You may not have the time or money to redo a whole room in your home, but that doesn't mean you can't make small upgrades that will help you get out of a decorating slump. Upgrade to matching hangers for your closet, buy some fresh flowers, or get a new set of sheets. Click below for more ideas.
• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. According to the government's Energy Star program, if every American household replaced one standard bulb with a CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of 800,000 cars. Click here to read about the environmental benefits of switching to compact fluorescent.
• If you're still using mismatched wire hangers from the dry cleaner, upgrade to a matching set to keep clothes organized and in good condition. Image above via Henry Hanger.
• Switch out ugly switch plates to a more attractive style. (Click here for a few options.) Or take it one step further and upgrade to a dimmer switch, like the Lutron Diva Dimmer (shown above).
• Fresh flowers bring new life into your home, and they smell great. Image of Tiger Lilies above via Hall Florist.
• Declutter your mail and magazines, then organize the rest in a magazine rack. For suggestions, check out Janel's top ten list.
• Change your old grimy PVC shower curtain liner out for a machine-washable version. Two places to look for options: Heather's popular post on Target's White Waffle Weave Shower Curtain and Janel's post on Plastic Shower Liner Alternatives.
• If you haven't already, upgrade to green cleaning products. Since you use cleaning products almost every day, this is one of the most important changes you can make in your home.
• Replace worn-out sheets and use the old ones for rags. Click here for a few recommendations for new bamboo sheets.
Top image from All About Eve's Fall Cure Closet.
Copyright © 2007 Apartment Therapy
I promise you -- matching hangers is so happy-making. And not wire ones!!!
view readingglasses's profile
"are" so happy-making ... sheesh ...
view readingglasses's profile
actually, you were initially correct if you were saying that 'matching' is so happy-making!
but if it's 'matching hangers'...well, shame on you! [only kidding]
i learned from my college roommate to only buy white hangers. that saved me lots of decision making moments over the past decade. but every now and then i throw in a few wooden ones which i think still look good in the mix.
view miss's profile
I though dimmer switches were incompatible with compact fluorescent light bulbs. What's a person to do?
view chrisB's profile
If you have a fabric shower-curtain, buy a silly printed liner for a hidden morning smile. Mine has rows of rubber ducks. One should take the "good taste" thing only so far...
view Taureg's profile
LOL! A friend sent me the link to this post, that's my walk-in! I can,t help but gloat ehehe... :)
Those are cheap Ikea hangers, they cost something like 2 bucks for 5 of them. They're not very good with heavy coats but they love my Adidas jackets.
I'm doing the same thing in my bedroom closet, but this time I'm color-coding: green hangers for t-shirts, wooden ones for pants, black for shirts, etc.
view Eve in Hochelaga's profile
The inconsistency of this site is really truly amazing. Switch out wire hangers for plastic? Geesh. Plastic is a petroleum product. Ditching your PVC liner? That oughta look dandy in a landfill along with your switch plates. And what about those fancy "green" cleaners? More petroleum packaging. Bamboo sheet sets? Let's hope they come from local bamboo, maybe the kind grown in New Haven or Newton? (I am glad that I am not this schizo.)
view Kurt's profile