Undecorating
Undecorating Can be as Effective and Fun as Decorating
If you're thinking about giving your home a new look forget about decorating and focus on undecorating. Undecorating is basically taking out a lot of clutter and busy distractions, those things that we all accumulate over time. Undecorating is also the process of removing old interior decorating trends and "neutralizing" your home.
An undecorated room can be really comforting and relaxing. Imagine coming home after a hard day of work and seeing soothing neutral colors with no clutter and visual distractions. Then imagine not having to navigate through a maze of furniture and toys to get to the recliner. Sounds pretty good doesn't it?
Begin undecorating as you'd begin decorating. Take a good, hard look at the room you'll be tackling. Now, instead of imaging new items coming into the room, focus on the busy elements, the distractions, items that interrupt the flow of the room.
Look at tops of bookcases, entertainment centers and fireplaces. Are they littered with vases, knickknacks, photos and other odds and ends? If so then remove them all. Some may go back up later, but for now everything must go.
Examine your fabrics. Are your curtains solid or patterned, the same goes for your furniture. If you are looking at a lot of patterns consider taking the intensity down a notch by covering them with slipcovers (I say this with a bad taste in my mouth because I hate slipcovers, but they do serve a purpose), or having your furniture reupholstered, or simply buy some new furniture. Plaids and florals can make a big statement but it can also be a visual workout. Neutrals will not give you the same statement but a solid in a rich color will.
What do your walls look like? Do you have wallpaper or a faux finish? These trends have seen better days (also a painful thing for a faux finisher to admit) but solid walls with color are very popular and can really enhance the feel of your room. Slide your color scheme toward neutrals or toned down colors and you'll be amazed at the difference. For example, bright mustard or pumpkin yellow has been popular for a few years and it's a great color, but if you want to make your home more soothing choose a new color that's several shades lighter and softer. You don't want to do a bright light yellow but maybe a softer, more muted mustard shade, or commit to a big change and select a neutral buff color.
Another big step in undecorating is adding storage. It seems counter productive to be adding but a window seat or a coffee table and end tables with enclosed storage can help remove some of the clutter that keeps coming back. Living rooms have remote controls, and usually a television guide, a few magazines, etc. These items keep coming back no matter how often you put them away, so find a home for them that keeps clutter hidden. Throw magazines into a lidded footstool. Get shelves with doors and hide your video collection while providing a place to tuck your remotes at the end of the day. And kids toys - let's just say if there is a place that's easy to toss them into then they're more likely to get put away.
Once you've undecorated and neutralized your room you can add a few small touches. But do it in a soothing way. Instead of a jumble of frames on the mantle, frames of all sizes and shapes, buy a bunch of matching frames and mount them on the wall in a regular pattern, lets say a grid of 4x3. Then keep your mantle clean and empty.
If you'd like to add more color or visual interest think about adding a solid colored rug or throw blanket or pillows. Keep the colors solid but add interest by varying the textures.
A simplified room will seem cleaner and be easier to clean. You will also notice a more relaxed, peaceful feeling when you come into a visually uneventful room.
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