Get Organized Before Your Decorate
© L.C. Dumke
Have you ever tried to decorate or redecorate a room that is
completely and utterly out of order before you begin? Yeah, me too. I used to think it was very difficult, but now I think it's impossible. Then one day it hit me -- the reason we must organize before we decorate is because getting organized is a very important step in the decorating process.
After realizing this treasured bit of decorating wisdom, I had to learn how to get organized. It seems like a simple enough thing, and staying organized was quite easy when I was young and single and had few possessions. But now with a family and much more stuff, it's much more complicated. Luckily, it was the middle of the 1990s organizing craze when I set out looking for information. Wow -- did I find information! So I read and researched and I found it all so interesting, I've been following organizing trends ever since. And I'd like to share a few of my favorite ideas, geared toward simplifying your budget decorating efforts:
- To begin, tackle just one small room, or better yet, a single closet or even a drawer. Complete only that project on your first day, even if your organizing adrenaline is calling for more. Starting small helps you become acclimated to the idea of organizing.
- When you're organizing, have several boxes on hand so you can categorize and separate items as you go. Get rid of the trash box immediately, make arrangements to donate anything you're giving way, and as for the things you just don't know what to do with, see below....
- Gather all those items you really don't need but just can't part with. Box them up, tape the box shut and mark it with the date. Place the boxes in a storage area like your attic or basement. Then you just wait. Whatever you haven't retrieved from the box in 12 months, give it away or pitch it.
- When you find a decorating idea (photos, articles, etc.) you like, clip it. Keep the clips in a file for a while, until you have quite a few. Purchase a three-ring binder, a scrapbook or a large notebook. Separate your clips by room and tape them onto hole-punched paper (for the binder) or tape (or glue) them directly to the page (for the notebook and scrapbook.) When you find a paint sample, fabric swatch or anything else that inspires you, attach it to the same page.
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