New Decor for a New year

January is a time for setting goals and making plans for the year ahead. The typical resolutions of losing weight or saving money could be made a little easier when you feel proud of where you live. You deserve a beautiful home. There are four easy things to do - without spending a lot of money - which will help you love your home. A reasonable goal is to pick one or two of the suggestions below and finish that project in the next month. Enjoy the year with a fresh new look! These ideas can make a powerful impact on the way you feel about your home but are cost effective and affordable. As you take down your tree or other holiday decorations - do not place furniture back in the same location as it was before. Try something new. Now is the time to change it up and get a new perspective! Consider moving furniture between rooms. Maybe a chair for the bedroom will look great in the den. Maybe the den's leather couch can be switched with the family room's loveseat. Try to learn about and obtain some original artwork. A pet peeve of many professional decorators (myself included) is the mass produced art print. When I go to a client's houses, I just cringe when I see the exact same artwork I saw last week at a different client's home. Be original. It does not have to be expensive. I have even seen some high school student's art that has been extraordinary. You can even try eBay by searching under the phrase "self representing artists". Purchase some new accent pillows. Really big this year is pillows with textures and embellishments. Look for fringe, braiding, beads etc. Don't get matching pillows but rather coordinating pillows. Accent pillows can be added to just about every room. Place a unique pillow on the spare chair in the dining room corner. Place a new pillow on your bed. Maybe something new to greet you at the back door bench. Think intricate and lavish - not solid and plain. The number one change you can make for the New Year is to declutter. Go through one room at a time to sort into the toss, sell or giveaway piles. Areas to declutter include old clothes, food in the cupboards, expired medications, and magazine piles. An important goal you can make is to declutter and give yourself more space without building on a new room to your home.