A high-end look is the finish that gives a glamorous or luxury appearance to a space, sometimes expensive and other times a result of creatively putting regular things or objects together in an unusual way to create a façade of luxury.
Have you ever wondered why some homes look like it came off a magazine page while others look blah or bland? It’s no result of an enchanted meeting with the fairy godmother, just a few deliberately followed steps in the right direction and you’d have home look glamorous… in other words, High-End!
Step 1: DE-CLUTTER!!!
This is the simplest yet difficult part of the “High-End” picture. For many people, organization is a problem (If you are not a neat freak), for others it comes easy. However, whichever side of the coin you fall, this is a non-neglect-able phase of your project. This process of De-cluttering your home, often comes with a lot of sentimental thoughts or ideology, and must be done consistently to keep up the last look… High-End. Here is how.
Decide how often you are going to de-clutter. Do a little every day – use a timer. But be warned – this can become compulsive! Once you get started you will want to clean like a banshee! Don’t burn yourself out! Only do small amount at a time. The house did not get dirty overnight and it will not get clean overnight. When you set the timer you can only do two sessions at a time. This goal may seem unattainable now, but you can do it in little pieces. In a couple of months, the whole house will be de-cluttered.
Gather together your de-cluttering equipment. You will need garbage bags, boxes, magic markers, and a dust rag. Label the boxes “Give Away”, “Throw Away”, and “Put Away”. Line the “Throw Away” box with a plastic garbage bag.
Start at the entrance to the room. Work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip a spot. Whatever is next, just do it.
Start cleaning! With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waistband, start off by cleaning out and getting rid of the things that do not belong in this room. Put garbage in the “Throw Away” box, donations in the “Give Away” box, and stuff that goes somewhere else in the “Put Away” box. Don’t worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish you will.
Ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter: Do I love this item? Have I used it in the past year? Is it really garbage? Do I have another one that is better? Should I really keep two? Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it? Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item? This will help in decide what goes it which box easily.
Get rid of garbage. When the “Throw Away” box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trash can, the pickup truck, or wherever you keep your garbage. Put a new garbage bag in the “Throw Away” box and keep on Flying until the timer goes off. Avoid being tempted to dig back in the trash can; if any item made it there in the first place, then it definitely belongs there… TRASH IT!!!
Donate. When the “Give Away” box gets full, seal it off, and put it in your car. The next time you are out, you can give to the nearest benevolence center. Do not save your clutter in your yard or garage, you will better off giving it away. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter – not move it somewhere else in your home. Now, grab another box, label it “Give Away”, and get back to work.
“Put Away” stuff. When the “Put Away” box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in its place.
Now you are ready for step 2….