Many people choose to make resolutions to improve their life and use the fresh start of the new year to achieve their goals. Often times, you will find people hope to lose weight, learn a new skill, or to improve their finances. While these are all wonderful things to focus on, we should not forget to also work on our interior spaces. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is the value and importance of home and family. I think we should make 2021 the year to improve our homes and I have come up with a few ideas to get you started!

Create a Designated Home Office

If you or your family are STILL are working from your dining room table or kitchen island, it is time to carve out a designated space for a home office. The trend of working from home will only continue to rise in the future and it is very important to have a space where you and your family can be comfortable and focus on your work.

Remodel a Bathroom

An entire home remodel can be expensive and overwhelming, so sometimes it is best to take it room by room. One of the best places to start is with an outdated bathroom. Give it some new life with updated tile, plumbing and lighting fixtures, and a new vanity.

Organize your Closet

We are all guilty of neglecting our closets! If you don’t have a built-in closet system, it is time to invest in one! They help to keep your closet organized and while you are pulling out all your clothes for the install, it is the perfect time to go through and get rid of old pieces you no longer want or need! I always tell myself that the more I get rid of, the more there is room for new pieces.

Update your Look

If you have an old, cheap or worn out piece of furniture in your home, it is time to REPLACE it! You do not need to hold on to anything that isn’t adding to the aesthetics of your home. Upholstery is usually one of the items that can get worn down quicker than others so you should consider replacing or reupholstering anything with stains or tears in it.

Refinish a Furniture Piece

Some of us have antique pieces, sentimental items, or great curbside finds that may be an eyesore in our home but are worth keeping! If so, it is time to refinish or paint that piece and bring it back to its former glory! I find it can be a lot of fun to get your hands dirty and pour your heart into making an old piece look new again. Check out Pinterest for TONS of great ideas on how to accomplish this!

Finish an Incomplete Project

Are any of you guilty of a half-finished project? I think most of us are, so this is the year to finish them! Pick up your hammer and finish building that piece of furniture, hanging that art piece or fixing that plumbing work that is still on your to-do list. With all this extra time spent indoors these days, there is no excuse for a project left unfinished!

Transform a Room

If you have a room in your house that you don’t use very often, consider all the ways you can make it functional again. Whether it becomes a guest room, office, workout room, craft room or a gaming area, find something you can do to make it useful again. If your rooms are all functioning well but haven’t been updated in a while, then it is time to change up your look! Consider finding some new bedding, artwork, accessories, or a paint color change to make an old space look new again.

Deep Clean

This is the most dreaded task for everyone…the deep clean. This is the time where you should get on your hands and knees or bust out the tall ladder and get to work! I am talking about cleaning baseboards, tops of cabinets, ceiling fans, plant shelves, and under furniture. If you have lived in your home more than a year, then it is time! You will be surprised how much your home needed it and how good you will feel after it is all done.

As we continue to stay home and stay safe, many of you have probably considered taking on a few home projects. Now is the perfect time to focus on making improvements to make your home more functional and enjoyable. I always find that diving into a project helps to pass the time and keep yourself occupied.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to completely transform a room is with paint. I like to use lighter colors to keep the room feeling bright and open. I try to stick with 3 to 5 colors to encourage flow and to keep the home feeling cohesive. One of my favorite paint colors is Classic Grey by Benjamin Moore. It is the perfect off-white in my opinion because it has a little grey, a little cream, and reflects the colors around it (shown in the picture above).

Our closets tend to be one of the most neglected spaces in our home. I try to organize and declutter my closet at least twice a year. One tip that has always stuck with me is to turn all of your hangers around at the beginning of the year. Once you wear the garment, return the hanger to its original position. If you haven’t worn something in a year and the hanger is still turned the opposite way, it may be time to donate!

We all have family photos or pieces of art lying around that we aren’t sure what to do with. I love hanging a gallery wall with personal photos or creating an art wall with coordinating pieces. I recommend laying the pieces out on the floor or even a large piece of butcher paper so you can play with the design until it’s perfect. To make it easier, outline the art on the butcher paper, mark the hanging spot, and tack the paper to the wall so you can make all of your holes at once.

If you are tired of the same look in your bedroom, try updating your bedding. I like to use a neutral base and then I can add on pillows and blankets with different colors and patterns on top to create a new look. This makes it easy to swap out pieces as you grow tired of them or change the look for each season.

Pantries are a simple space to tackle and can easily be organized with storage containers, baskets, and labels. If you are someone who likes to change up what’s stocked in your pantry, try using chalkboard labels. This organizational system is a great tool for keeping track of food that has gone bad and keeps items all in view so nothing gets hidden in the back.

Do you have several accessories and decor pieces floating around that you haven’t used in a while? Try rearranging your bookshelves to bring new life to your home and change up the look of your space. It is amazing what a few little changes can do to revive a room.

If your home came with some lighting fixtures that you don’t care for, it is time for an upgrade! There are so many shapes, finishes, and sizes of light fixtures that you can incorporate into your design. I love large pendants because they can be hung in pairs over a kitchen island or a dining room table to add visual interest.

Finally, I am sure most of you are working from home for the first time and many of you have probably set up shop on your dining room table. In my opinion, this can be uncomfortable and can be a distraction. This is the perfect time to find a dedicated home office space with a desk and an appropriate office chair. This will boost productivity and can be a great place to work at in the future.