am ready and can easily let them go.

Give your furniture room to breathe. Consdier your furniture placement for conversation. Make sure you consider keeping the pieces pulled away from the walls and create a setting. I know, when you are setting up a room, our first inclination to push it up against the wall—but this can make a room feel steril and too spread out. Instead, keep your furniture at least a few inches away from the walls to give your room an airier feeling. Deborah von Donop - dvd Interior Design

5. The Office

We’re all finding new ways to carve out a place to work from home these days. It doesn’t have to be a dedicated home office, it can be a combined-use space, like a guest room with a beautiful writing desk working double duty as a nightstand.

When you are ready to set up an official office space to work from home, I recommend you invest in a good desk and a few storage cabinets to complete your setup.

File storage is a must. Rolling file cabinets or a file cabinet that matches your desk are so necessary for providing the right storage and reducing clutter, keeping you organized and productive.
Shelving for books, binders, and a few styling items like pictures, awards, and mementos that showcase your personality.
Small boxes for pens, paperclips, and stationery supplies to keep organized in a drawer.
An Incoming Mail designation helps keep things organized and allows you to focus on the priorities.
If your office will serve double duty., such as part of a guest room, and you don’t have room for a writing desk, consider building the desk in the closet, so you can close the doors to hide your work area when necessary. ( this is also great for the kids, for HW area)

I have A LOT of other great posts on Styling and Organizing Spaces. You can find all the posts HERE.

A built-in keyboard tray is a must. When purchasing a desk, ensure it has a place for the keyboard that is ergonomic for you. This is better for your health and wellness than typing too high in an uncomfortable position. Deborah von Donop- dvd Interior Design

RECAP:

Remember to clear out your closet each season. only keep what you actually wear.
Organize your kitchen: We spend more time in the room while awake and we need to make this an enjoyable daily experience.
Hire a Professional Organizer.
Edit the family room and your children grow. Also, consider giving your furniture room to breathe. Keep your furniture at least a few inches away from the walls to give your room an airier feeling.
Make good use of accent pieces. Some homeowners and designers alike focus on the “big” pieces in a room—things like couches, rugs, dressers, and tables—and forget about the small things. Accent pieces are a great way to make a room feel more personalized and more visually interesting, so keep an eye out for things like bowls, books, and other decorations you can use to jazz up shelves and coffee tables.
Make your office work for you. Spend some time and purchase smart pieces to support you in making your work day productive and healthy for your body given the long hours you may be sitting at your desk.

Let’s Connect

deborah von donop interior kitchen designer greenwich , CT blogger and coach

Whether you are looking to reinvigorate your space or just want to talk design, we would love to introduce you to some of our work and discuss how we can help.

I can help you with a refresh, setting up a new home, or advice on a renovation for your home. Call me for a consultation. Let me turn your decorating experience into a positive one.

Contact me here.