Life comes in phases. And all these different stages of your life come with challenge, transition and exciting new beginnings. Sometimes upcoming new happenings in our lives are asking for change at home. Other times we like to make place for new upcoming opportunities by changing our environment at home. In both cases it comes almost naturally to start decluttering, reorganizing and redesigning our homes when we’re facing new beginnings.
A new phase of life can be organically determined by lifechanging happenings in your life. Think of getting married or divorced, welcoming a baby or becoming empty-nesters. And what about starting a new job, starting over after a difficult phase, moving abroad or changing home? Your life might be changing rapidly in a short amount of time.
Other times change may come from your personal desire to change lifestyle. You can feel the need to start over and welcome a new phase in your life. Because sometimes in life you may just feel stuck. You can have the feeling you need to do something to move you from the place you’re in, to the place you’d rather be, but you just can’t. Often, in times we feel stuck, this reflects also in different aspects of our life. At home for example you may:
Changing your surroundings sounds easier said than done. When you focus on making changes at home it may even be more difficult. Home is the place packed with emotionally loaded items, with memories in all sort of forms and shapes. How to start and what steps to take? As an organizer and designer I strongly believe in the next tree steps: Declutter – Organize – Design. Not always easy to do, but for sure a process that allows you to let go of the unnecessary, focus on the desired outcome and create your personal sense of wellbeing at home.
Whether you are in an organic transition into a new phase of life or you feel the need to change lifestyle, in both cases you could say that decluttering your space is a good way to start. Isn’t decluttering about letting go of what is not longer needed anymore, what has lost its purpose for this new stage of your life?
Decluttering is not an easy thing to do. There is an element of decision making to it, this will take some time and energy. Understanding the basics of decluttering will make it easier to decide what to keep and what to let go. Best advantage of decluttering is that by letting go of old and irrelevant items you not only create new space at home, you create space for new opportunities to come!
What all new beginnings have in common is the (re)evaluation of your values and priorities. What is truly important to you in this phase of our lives? What has been missing so far? What is it that needs to be added to create a sense of wellbeing again?
By reorganizing your space after decluttering you have the chance to give your home a new direction. Consider functionality, space planning and style. Focus on giving everything a specific place and everyone their personal space. By reorganizing according to your new phase of life you create an environment that supports your new lifestyle.
Being a professional offering interior design services, I know what a great feeling it is when a home feels good. Since the important functionality of your house has been defined in the previous stage now you can focus on the fun part: designing! Redesigning your rooms or home means surrounding yourself with new inspiring colours and materials. Personally I’m convinced that your house is not only a reflection of your inner world, but can also be of great encouragement for an inspiring lifestyle!
In my design philosophy I found a solution in custom design: designed to fit perfectly into the spaces of our home, balancing functionality and personal taste. Furniture that support your family life for example: items that will make daily routines easier and provide enough storage space. Not necessarily expensive design, but for sure out-of-the-box solutions, tailored around your lifestyle!
Whatever your personal situation is, in this particular phase of your life it is even more important to feel at home! What makes you feel at home? There are several simple things you can focus on when trying to create a sense of wellbeing at home. Think of the impact of colour, lighting and atmosphere on your mood. Read more about my 5 tips on how to feel at home (while living abroad).
Transition into a new phase of life brings change, chaos and excitement at the same time. Ready to face a new beginning but not sure where or how to start? I can assist you in the whole process of decluttering, (re)organizing and (re)designing your (new) house. Call or email me to discover if we’re a match. Looking forward to learn about your new beginnings!