If you are following my zone plan for organizing your house, this is the month for your living room/ dining area. It will be great to have this area refreshed and organized in time for spring.
I always start the process by reviewing my vision for the area I am tackling. Has anything changed with my vision since I last worked here?
For my living room I still entertain, eat, read, listen to music, and work on some projects. Nothing major has changed in my vision since last year.
I want this room to feel inviting, comfortable, and unwinding to my friends who visit as well as when I am alone. I want the room to be embracing. I want to be able to exhale when I walk through the front door. I want my guests to put their feet up and their drinks down and relax and stay awhile.When I sit on my sofa, I want to see things that make me smile and happy to be here.
As I work through the different zones in this room, I will continually find those things that I no longer love or that no longer support my vision.
I will go through the closet, getting rid of a jacket here, a hat there, an extra umbrella. In the credenza that holds supplies for my parties and entertaining, I will toss out some candles I no longer want, a set of paper napkins that I don’t need, some old Easter grass. My entertainment center will be purged of music CDs that are not played anymore.
Winter looking accessories like the nut bowl will be changed out for something lighter. The books on the bookcase will get the “once over” to see if they are still used or loved. Maybe I can open up more space for a new art object.
By the end of the month when I finish this zone, I will celebrate! I will have some friends over for dinner and set a beautiful table with spring flowers.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer