As Spring approaches, advertisements abound for purchasing new furniture, blinds, curtains or home decor items to brighten a home’s interior. Many home interior articles address redecorating a home, but fail to mention that the first steps in home décor should be cleaning and decluttering. Doing these two steps results in a more serene, harmonious environment, thus, in and of itself, brightening a home’s interior. Also, after decluttering and cleaning, new items purchased will look more appealing than in an overcrowded, dirty room.
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If there isn’t enough time to clean and declutter everything, then pick the most cluttered, visible, or used area. Note on a calendar dates and times available for tackling this project and divide into segments for different days–two hours to go through books, one hour to pare down magazines, another for clothes, etc. Pick up free boxes at grocery and discount stores, and purchase plastic bins for storing items. Make five piles for the clutter:
1) keep for this room
2) move to Tennessee another room
3) throw-away
4) donate
5) can’t decide.
Begin sorting through the piles of books, clothes, newspapers, etc. Don’t stop until finished. Once finished, place the items in the free boxes and purchased bins. Store your “can’t decide bin” for no longer than two weeks. Then, make a decision what to do with the contents. Once these tasks are completed, decide how to keep the room decluttered. All family members need to be instructed that in order for the room to remain neat and organized, everyone must pick up their stuff and put it where it belongs.
If mail, sweaters, and shoes are left in the room, find a permanent place to keep these. For instance, a storage ottoman works great for keeping an extra sweater or throw blankets handy. Designate an area near your exit door for sorting mail; place a wastebasket and filing baskets for outgoing and “to be filed mail” nearby. This allows sorting mail into groups: toss, mail, and file. The mail in the filing basket can then easily be moved to filing cabinets. Place a note on the entry door, “Shoes off at the door.” If the room has end tables with drawers, these work great for storing remotes and reading materials.
When finished decluttering, if walls need painted or wallpapered, pick a date and time on the calendar to do this. Once completed, Spring cleaning can begin. Polish and vacuum the furniture, and clean the floor. Wash throw rugs. Dirty curtains, blinds or window shades should also be cleaned. Feeling really ambitious? Clean the windows, ceiling fans, lamps, and overhead lights. Now, set a few silk flowers, plants, or candles around the room strategically enhancing corners or tables–don’t go overboard or the room will look cluttered again.
Now that decluttering, painting, and cleaning have been accomplished, it’s time to purchase bookcases and shelves. Home Decorators online store sells a variety of bookcases starting as low as $69. Place all of the books, DVDS, and CDs; saved in the “keep for this room” box or bin to these. Magazines can be transferred to rectangular or square baskets purchased from home decor or craft stores, such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.
Having a system for sorting and storing items, and placing notes to remind family members where items should be stored, can prevent a room from becoming cluttered. If the budget doesn’t permit purchasing new items, used ones can be obtained through classifieds (online and offline), thrift stores, consignment stores, antique and estate auctions. Antique and estate auctions in the area can be found at auctionzip.com. Go to their website, enter in a zipcode specifying the farthest distance to travel, and enter a keyword, such as “bookcase.” Hit enter, and voila! A calendar pops us listing all auctions for the month in the area you chose.
Another option, if skilled at carpentry, is constructing bookcases with free plans you can download from several websites–just do a search.
Repurposed items can also provide storage. For instance, a twin bookcase headboard sitting on top of a desk, provides excellent storage for CD’s, computer books, mailing labels, paper and notebooks. A coat or two of paint to match your desk or room decor will give the headboard the look of custom shelving.
Homes will change in the coming years. And I’m not just talking about green building. As the population ages, more and more products and designs are being influenced by the needs of the elderly.
What can you do to get a jump on this?
Whether you need to renovate your own home or your parent’s, these tips and ideas will help you with your planning. They will not only help make the home more livable for those in need, they will likely increase the home’s value in the long term. People will always treasure their independence and it starts with their homes.
Most of the ideas presented are inexpensive and cost effective to incorporate, as well as easy for most handy people to do themselves.
Making the Mobility Challenged More Independent
Here are several ideas, in no particular order, that have proven to be advantageous for those whose mobility has made living more challenging. When simple things become difficult, it often requires only simple changes to remedy them.
BATHROOMS
KITCHEN
THE HOME’S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
Naturally, there are more things that can be done. I hope that this gives you a good start in your preparations to consider the handicap remodel for your home.
Professional Help
If your remodel is more extensive and costly, it pays to use the services of building industry professionals. As always, I support owner builders and encourage the use of a home building coach.
Whichever way you go, a home improvement that favors the elderly will be worth your efforts. Do your research, make wise additions, and you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way as the years roll on.
