In April, I mentioned we had started a list of renovations for updating our home. I had even gone as far as short listing some builders to do the work.

And then in May, I mentioned the shortage of building and therefore the hight cost of building supplies, and my intention to focus on home maintenance.

And now it’s June, and I’m sure I’ll get to that. But in the meantime, I started looking for less convoluted and expensive ways to change your house.

1. Declutter

Not sure about you, but over the last twelve months, in and out of lockdown, I’ve accumulated a lot of… well… junk.

Not sure how that happened.

But life grows and changes, so it’s time for another round of throwing stuff out.

I find empty spaces are more calming than cluttered spaces, especially first thing in the morning.

So after everything else that’s happened, I’m looking forward to getting rid of things that take up space and don’t make me happy.

2. Rearrange the Furniture

I rearranged my library a little while ago, and it literally gave me a new perspective.

Instead of looking into a wall, I now look out at the birds in the trees. An ever changing work of art.

And symbolically, it’s made me more outer focused as well, which makes a difference to my inner landscape.

It’s an effort, but there’s no cost to updating your home in this way.

3. Art

Along with swapping the furntiture around, try swapping out your art. At least the art that you haven’t decluttered yet. And if you don’t have Art (per se) then I’m sure you have souveniers and postcards, and other lovely things that remind you of a more open life.

And if you have bookshelves, you could rearrange them so the spines make a different pattern.

4. Make Your Lounge Room “Special”

Not quite the right word, but given you spend a lot of time there, try to keep it clean and comfortable.

Maybe even focus your art in there.

Or buy some cuhions or throws to spruce it up. Or lamps and scented candles for a change of persepctive.

5. Do Something that Makes You Feel Wealthy

When I was in my early twenties, earning a pittance, I used to by fresh flowers to enjoy the feeling of wealth. I also added a $50 note to my wallet, but that’s a different kind of blog post.

The point is to enjoy something that lifts your every day out of the ordinary and into the luxurious.

Flowers might not be the thing for you, you might prefer fresh baked bread, or a crate of fruit from an orchard.

Bonus Tip for Working from Home

Get some new office supplies to jazz up your desk. Maybe a fancy tray to put a new stapler and hole punch on. Some fancy pencils, or a new fountain pen. Perhpas a new notebook or stationary.

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So. It doesn’t have to be hard, or expensive. And small changes can make a big difference to your outlook.

So take another look at your spaces, and see what you can do to make a difference.