Everyone’s heard of a spring clean and new year’s resolutions, but if you ask us, the turn of every season, including Autumn, is the perfect point to hit the refresh button on your home. There’s a feeling that anything is possible when the air starts to crispen (Ok, this might not be as noticeable in Queensland) that makes us want to take stock, put a little work in and set us up to succeed for the remainder of the year ahead.
We really believe everyone should love where they live, so here are our top tips to breathe new life into your home this Autumn.
Create the space(s) to thrive
One of the easiest ways you can shake things up when springing (or autumn-ing) into a new season is by taking stock of your home’s floorplan and figuring out if there’s a smarter way to make its spaces work for you and your family. A little bit of mindfulness about how you use each room combined with some creative thinking can work wonders in transforming your home into the perfect place to help you smash all your life goals.
It’s usually pretty easy to tweak the purpose of an existing room, creating a multi-functional space that gives you more bang for your buck.
Many homes will have a laundry with direct access to outdoor space. Why not turn this area for cleaning clothes into a room that also ring-fences the mucky ones? Install hanging space for dog walking jackets or sweaty sports kits and a shoe rack for muddy boots in one corner and it can become a dual-function mudroom AND laundry, as well as a relaxed point of entry for family without having to worry about messing up the main entrance. If you have room, popping in a bench is an excellent idea, so you can sit down to strip off.
Why have a spare bedroom sitting empty most of the time? By installing a sofa bed that can be easily folded away, you can turn it into a home office or gym when there are no guests to entertain and have an additional space to just chill by curling up on that sofa with a good book. Or give it over as a playroom in which to corral the kids. Turn a wall into a bank of storage space to pop the toys, gym equipment or work files away when you have folks over for the weekend.
A garage is also a great spot to convert into a home gym or tinkering workshop (or both!).
Achieving better work/life balance
Sometimes we need to do less, not more, when re-jigging how our home works. Goodness knows that the last few years have underlined the importance of carving out dedicated space in which to flourish.
Many of us have become accustomed to working from home these last few years, and some have even come to love it. But even die-hard workaholics need to switch off if they want their homes to be peaceful places where they can recharge.
That’s why it’s ideal to have a dedicated study/home office space, so you can close the door and step away from the daily grind. As noted above, this can also be an underused zone, like a spare bedroom. As far as possible, it shouldn’t be the corner of a lounge room or bedroom where you’ll struggle not to jump back on to check emails if you can see it from the sofa or your bed. That way you can never truly disconnect.
Freshen up
We’ll treat our hands and faces to a little love with our favourite lotions and potions and spritz ourselves with cologne or perfume when we need a pick-me-up, but we often forget to do the same for our homes. The thing is, freshen up your home and it has the same effect on our bodies too.
You can take some really simple steps to achieve this autumnal zhuzh-up. Pot plants are pretty much the easiest way to feel fresher. Not only do they look beautiful, adding a soothing splash of lush green to any interior. They also help improve the air quality of our indoor spaces too. You can build on this boost by investing in a dehumidifier, which helps remove excess moisture, reduces the likelihood of mould and unwanted odours, and combats allergens.
Spark that joy
Reality bites sometimes. The queen of clean herself, Marie Kondo, has recently revealed that the birth of her third kid saw her give up a little on keeping things ultra-spotless at home. And fair enough too. But just because we take the odd time-out on our best intentions doesn’t mean we should give up on them altogether. Kondo’s principles of a tidy home bringing us joy still stand.
And who says that spring should get all the good, clean fun? Autumn is also the perfect time to take stock of what sparks joy and what does not. So locate your home’s junk corners. It’s ok. It’s not a dirty secret. We all have that cupboard or under-the-spare-bed spot where unwanted things get stuffed, or that kitchen corner littered with Christmas gift appliances we never really used.
Clearing out stuff we do not need creates the space to breathe. It can also earn us a stack of cash too if you pop the ‘must go’ pile up on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree or the like. The saying “one man’s trash is another person’s treasure” has never been truer. Convert unwanted stuff into savings to make that reno a reality, take that dream trip, or buy more stuff you’ll probably get rid of next year (whoops!).
See your home in a new light
As the days get shorter, we tend to spend more time indoors and less heading out to dinner and a movie. But there’s no reason why you can’t make the downtime at home a little fancier.
Adjusting your lighting is one of the easiest ways to achieve a luxurious feel at home. Embrace the darker days with the rosy glow offered by popping an amber-hued LED light bulb into a beautiful lamp or wall sconce. A simple swap-out can create a whole new feel that’s perfect for romantic dinners together at home and then indulging in a streaming binge on the sofa once the kids are in bed.
If you're looking for more tips on how to revamp your humble abode, click here to find out how to make your home your happiest place, or learn about the art of Feng Shui here.
