A New Year A New Start

There is nothing really more exciting than a chance to start over, right?  Well, now is your chance, as you put away your current holiday decorations you’ll decide what to keep and what to toss; adding new things to your storage containers and labeling them so you will know what is in there next year.  I take it one step further and identify boxes with the season and then label the contents as table top items or tree decorations.  These decorations go to the back of the closet and spring will be nearest the front once winter passes.

Before you put out all the things you usually display on your table tops and walls, why not rethink what you would like to see for the next several months.  Do you have a great painting that has been stashed in the closet or under the bed?  Pull it out and see if you wouldn’t like it out now, maybe it will inspire you to paint a wall or a room.  Colors in artwork are a great place to start when deciding what color to paint a room.  Don’t forget the bathroom is a great place to put artwork, as long as it’s not likely to be damaged by humidity.  Posters and other fun or funky artwork can give a drab bathroom a lift.

Before you put out the toss pillows you stored while you had your holiday pillows out, take a careful look and decide if your sofa pillows should be replaced with a different color or couple of colors.  If your sofa and chairs are a solid color this is always an easy way to change for the seasons, go graphic and bold with your pattern and colors, maybe add an area rug to carry the color throughout the room. If you have a pattern on your sofa, look for a color to either compliment or contrast with what you have to work with in the upholstery and add a few pieces of interest in these new colors, like candles or books.

Look to make your home a peaceful refuge, find a comfortable chair, pull in a lamp for reading and a small table to set a cup of tea on and take the time to look through your holiday correspondence, read a book or catch up on your magazine subscriptions if you found no time to read during the holidays; it’s time to refresh and begin again with a fresh New Year.

May 2010 be a happy and prosperous year for you and your families.