Interiors expert Caroline Clifton-Mogg knows how much satisfaction, comfort and security can be derived from the place we call home. In The Comforts of Home she offers clever decorating ideas that rely on imagination and style rather than a deep purse and suggests ways of making the most of what we already have to the put the heart back into our homes.
The joys of an orderly home
To live in the midst of disorder is disorientating, for nothing is more uncomfortable than a house where every chair is covered with old newspapers or toys, every table coated with the leftovers of the last meal, every bed unmade and every bathroom floor littered with unfolded, unhung towels.
1. The easiest way to bring order into a home is to organize, and the first step in organization is to get rid of all surplus clutter.
2. Think logically about how to clean your home.
3. The most useful tips on how not to be submerged beneath chaos and to start the day feeling relaxed are to make the bed in the morning and always tidy up before going to bed.
Making the most of what you have
This is the moment to change our general philosophy – to think about the pleasures of recycling and rejuvenating, and to look around at all we own, from cushions to cabinets.
1. Evaluate what is already in your house but also appreciate it.
2. Notice where your furniture stands and what role it plays in the room.
3. Ask yourself whether something would look better somewhere else – in another position? Or another room even?
4. Think about changing around the cushions that you already have – it’s all too easy to get used to seeing things without seeing them.
5. If you have table lamps, try moving them around to other surfaces.
Read more in The Comforts of Home by Caroline Clifton-Mogg. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.