Creating beauty in your house

BY following the simple steps below, you can bring beauty into your house.

Declutter

This step sounds so exhausting, but believe me, it is worth it. Pick a room to start on, and attack it with a pair of rubber gloves and a bin bag.

Poke into hidey holes you had forgotten about, delve into cupboards you have been putting off forever, jump right in to the depths of all your clutter and let it go.

Do not be afraid to chuck out that gaudy yellow vase because you made it when you were six.

If it is sentimentally valuable, box it, be strict with yourself about what really is sentimental.

Use ‘time since last used’ as your rule of thumb, if it has been three years since you last used it, chances are its rubbish. Remember, start as you mean to go on — do not sort piles into piles, if its rubbish throw it, if it is not, put it away.

Say it with flowers

Do not wait for a special someone to buy you flowers, buy a few bunches cheaply from a flower stall or local supermarket and place in your living room, hallway and kitchen.

Studies of the benefits of flowers have proven that the presence of them decreases depression, enriches memory and increases social contact.

Place a few single stems from your bouquet around the house for an added touch.

Open your kitchen

The kitchen is the ideal place to sit and have a cosy chat with a neighbour or friend. Make your kitchen the perfect setting for coffee and unwinding. Bring your kitchen to life with smell.

In the morning put a pot of coffee on, using freshly ground beans if you can.

The smell of fresh coffee will envelope you when you walk into the kitchen.

Use a cinnamon incense stick to make your kitchen smell like warm cookies and childhood.

Love your bedroom

When leaving the house for the day it is easy to just fling the duvet over the bed and open the blinds.

Try to make your bedroom an inviting haven, a paradise to relax in after a hard day. ◆ Read more on www.sundaymail.co.zw