Day 17 of the January Money Diet – Improve Your Personal Space

“He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Today’s challenge is to think about how you could improve one space in your home this month. Perhaps you’d like to focus some attention on the room where you spend a lot of time, such as your bedroom, your home office or your kitchen. Or maybe the family room looks a little worse for wear after the holidays and you’d like to spruce up the space. Just pick one room to focus on in the coming two weeks.

Notice how the most appealing photos in home magazines and real estate listings show rooms that are organized and devoid of clutter. With that in mind, look at your room with an eye for eliminating Stuff so that you can highlight a few possessions you really love.

Deep clean the room. Mop the floors. Polish the furniture. Wash the windows. Tighten hardware. Dig around under the sink and use some of those specialty cleaning products lingering there (I’m just guessing.) Do what you can with what you have.

Organize the storage spaces. Professional organizers suggest removing everything from the drawer or shelf or whatever area you’re tackling. Next, envision only those things you need in the space to function properly. Carefully add only those items back in, and move or eliminate any things that are left over.

For a new look, rearrange the furniture and artwork.

Try to bring an organic element into the room; this was one of our tricks when I was the publisher of a home design magazine. Something natural instantly adds life to a room. It could be as simple as a beautiful branch, or a large seashell from your vacation, or a tray of found objects that you pick up on a walk.

For inspiration, check out some creative design sites like Apartment Therapy, HGTV’s Design on a Dime and these great tips from Country Living. If you get busy, be sure to let us know about your efforts!

P.S. In case you’ve just joined us, the January Money Diet is a challenge to take a 31-day break from nonessential spending. You can learn more about the money diet here — and jump right in!

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Win a Deluxe Happy Simple Living Gift Basket

In honor of the January Money Diet, I’ll be giving away a gift box chock-full of home and garden goodies including a signed copy of my newest book 101 things To Do With Bacon. On January 31, 2012, I’ll draw one random name from everyone who commented during the month and that lucky person will win the gift basket. I hope you’ll stop by often this month and share your own ideas, thoughts and experiences about taking a 31-day break from nonessential spending.

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