Have you been making a mental list of all the things you want to do to improve yourself, and your home?  Here are some ideas to refresh your place and create a clean slate.

Your list may be a little different, but I bet we all share number one ~ who doesn’t enjoy getting rid of all that junk in the kitchen cupboards?
 
1. Declutter and cull: As we age, we should become increasingly minimal with ~ generally speaking ~ less people living in our house.
 
Even if you’ve long been a ruthless culler, it is nice to be looking at and sifting through “stuff” even less.  This will include getting rid of towels that feel like sandpaper and bed sheets that are past their use-by date, they can be donated to use as pet bedding, rags, or recycled for various new products.
 
2. Deep-clean the carpets and upholstery: There is nothing more satisfying ~ albeit a little gross ~ than seeing the dirty water that’s been extracted from your carpets and upholstery by an industrial carpet cleaner.
 
You can hire the machines for a very affordable price, so there’s not much stopping us.
 
3. Create a mudroom: There is something so thrilling about the idea of having a dedicated spot for the family to dump their school bags, hats and shoes, because having them throw their things in the hallway is not the greeting you want when you come home, or for your visitors.
 
Mudrooms have gained popularity in recent years.  In the past, we would never have been so fanciful as to think we could have an entire space dedicated to shoes, bags and coats, especially not in Australia.

4. Plant a veggie garden: Every year, you may pull all the weeds from the veggie garden and have every intention of planting and growing your own produce.  However, the would-be veggie garden is overgrown with weeds again after only a matter of weeks.
 
It’s time to resurrect the edible garden, stay on top of it, and reap the benefits of watching your healthy vegies and fruit grow.
 
5. Improve the front yard: If your front lawn is not looking great and has succumbed to dirt and weeds over the years, it’s time to re-think the street appeal of your garden.
 
If the cost and effort of new turf doesn’t really serve you, perhaps you could turn this area into something more purposeful with easy-care water wise plants, pavers, gravel, a variety of grasses for ground cover, and a dining setting finished with festoon lights.
 
6. Start a paint project: Colour can be the inspiration to branch out a little in your house.  Regardless of the scheme you choose, fresh paint makes a huge difference inside and out.
 
If the space you wish to refresh gets very little natural light you will need warm colours.  If you are unsure, a colour consultant or a paint app can be helpful.