Hmm, I don’t know what it is, maybe that two-and-a-half-month remodeling of the basement or could it be that my kids were making huge messes all summer long, but somehow my house is chaotic! I just want one of those houses that looks pretty, put together, and organized all the time, is that too much to ask? When the kids were younger I was so good at tidying up daily and staying on top of the ins and outs of the house, but right now I feel like it’s just gotten so away from me. How do I get it back?
Lack of motivation aside (which honestly has been plaguing me lately), I need to just make a list and stick to it. Not just some puny to-do list, but like a full on punch list that includes all the minutia that drives me crazy and is just begging to be addressed. For example, messy cupboards in the kitchen, chipped paint on the cabinets, the dust between radiators and paint drips on molding that need to be sanded and repaired.
I want this house to feel like the house we have worked so hard for and not the through-it-in-a-pile-and-don’t-think-about-it space that it is now.
I’m starting with my garage and my living room. The garage was stacked and packed with a bunch of stuff that we had been storing from the basement. Earlier this week I pulled all that stuff out from the garage and placed it in the middle of my backyard and have been slowly picking my way through it.
I also attacked the living room as seen in these pics. I pulled out all the furniture and rearranged it, cleaned everything including the radiators, woodwork, and upholstery on the furniture. It feels so good to start this process and gives me encouragement to soldier on.
If you guys are cool with it, I might just share with you some of these minor victories over the next few weeks. Maybe you guys are feeling the itch too, and maybe we can all get in and really clean up our houses together?? Tell me what you think? Feel free to post or send pics too. I’d love to see what you guys are getting into.
Yes, please! I’m just hitting the tail end of a huge kitchen remodel, and I’ve just lost all energy to hit the ball out of the park and just be done. My contractors are great, but after cooking out of boxes and having to store everything everywhere, I’m burned out. And I don’t have kids to blame! I will feel as though I have a compadre!
Cool! It’s on AND I totally feel your pain. Our basement was nothing like a kitchen remodel and I can only imagine the chaos you are going through. Hang in there, you’ll have a sweet new kitchen in the end.
Huzzah! The electrical inspection is passed. Now, we just have to have the final building one done, and it’s finished. I got motivated to start moving through the process. Made a list with the to-dos broken down, and I finished quite a number of them. I’ve even been organized enough to make several meals in the new space. Get to rope the Chap into helping to move some of the awkward things tonight. Little does he know…heh!
“I want this house to feel like the house we have worked so hard for and not the through-it-in-a-pile-and-don’t-think-about-it space that it is now.” Yes. I’d love to read about your small victories!
Can I ask for a source on your couch? How does it sit for you? I’m desperate to get rid of “Big Red” in my tiny living room (a free score of the century that filled its place at the time but never felt like the right fit for me.) The living room is narrow and very cozy with a pellet stove in the fireplace, but has limited seating opportunities. I’ve determined that a couch and a loveseat are the best options for maximizing social sitting, and I would prefer something smaller in scale so as to both fit my frame better and fit better in the context of my dainty room. Also, what are your feelings on matching or not matching the sofa and loveseat, both in style or color? (Apparently, I’m in need of a style intervention!) So far, I’ve found a lot to love about West Elm’s Peggy sofa, but I’m feeling very gun shy.
Hey Meg! The sofa is from Room & Board, it’s the Andre, and so far so good. I think that picking a sofa is such a hard decision, and although I love this sofa, I feel like if I bought a new one today, I might choose something a bit different. People on the internetz like to say the Andre sofa has saggy sofa cushions, but I disagree. I just flip those cushions and fluff them up, opening the zippers and readjusting them every few weeks and they have looked as good as the day they were delivered. We’ve had the sofa for 3.5 yeas (FYI).
Regarding your sofa matchy/different situation here is what I have to say. Some people can pull off the mis-matchy look, but don’t know if I could. It seems like so much pressure to pick the right sofas for the right room. It’s such a huge investment that I would just collapse under the pressure and get two sofas that were the exact same and I might consider getting them done in different fabric. In my living room the sofa is different then the chair but I have them in the same exact fabric just different colorways.
PS, I like the look of that peggy sofa very much, I don’t think you should be too gun shy of that style, plus tufting always rules.
i need all the motivation i can get… i love the idea of starting over… which is what a thorough cleaning can do. i love this space so much… and only yesterday i was wanting to paint everything white!! this color is fabulous!
Hey Beth! I feel you, I love the look of all the white things, but it just wouldn’t fly in the main floor of my house. I tried it for a hot second, and it just didn’t feel right. Plus I absolutely adore the moodiness of dark blue all the things.
i feel you. the end is in sight for summer break, and i always go crazy cleaning and streamlining once the yahoos are back in school. the quiet is good for my soul, and bad for the clutter.
Michele, I’m sure that has so much to do with it. I don’t realize how much those short people can aggravate my flow. I am anxious to tackle it all!
Share away! I have original stained woodwork as well in my NE Minneapolis – what’s your preferred method for cleaning? Murphy Oil Soap?
Hey Lea. I am a very bad woodwork cleaner. I should do better. Usually I use liquid gold for no other reason than thats what my parents used. What do you use and do you like it? How do you feel about your woodwork? It’s taken me a long time but I finally appreciate mine, I think…
Though kid and remodel free, I can’t keep my house clean this summer. Every time I finally get it picked up, we go away for 2 weekends in a row, and take 3 days to unpack, the fridge is empty, then too full, and every hiding space is exploding and needing to be purged and sorted. I blame summer. My back yard it just way more interesting to me right now with my short free time than the damn clutter piles. All the same, I would appreciate some encouraging posts, progress and motivation. It’ll get chilly, and I’ll need something to do when I am forced to transition indoors. Any tips on radiator cleaning? That is a must-do this fall. Ish. Meg
You are right Meghan! It’s not just the kids and the remodel (although they add quite a bit for me) it’s the crazy busy-ness of summer. I love summer, but this year it felt out of control. I don’t even know what I did – sounds like you feel the same way. I wish I had a sec to give to my backyard, I feel like I gave up on it half way through the summer. I wish I had a garden re-do this year, I suppose that will have to be next year ;) Good for you for making time to love yours up!
i’m right there with you…if only my house would be tidy i would feel sooooo much better!!! love your photobooth frames…i’ve been wanting to do the same thing with mine. can you share how you did them? love you blog!!! i dream about your backyard and hammock, all lush and green. we are having a serious drought for way too long in california!
Hey, Thanks so much Amy! Here is the link to how I framed the photobooth pics. I actually have another round of them that I need to get in a frame before too long.
Gawd – my apartment is currently the throw-it-in-a-pile-and-don’t-think-about-it space. Such an accurate description. My boyfriend literally just walked in saying “I’d like to clean up for a little bit”. I would love for you to share your small victories so that I can feel better about mine. Share away!
Gabriela! You might be sorry, I think I might over share ;)
I’m definitely in favor of hearing about minor victories. I recently read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and I’m on a tidying kick. I would love to get inspiration from you! Also, I recommend that book if you are in the mood for tidying!
Hey Caitlin, I totally bought that book a few months ago, it is currently sitting in one of my house piles…
I have neither children nor a remodel on my plate (but would love to have both!), and I rent and so my itchy fingers aren’t really allowed to fix the (many, many) things that need fixing, so I would love to see you post about your tidying up! Plus, design/DIY/decor blogs are obsessed with the big reveals and huge projects, but the vast majority of us live with the small items of day-to-day maintenance and upkeep, and it would be lovely to see some of that here. I love your “voice” here on your blog, and I know that if you chose to write about watching your paint dry I would read it and love it. ^_^
Thanks so much, AnnMarie! That’s so nice of you to take the time to let me know you like the blog :) I love big projects as much as the next guy, but I think the most satisfying projects can be the little ones – tackling a project like recaulking around the bath tub can feel so good, and its something you can do whether you rent or own.
Do it! Love it! So inspired by your style – especially those green walls!
Thanks, Hannah! I love those walls too!
I have been on the market for a new couch. I am having such a hard time to pull the trigger between the Reese or Andre from Room and Board. Can you share the color and fabric on your Andre? And if you don’t mind me asking why you would buy something a bit different now?
Hey Linda, The fabric colors were called “Dawson Cement” and “Dawson Bone”. I second guessed my decision at the sofa store. For a split second we thought about getting a different sofa on the fly and that has never made our sofa purchase feel 100% perfect. It’s probably all in my head, we do love the look and the comfort of the sofa.
My house is currently a mess too! My roommates and I have been in the process of redecorating so everything is just kind of everywhere. I’ve been so busy lately that it’s been hard to motivate myself to bring it to order. However, I can’t stand for it to be such a mess much longer! Definite cleaning and decorating is needed!
Come along with me ;) It will feel so good and fresh when it all comes together!
drink the kool-aide and order “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”
I got my house crazy clean in a week and now actually am at a little bit of a loss as to do with the time I used to spend cleaning. I should probably take up a hobby or smoking…
Ha! Okay, Okay! I actually own the book but haven’t made the time to read it.. Maybe that will be my next project before I can continue on with everything else, that is if you really swear that I can clean my entire house in a week.
Yes, please! We just realized we’ve been in our first home for one full year (!!!) and we still have a few rooms we close the doors to because things are still stacked up. The motivation has been lacking here as well, even though, as you say, it’s a house we’ve worked hard for. And we would love to share it with our friends and family! So I’d love to see your posts as encouragement to get my ass in gear. :)
Yeah! Congrats on your first year. Glad to hear so many of you are on board. It is something that all us homeowners work hard for, and I do need to get better at making it look that way.
I just discovered your blog! Great posts, and holy moley, I love this paint color! You have a gorgeous house!
Thanks so much, Kate!
Hi, your living room is stunning! Looks right out of a magazine :)! I love your rug, the blue one and the white crisscross one. May I ask where you got them from?
Your space is absolutely divine! I’ve been mulling over different paint colors for my living room and kitchen and I love this. Do you mind me asking what color this is?
I also want to know the paint color!