Summer is winding down In Jersey, and you are getting restless. You can’t put your finger on it, but you feel dissatisfied with your surroundings, even though you have a nice condo in the Jersey City/Hoboken area. What could it be?
Maybe the solution to your ennui is to spiff things up a bit. There are a number of things you can do to brighten your surroundings which don’t cost much money, and which will give a room an instant lift. They don’t take much time, either.
Look around at the little things. Take your switch plates. Maybe they have become dull with constant use. They’re clean, but they don’t shine anymore. You can change them very quickly. You might opt for something with a little flair. For a little extra you can get rich looking brass, or something with a design around it. It’s a simple thing but it can be a real mood lifter.
When you switched the plates, maybe you noticed a chip in the paint. Look around at the paint and the woodwork. Does it need touching up? That would go a long way toward brightening your surroundings. Also, nicks on furniture can sometimes be touched up easily.
Another area where you can indulge your personal taste is in the hardware on drawers and doors. It’s amazing how much of your personality can go into such mundane details as how you open your drawers, or the doors to your chifferobe. Visitors will be wowed when they see the new door handle and hinges!
How about your personal touches? Photographs of loved ones can collect on a wall or a mantle piece with little or no planning. Check your groupings. Can they be rearranged to appear more eye-catching? What about the frames? Maybe you could get something more interesting to encompass Great Grandfather Addiston’s grim face.
One thing that will take a little more energy, but no money would be rearranging the furniture. Maybe the morning light can be better accommodated with the sofa in a different spot. If things are too squared off, try placing some pieces catty-cornered. Maybe some asymmetry would work. Of course, after you do a new arrangement, you may decide a new end table or lamp is in order. The possibilities are infinite. It just takes some brainstorming.
What steps do you take to brighten your surroundings and lift your mood?
Edward