Springtime is the perfect time to declutter and deep clean your living room. Outside the birds are building nests, the bees are buzzing around the blueberry bushes and bulbs are blooming everywhere.
It’s time to de-winterize the living room and put some spring into it.
Check in with your vision
Get back in touch with how you want to use this space. Do you:
· Entertain
· Eat
· Read
· Listen to music
· Watch TV
· Play games
Only have in this space the items that support those activities.
As for me, my living room is truly a place where I live and spend a lot of time. I start my day there with my cup of coffee and the newspaper. Later in the day my husband settles into his burgundy chair to read the paper, muse, and work on the crossword puzzle. We come together to eat our lunch and catch up. And then in the evening when I shut down for the day, we relax here and maybe watch some TV.
I want this area to feel inviting, comfortable, and embracing both to my husband and myself and to my friends who visit. I want to exhale when I walk in. I want my friends to feel comfortable enough to kick off their shoes and stay a while.
List what needs to be done
What are some things that can be done to align my living room with the vision?
· Put away winter accessories
· Clean windows, blinds, and the front door so light can pour in
· Declutter excess reading materials – books stacked, overflowing magazine basket, old newspapers
· Clean out the fountain so it bubbles freely
· Have upholstery and the rug cleaned
· Clean and wax wood furniture
Schedule times to work on your plan
Pull out the calendar and assign dates and times to work on the plan.
For me, I first schedule to have the rug and upholstery professionally cleaned. I find it easiest to work one wall of the room at a time. One week I work on the wall that houses the entertainment center. During that week I will pull out all DVDs and purge ones I no longer want. The magazine basket is also there so I will toss old magazines, putting aside some for a friend. Another week I work on the window wall which also has the front door and the fountain. A third week I work on the couch wall along with the coffee table. The last week will be the time to finish up anything that didn’t get done.
I allow wiggle room because I know life happens and some tasks will need to be re-scheduled. I want to work this plan without overwhelm.
Celebrate
Once I have worked my plan, I will celebrate by putting out some fresh flowers. I will light a pastel candle and enjoy my space.
By using a Zone Plan I will not deep clean this area for another year but to keep my area clean I will follow a maintenance plan. On a regular basis I will sweep and dust and each morning before I sit down with the paper, I will do a sweep of the room and put away anything that has been left out.
If you are struggling with completing an organizational project and want some help or accountability, join Diane Quintana and me in our Clear Space for You virtual support group. Each month everyone in the group chooses what project they want to complete.
Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, author of four books as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.