Fresh Start: Resolutions for the Home
In this guest post, writer, researcher, and interior enthusiast Nafeesah Allen shares her favorite products for keeping your home organized.
Here at Schoolhouse, we believe that the new year is the perfect time time to start thinking about home resolutions. While personal goals like spending quality time with family are commendable, it takes reorganizing your day and your space to ensure those changes last. Establishing new habits can often require a bit of a push at first, which is why we believe that re-organizing your home will support personal growth throughout every season.
A good way to get your home ready for spring is by ridding yourself of the things you no longer need. Begin by going room-by-room and boxing things up that need to be rehoused. We know it can be easy to do one room and lose steam, so a good way to stick with it is by setting a plan and putting it on the calendar. We love using the 2024 Big Picture Calendar to decide which room to tackle on which days. It's also helpful to schedule donation pick-ups, yard sales, bulk trash days too, so that these often forgotten tasks don't pile up and become overwhelming.
Finding more time for new hobbies and making memories with the people we love is always on the top of our home resolution list, and often that means spending less time in our digital worlds. Whether you want to go to bed earlier, spare your eyes, or just spend more time out in nature, putting your phone down is always a good first step.
Aside from limiting notifications, we suggest reducing your overall dependence on tech for everyday needs, like knowing the time. Go back to basics with an analog alarm clock on your bedside table or desk. The four-hand, yellow Wood Block Alarm Clock is perfect for kids and adults alike, and the display face on the Flip Clock is foolproof. Using stand-alone clocks will limit how often your phone distracts you from what matters most.
For an easy and impactful upgrade, consider updating your lighting or moving existing lamps to different areas in the room. For example, if you have a table lamp on a side table, move it to a console or if the lamp is small enough, display it on a bookshelf. Whatever your styling strategy, switching up your lighting doesn't have to include rewiring—work with portable lighting options like plug-in wall sconces, floor or table lamps for a quick home refresh.
Productivity gurus all say that you’ve got to start small to build up to big transformations. For example, if you want to work out more, you’ll need to put your sneakers and gym clothes where you can see them. You can use racks and hooks to strategically place items you’ll need in places where you can see them and use them. Anchor habits limit the excuses and help you avoid forgetting.
If your goals are onerous—like cooking at home more often or reading more books—you have to find ways to enjoy the entire process. After all, getting to the end isn’t really the point. To ensure that you're enjoying the journey, use the best supplies and fixtures that inspire you to keep coming back. For foodies, get funky colored pots and pans like the red or yellow Kobenstyle Casserole Dish and Saucepan, to make light work of complicated recipes.
For avid readers, don’t derail your decluttering efforts or spend too much time glued to a screen. Create an inspired place to enjoy every page. For an inviting reading corner, stack your upcoming reads under the Juniper Isaac Floor Lamp, atop the green Telephone Table, or on the edge of your Milo Sofa. This dedicated space will have you kicking up your feet up on the ottoman for an amazing day of page turning.
If you've been putting off renovations to your home, maybe it's time to start thinking about trying to get things done in time for spring. Whether you’ve been considering a complete rehab, or just a mini-makeover, small but important touches can make you fall in love with your home all over again. Swap out outdated dining chairs for our uniquely classic Bentwood Caned Chairs, or toss a few new throw pillows on your sofa. Rather than opt for a major overhaul, start with small accents the like sprucing up your walls. Try our limited edition wall art from Anthony Burrill, or Leah Giberson’s playful lawn-chair print to add a touch of whimsy to your space.
Going eco-friendly can seem daunting, but with anything meant to last–the change should be incremental. Choose cotton shower curtains, recycled glassware, recyclable containers, and wooden homewares over plastic. Convert to LED lights indoors and out, especially in garages and outdoor motion detectors. In addition to cleaning air filters and checking ventilation ducts for clogs between seasons, opt for some new planters and add big green leafy plants in every bedroom to improve the overall air quality. These foundational purchases can help turn the tide, as you transition to more earth-friendly alternatives.
Written by Nafeesah Allen