Summer 2020 Values-Based Decisions for Your Home
What a BIG difference a few months can make!!
At the start of the year, we were talking about interior design and remodeling trends that would kick off a new decade. We were all looking backward, thinking about the last ten years, and imagining what the next ten would bring.
The conversation around the home has changed a LOT since then, hasn’t it?! Now, we’ve all spent so much TIME at home that everything about it has started to look different. Maybe you grew sick of a color on wall…or maybe you became much more aware of that “honey-do” list that still hadn’t been done…or maybe you’re just desperate for a CHANGE.
Or maybe, you’ve found your sanctuary. Maybe you’re thankful for how comfortable you are in your home. You feel safe, your family can be together (but at the same time enjoy personal space), and the worst of your troubles is just a bit of boredom…
This year has thrown some curve balls, no doubt about it! One thing we all CAN do—because, yes, we do have control over some things—is be mindful of our values as we move into this next chapter. For the home, most of us will agree that we can value safety, trust, and helping others.
But, what’s that have to do with remodeling, interior design and your home? Simple! Those values can inform your choices and give you purpose as you make decisions for your home.
For the homeowners who are anticipating spending a LOT more time at home this summer, take a look at how safety, trust and helping others can be your driving forces, and how that will benefit your family in real ways.
Safety at home this summer
Not only are most of us spending more time at home this summer, we’re doing that both to stay safe AND keep others safe.
…If the name of the game this summer is staying home, and ESPECIALLY if you have kids, then let’s strike “quarantine” from our vocabulary!! A decade ago, everyone was talking about “staycations…” So why don’t we bring that back?!
To stay safe AND have a little fun at home in summer 2020, there are plenty of things you can do! From changing up your décor to putting some fun activities on the calendar, home can be EXACTLY the sanctuary you want it to be…Here’s how to start:
- For a VERY small update that makes a big impact on the look of your family spaces, switch out your pillows. If part of your original summer plans included a beach, then break out the beach-themed colors!!
- If you do have a pool outside, set up baskets of towels, sunscreen and bug spray for everyone. These little “spa-like” details help everyone get more out of the home you deserve to love!
- Schedule a family picnic! Why not get more out of your yard this year? Things are starting to get warm outside…which we LOVE…and you can enjoy many of your favorite summer activities right there where you are!
Now, after getting all excited about “staycations,” what if you have safety issues that put your family at risk within your own walls?! This is ANOTHER way this value helps guide us…
It’s a new season, so you should already be in the practice of checking your CO2 and fire alarms. This should be done every three months, and there’s no time like the present to get back into the habit!
Another HUGE factor of in-home safety is the indoor air quality you and your family are breathing in. Simply cleaning your ducts can stop you from blowing dust and allergens out of all your vents. And is your A/C in working order? The last thing you want is for someone to get sick from the heat…
For an even longer checklist of stuff to check this summer, download our Home Inspection Checklist…
You should feel trust in your own home, too
If there’s anything we’re all suspicious about right now, it’s the state of those things we bring into our homes…are we supposed to wash the groceries? What do we do with that face mask? Can we have just a couple friends over, or is that too risky?
For all your social distancing to pay off, and to feel that ESSENTIAL sense of trust when you’re at home, this is the perfect time to get some essential home projects don and make value-aligned habits. For example…
- If you don’t clean now, when will you ever?! There is SO much talk about cleaning stuff that comes in, but what about making sure you keep the inside of your home clean, too? Disinfect all high-touch surfaces regularly.
- Clean your vents and baseboards. Those vent covers build up tons of dust, and cleaning them will keep your home more sanitary and everyone’s air quality up to higher standards. You can start by vacuuming the vents and then wiping them SUPER clean with a dry, microfiber cloth. (Hint: don’t use water, or you’ll just smear the dust.)
- Get in under your bed! You probably already clean around the toilets once a week, but when was the last time you got in under your bed? Move it (hello, missing phone charger) and vacuum that dust up!
Helping others
This is a value most of us share, too. At least…we hope we’re not naïve in saying that!! You want to help people—whether your neighbors, your friends, or people you meet along the way. What IS certain is that we ALL want to help those who live with us…and those closest family members can benefit from values-based decision-making in the organization of your home.
For example, a GREAT summer 2020 home project is to rearrange and organize a shared space. You can DEFINITELY look at your current organization from a fresh perspective…Try:
- A new furniture layout. Sure, you might not be BUYING any new furniture right now, but what if you just try something new with what you already have? Move that couch to a different wall…adjust that favorite armchair…or swap rugs from one room to the other! Everyone will appreciate the change. And maybe you can get better utility out of the space!
- Thinking abought lighting! This can actually help safety, too, especially if we’re talking about lighting in any part of your home with steps or slick surfaces. But even setting up a simple new LAMP where you know it’s needed can be an invitation to whomever uses that space to use it Maybe there’s a reading nook in the making, if there were just enough light!!
- Whether or not you’re the one who does the cooking, pick a part of the kitchen and get it TOTALLY under control with a new organizational scheme! Just about everyone uses the cupboards, for example, so why not get a new stacking scheme into place that helps everyone find what they need?!
The fun doesn’t stop there!! You can organize anything, make any purchase, repurpose or recycle whatever you want in your home if it goes with ANY ONE of these three values…values-based decision-making can truly make this summer if you let it.
Do the values of safety, trust and helping others ring true with you? How can you tap into those values in the decisions you make for your home? We want to hear from you!! Get the conversation started on Facebook!
