7 Inspiring Home Design Resolutions to Set for 2018 for a Happier Home

New year, new you, new home! While you’re busy thinking of resolutions for the new year, slip a few home-related ones onto the list. From promising to hack your organization to giving yourself room to take bolder design risks, ahead are a few ideas to get you brainstorming.

Every year we collect a mountain of clutter, usually without realizing it. A lamp is bought on sale here, a duplicate wine glass set is accidentally picked up there, a dog bowl somehow gets purchased even when you don’t have pets…who knows how all this stuff makes its way into our homes? This year, make it a resolution to streamline your home. Go from room to room and make the brave choice to cut all the things that you don’t need, toss all the broken or outdated pieces, and donate the accents that no longer excite you. You’ll be all the happier for it.

You don’t have to have an unlimited interior decorating budget in order to make more “adult” styling decisions. You just have to stop buying investment pieces in fast fashion stores and watching them disintegrate through the next 12 months. Buying cute accents from Target is perfectly fine. But when it comes to your sofas, dining room tables, and anything that will get a lot of wear and use throughout your lifetime, give yourself the time to save up and invest in a quality piece.

Other adult moves would be throwing out your jersey or microfiber sheets and buying quality thread counts instead (stores like TJMaxx and HomeGoods have great affordable options), upgrading your stemware so you can feel fancy when watching Netflix, and investing in a really luxurious sofa blanket so you can feel like Martha Stewart lounging during the weekend. That is, if the budget allows, of course.

Here’s the thing with buying something that’s kiiiind of what you wanted, but not exactly. Chances are you won’t be satisfied with it and will end up replacing it within a year. Instead, force yourself to be patient and give yourself time to save up for the real deal.

Do you hate the blinds in your bedroom? Are you sick and tired of the rug in the living room? Have you been itching to paint your kitchen cabinets? Make this the year you finally do it! Create a special account where you can slowly save up for the items you need to make it happen, and when you reach your goal, dive in and tackle that project. It will finally be off your list.

Have black kitchen cabinets with brass handles always intrigued you? Do you love busy wallpaper? Have you been secretly drooling over the idea of a powder pink sofa? Do all of these options sound amazing, but way too scary to try? Be brave! It’s fun to break out of the ol’ tried-and-true decorating formulas and, instead, listen to that voice inside you that whispers “I love it. Go crazy!” This year, allow yourself to indulge your instinct a little.

Is your closet a mess, but you also have no storage boxes or bins? Are your kitchen cabinets overflowing, but you have no organizers or food boxes? Is your entryway an unholy mess, but you never took the step to incorporate storage hacks? Make 2018 the year you become tidy, and do it with the help of targeted organizational pieces. Once everything gets a designated home, you’ll be shocked how easy it is to stay organized. Because tidying up truly is magical.

While there’s something super satisfying about buying a new love seat or a set of kitchen chairs, the small details are just as fun. Make it the year of polishing up the little things. Get coordinating bed sheets or towels. Buy a cohesive entertainment set, with fun new stemware and plates and accent dishes. Stock up on cute tablecloths. Swap out old cabinet hardware for something more “in.” Little tweaks make a difference.

What would you add to this list? What do you hope to tackle in your home in 2018? Share in the comments below and inspire other readers.