It's not any mystery to me why decluttering seems to be on everyone's minds around this time of year.  Entering a new year tends to feel like a new beginning full of potential and promise.  Every year I think I'll do that tradition they do in Japan where they clean out their homes before the new year - get everything sorted and clean, a fresh start.  I have yet to manage it between the rush and sloth of the holidays, but I *think* about it at least.  I find I always reevaluate my home come new year, which can feel either too blank or too full after packing away the holiday trappings.

Regardless of what time of year it is - holidays over, or spring cleaning, or just whenever frustration boils over, downsizing or moving, whatever, whenever, decluttering can feel daunting and frustrating and I don't want to do this.  This post is an introduction to how I approach decluttering.  It is not an overnight fix, you probably can't get the results in a week, but I believe it is a sustainable approach that will help you with little as well as big wins along the way.  So lets dive right in.

In every life, some cruft will form. Unless you have perfected your routines for dealing with paper, old clothes, the stuff in the medicine cabinet and so on, and are militant about the daily upkeep, you’re probably going to need to comb through your stuff periodically and see what has outlived its function, or just its place in your life. This sort of decluttering makes for an excellent pair with seasonal cleaning.

If you need to get started on decluttering, but you aren’t ready (or in need of) one of those major programs that rearranges your whole life, this will also work for you as it breaks down into smaller more manageable pieces.  Let's start with the two most often overlooked things that stop you from successfully decluttering.

If you are a regular reader of my blog this first thing is not going to be a surprise - first you need to analyze what you are, in fact, dealing with.  Without understanding how things accumulate you can not stop them from re-accumulating, and you can't understand that without analyzing how you interact with your space.  Not how you *want* to, not necessarily how its even set up to be used, but how you REALLY use it.

In the YouTube video about decluttering my sister and I did with "How to ADHD" we talked about the different kinds of clutter and how most people lump two distinct categories into one. These are "Clutter in Stasis" and "Clutter in Motion".  Clutter in Motion are the things that accumulate as you use the space - the coffee mug you're drinking out of, the book or files your looking at, your phone charger etc.  Clutter in stasis are the things that have built up and are not being used.  Things that you don't need to access in that space, or that need to be "put away" or a home found for them.  This is where you are most likely to find the items that you could stand to declutter, or where you will discover that you need something to change for them to stop from re accumulating.   But if your efforts are focused on your clutter in motion, it will seem like nothing is being accomplished or working.

The second thing that is a real sticking point for most people, myself included, is the "Sunk Cost Fallacy".   It's that "but I spent a lot of money on it!  I can't just give it away or throw it out!"  The feeling that if you get rid of something expensive it becomes a waste, or you are out good money, or you spent so much on it you should/are obligated to keep it and enjoy it, dammit!  Everyone needs to find their own way of this not blocking their efforts.  These are mine: The money has already been wasted, so learn from this that whatever you're dealing with is not adding value to your life and you don't need to spend money on this or something like it in the future.  Find a donation option that makes you feel good - I give a lot to a local church group that deals directly with refugee families who have literally the clothes on their backs, paperwork, and nothing else,  and I have to tell you it's a LOT easier getting rid of good quality stuff when you know its going to be both used and genuinely appreciated.  I also sell things that don't make sense to donate and are worth a lot of money, like that exercise bike... that I used once... (in my defense the seat was hella uncomfortable!)

Now that I have waxed philosophical about the thinking things, let's move on to the actually doing things.  The following is an outline of my decluttering process that is delved into more deeply in my e-book.  There are a lot more in depth thinking things in the book, and a lot more about how to achieve them, but I believe blog posts should actually be helpful as well, so the physical process it is!

Schedule time when you will declutter, limiting your sessions to what you know you can do. The WORST part of decluttering is getting to that “it gets worse before it gets better” moment at the point where you are just physically and/or emotionally done for the day.  You can declutter in small increments if you want, from as little as 15 minutes if you schedule those increments regularly and stick to them.

Below I’ve revised my master checklist so that you can break down your decluttering into small, doable chunks: one counter, one drawer, one closet and so on, if that’s what will help you get it done.  You can use this list in a couple of ways. You can identify the areas that need the most decluttering and use the list in those areas. Or, you can go room by room and tackle every relevant area in that room before moving on.

Depending on how much you need to do and how stressful you find decluttering, it can be useful to start with the most problematic areas so that the worst is over fastest. But in the end, there’s no right or wrong way to approach it, there is only making progress or not making progress!

All decluttering programs basically boil down to sorting your things into a few basic categories.  My process involves creating a large pile of whatever needs to be decluttered (junk drawer, closet etc), and then sorting through it. This has the benefit of making the cluttered area immediately feel uncluttered, and also distinguishing what needs to be sorted into a clear “to do” pile that is hard to ignore. The categories are as follows:

• trash/recycle/compost:  do a quick pass and get rid of anything that is obviously garbage. (If you’re in Waterloo Region, check out my post on where to get rid of stuff that doesn’t necessarily belong on the curb.)
  
• In good repair and has a place to go:  put it away
• In good repair, you want to keep it, and no place to go:  put it aside
• In good repair, but you no longer need it or want it: donate it or sell it
• In bad repair, but you need it or something like it:  put it away, make a note to replace it when possible
• In bad repair, and you no longer want or need it:  trash or recycle
  
• Unsure if you still want or need it:  put it aside (use a basket or box to house all of this category, you'll come back to it

Papers are similar, but have a slightly different set of categories:

• Recycle or shred:  anything that has no action required and is not necessary to file should go here
• Take action:  create a zone where the action happens, and put actionable items (say unpaid bills) here
• File / store:  Things you need to keep for records should be filed. Things with sentimental value should be stored in a designated place (scrapbook, picture box, etc.)

The two categories that result in putting things aside need to be dealt with in a final pass, but how you deal with them is very dependent on your context. I’ve expanded on that below in the “What to do with the overflow” section.

For each focus area, you can either pull out everything in or on the area and follow the sorting process, or only pull out what doesn’t belong in that area for sorting.
Which you choose depends on how cluttered the area is and how deeply you want to purge. So, for example, you could pull everything off your bookshelves to sort if you wanted to reduce your books, or you could just pull out the random bits that had accumulated and sort those.

•    Pull out what has accumulated into a central pile, or remove to a working area.
•    Sort items and papers
•    Some things may return to counters and surfaces because you need them to hand. If they are getting messy or overwhelming, consider boxes or baskets to keep them contained.

•    If the area is too much to do in one go, break it up into hanging things, things on the floor, things on shelves
•    Take everything you are decluttering out of the closet into a working area and sort it.
•    Ideally, you should be able to access and see everything in your closet. If you have a very large wardrobe or a very small closet, you can reduce the stuff in your closets by removing off-season clothing and linens.
•    Storing things on shelves in boxes or baskets can contribute to an uncluttered look, but if you’re doing a deeper purging, go through and make sure that you don’t have anything in those boxes or baskets that needs to be discarded or donated!

•    These can be tackled anywhere from one shelf at a time to one unit at a time depending on how you’ve scheduled your cleaning.
•    Remove the items you are decluttering to a central work space, leaving the shelf as you would like it to look for a light declutter, or removing everything from the shelf for sorting if you are doing a deeper purge.
•    All items should fit comfortably on shelves. If you have overflow, assess what is on the shelves before buying more shelving. Purge books you never get around to reading, old text or reference books that you no longer need, and apply the general sorting method to non-book items.

So, what happens if you go through the decluttering process and you have a bunch of stuff that you want to keep and no where to put it?  This is a common struggle for adults with ADHD, and one I’ll be periodically returning to in more ADHD-specific ways in my guest post series "The Structured Space" which is still being worked on and will be posted in the future. The first post on that topic discusses evaluating your clutter to determine what activities and routines create it, and which spaces in your house are not functioning well.

But this is an issue that affects a very broad group of people for various reasons, and so lets cover some other starting points for “too much stuff” here.

A very common place to start is by looking for more storage – and that can totally be the right option sometimes. But it can also create a bit of a treadmill of accumulation and there is an eventual limit to how much one home can hold, so before you buy more storage solutions, there are a few things to consider.  One option is to make sure the things that are on your shelves or in your closets are actually things you want to keep. This is where we start to get into deeper purging, as well as taking a deeper look at why we’re hanging on to things.

For example, my sister's thoughts in the midst of purging the accumulations of her academic career.  She has generously shared her experience:  "As you can imagine, there are a lot of books. These were not in the way: they were all neatly shelved and rarely pulled out. But those shelves at this point in my life would be better used for the books that do go in and out of circulation, as well as my daughter’s toys and games, which do not all have a space.  I had kept these things for a long time, but I had a set point of when to let them go: when I got a new career. So here I am, and there they go."

But for things that don’t have such a clear break with our lives, deciding whether you should keep them can be difficult.  Some of the most famous decluttering programs are actually dealing with this deeper process of personal evaluation rather than the basic techniques involved in dealing with what is out of place. I call these programs “decluttering lifestyles.”

Decluttering lifestyle programs generally have a two pronged approach: first, reduce the things you have. Second, reduce your rate of accumulation.

Two particularly popular trends right now are the Kon Mari method and minimalism. Now, Kon Mari is a single method while minimalism is a broad term that a lot of people have adopted, so keep that in mind if you’re considering either.

Undertaking a decluttering lifestyle program is going to take longer than, say, spring cleaning. For people who are well established in their adulthood (and so have accumulated much more stuff!), expect a six month to year commitment when you are making your decluttering schedule.  

Minimalism

It’s a bit hard to typify minimalism, but if you are looking for a good guide, I would check out  Ronald Banks.   His YouTube channel has a lot of videos and focuses on helping people find their values and then have their environments and lives reflect those. 

Also a favorite is The Minimalist Mom, her how to get ready for a baby list to is some of the best advice out there for anyone! She has a down-to-earth and family-friendly approach to minimalism that doesn’t fetishize reducing your stuff for the sake of reduction.

Kon Mari

The Kon Mari method is often mistaken for a minimalist approach. But although Marie Kondo herself identifies as a minimalist, her method does not require minimalism.

In the design world, we would call it a “curated” approach, and of the curated approaches, I would call it “meticulously curated” – meaning that each item in the home is there because it has meaning and has been chosen on purpose for reasons that go beyond a momentary and passing impulse or need.

Her process is different than the one I have listed here because instead of breaking things down into places you want to declutter, you go through all of your belongings, and you do it by type (all your clothes from everywhere in the house; all your books). You keep things according to whether they “spark joy.”

The question of joy is one that is a sticking point for many people. I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about this, and I could easily double this post writing about emotions, mindfulness, and environment. But I will leave it at this: if you decide to use the method, don’t limit your understanding of “joy” as a simple substitute word for “happy.” It is a more complex feeling that is related to happiness, satisfaction, hope, contentment and maybe more. How it brings up those feelings can be quite different based on the context.

As for how Kon Mari works in people’s actual lives, there are a lot of people out there blogging and YouTubing about it. A fun place to start (if you don’t mind a little swearing) is the How To Get Your Sh*t Together series. If that’s not your cup of tea but you’d still like a starting point, Project Lifecoach has a (shorter) series documenting his process.

Whatever approach you take to decluttering, I think it’s important to avoid getting caught up in perfection.  For myself and my husband we found we needed many rounds of decluttering and it was about 5 years before we felt like we had "finished".  Spoiler alert, "finished" doesn't happen as life is not stagnant and your situation and values will change, as well as those of people around you.  Try to look at this as a process of letting new things in as well as out, instead of viewing it as failure to finish.

Always keep in mind that picture-perfect is exactly that: all professional and most amateur photographs of spaces are staged so they look good in a two-dimensional, motionless presentation.  My experience with these kinds of photo shoots is that there is a LOT of stuff piled up behind the camera.

Some kinds of clutter are the signs of a life well-lived. Coffee cups and out of place cushions can be part of a visit with friends. Other clutter can come from a beloved hobby or the last lingering moments of a holiday. Clutter only becomes a problem when it becomes discouraging or stressful. So, I wish you luck in clearing the cruft, but I also wish you joyful (temporary) clutter that reminds you of your happy moments.

Life at home often feels like a series of moving parts—meals, laundry, paperwork, and endless small tasks that can pile up. When everything blends into clutter, stress follows closely behind. By shaping a few deliberate tidiness habits, you can create an environment where relaxation comes more naturally. These are not grand renovations or expensive overhauls. They are simple adjustments that change how you experience your living space. Rhythm in the home begins with small cues of order, and the way those cues echo through your day is what makes the difference.

The weight of clutter on mood

The presence of clutter does more than fill physical space; it eats away at mental ease. Researchers at CAMH describe how clutter undermines well-being by amplifying feelings of tension and fatigue. When surfaces are buried and belongings spill into sightlines, the brain interprets the chaos as unfinished tasks demanding attention. Instead of restoring calm, the home becomes another source of noise. Removing unnecessary buildup helps reestablish an internal quiet, the kind of quiet that allows you to breathe more deeply and recharge.

Digital order supports peace

The calm of a tidy home extends into the digital layer we all live with. Bills, school forms, recipes, and personal records can quickly scatter across inboxes and devices. Consolidating them makes the household feel lighter. With PDF tools, it becomes simple to gather multiple files and compress them into a single, unified document. If the idea of digital tidiness resonates, check this out. Just as clearing a table opens mental space, combining scattered files reduces the friction of managing daily responsibilities and allows home life to feel more streamlined.

Lighting changes the atmosphere

Tidiness isn’t only about putting objects away—it’s also about the cues that set the emotional tone of a room. Something as simple as switching bulbs or lampshades can reset the energy. Design experts have long emphasized that warm soft lighting promotes calm, encouraging people to unwind at the end of the day. Light that is too harsh makes even an organized space feel sterile, while a warmer glow enhances comfort. Pairing a clean surface with the right lighting produces a gentle sense of sanctuary that lingers long after the switch is flipped.

Every item deserves a place

It’s not the number of possessions that creates the most tension; it’s their lack of a defined home. The habit of giving a place for every item at home ensures that tidying becomes automatic rather than exhausting. Keys return to the hook, bags slide into the same corner, and books line the same shelf. Over time, this practice builds muscle memory. You no longer debate where to put something down, and you waste less time searching when it’s needed. This rhythm turns maintenance into a nearly invisible part of your day.

Small resets, big relief

Grand organizing sessions rarely hold up because life keeps moving. The trick lies in short, repeatable resets. Experts suggest that it’s enough to pick one area each evening and restore it before bed. One night it might be the kitchen counter, another night the entryway bench. By morning, the first thing you see is a clear surface instead of yesterday’s residue. The advice to pick one area each evening brings order without overwhelming effort, and the payoff is a smoother start to the day.

Clear labels for quick access

Even tidy shelves can become sources of frustration if containers look identical or unlabeled. The act of taking a few minutes to label containers for easy finding reduces the micro-stress of searching. Transparent boxes marked with a simple tag save time and prevent double-buying items you already own but can’t locate. This habit is especially helpful in shared spaces, where family members or roommates need to access the same supplies. By clarifying what belongs where, you also lower the chances of items drifting back into chaos.

Mess leaves a mark on the body

Untidiness is not just a visual distraction—it registers physiologically. Studies highlighted by neuroscience researchers show that mess triggers physiological stress, increasing cortisol and sparking anxiety. The sight of disarray can raise heart rate and sharpen irritability without you realizing the connection. Tidiness, then, is not an aesthetic luxury. It is a form of self-care. Creating orderly environments protects the nervous system, making it easier to recover from the demands of the outside world once you step back inside.

Tidiness habits are never about chasing perfection. They are about shaping consistent rhythms that create comfort. A well-lit corner with clear surfaces, containers marked for easy retrieval, and paperwork consolidated into simple files all contribute to a sense of relief. Small resets and intentional placements keep disorder from gaining ground. By understanding how clutter affects both mood and physiology, you can see that organization is not a chore but an act of restoring balance. Each choice to create order builds into an atmosphere that welcomes you home and invites relaxation.

Discover how thoughtful design can transform your space and enhance your well-being at Lenore Brooks Design.

As the winter Holiday season ramps up it is easy to get bowled under mountains of to do lists, social obligations, presents to buy or make and of course, decorating your home.  Decorating can be a hugely stressful endeavor for many people, as it is a front and center visual and therefor easy for other people to judge.  Or for us to feel like they are.  Every year the media, (both professional publications and social media) seem to scream at us about what we ABSOLUTELY MUST DO THIS YEAR!  Did you see that A-list actors Christmas tree???  These seasonal boughs will change your life!  Wreathes in this new style will show everyone you're in "the know"!!!  Must be cutting edge!!  No one will come to your party or have a good time if you use last years colour scheme!  OK, that last one might be a stretch, but its what it feels like to me.  I'm here to tell you all of that, and I mean ALL OF IT, is a load of BS.

Sure, change up your decor, follow a trend - but do it because you like it, not because you feel like your stuff is not good enough.  Trust me, it is.  The holidays are an industry like everything else.  If you don't need to buy new stuff every year then they don't make as much money.  It piles unnecessary stress on an already stressful time.  

I'll be perfectly honest, I haven't bought a new ornament (other then one as a present for my son every year) a or holiday decor item in at least 7 years.  Probably more.  I HAVE bought new lights because those things die at an alarming rate, and I like a tonne of them.  Its not that I don't ever see anything new that I like, but that I have nothing I want to replace and a limited amount of storage space. 

So how do I achieve an apparent stress free atmosphere?  It is definitely more then a mindset, and I'm sharing my personal strategies below.  There is no one right answer, and what I do may not resonate with you and that's OK!  But maybe it will spark an idea, or maybe it will make you appreciate what it is that you DO do more. 

Burnout and overwhelm are real issues that can take what is supposed to be an enjoyable celebration and turn it into a nightmare.  Creating systems that work for you can turn into traditions that are both enjoyable and take the stress and guesswork out of the season.  

So if you are bored with your decor, or see something that inspires you that you want to integrate, that's wonderful!  There are always new ideas out there and our tastes and environments change throughout our lives.  Changing up decor and including the tastes of those around you, are things I greatly encourage.  Give yourself room, however, to do what makes YOU happy, makes YOUR heart sing, regardless of the industry side of the holidays shouting at you from grocery store check out aisles and social media.  Choose peace on earth and a silent night.

Designing a room often starts with an inspiration image.  The design expands from there and many things are factored in.  Why, then, are there rooms that don't feel like they work?  Don't get used?  Or worse, feel like they're working against you?  Often our assumptions of what we need, our preconceived notions of what we "ought" to have, or the way we want our fantasy selves to live/work/play lead us in a direction that doesn't complement the way we actually live/work/play.  This disconnect can be avoided by following an often ignored crucial first step: Analysis.  Doesn't sound fun?  Well it can seem like it wouldn't be, but it can be an interesting dive into you, your family and your life.  You can work on it at the same time as your aesthetic choices, but I do highly recommend you stick to mood or pinterest boards and don't purchase anything until its finished.  

Designing rooms based on how you use them in reality seems like a very basic concept but often rooms end up being designed for their desired or named purpose instead.  For example: a dining room that is furnished with table and chairs but the family always eats in the eat-in kitchen. Depending on the family, it might make more sense as a music room, or home office.  While in the mind of the adults dinner parties and sit down dinners together at a carefully laid table with that beautiful table cloth that never gets used may be what they desire, in reality the chaotic casual meals within reach of the fridge is how the family actually lives.

So how exactly do you do this all important Analysis?  I've outlined it below in 3 steps.

2.  What do you currently do or have that you want to maintain? 

• Focus on the room itself. If you have something that you want to keep, but it doesn’t matter where in the house it goes, don’t list it here.

3.  What do you want to do that you can’t do, and what is in the way? 

• If the room is used for its purpose but always messy and uncomfortable, you may want to take some time to address the clutter before continuing. Before launching any redesign,  changing the purpose of the space or not,  you need to sort through the stuff to see what needs to stay and what needs to go either out of the house or into another room.  Otherwise you’re going to be designing for clutter not the purpose of the room. 

4.  What do you want to have that you don’t already have? 

• This is important even if you are not changing the purpose of the room.  Things like storage space for toys, bookshelves, a fireplace, a bar, or an adjacent bathroom.

5.  Who is using the room? 

• In particular, are the people using the rooms the intended ones? For example, do you have a living room that you want to be an adult space but its over run with kids toys? Is there a family room where the kids can’t do their homework because the TV is always on?

Once you’ve analyzed how you use your space, you’ll have a good sense of what needs to change and how hard those changes are going to be.

Similarly, if you want to create a space with a new purpose, or a dual purpose space, like a guest room / craft room, or a home office in a bedroom, set it up with what you have first, use the space for a few days, and then repeat your analysis to see what you need before investing in desks and storage solutions and so on.

Tip: If you are thinking of adding a larger piece of furniture to a room but are not sure if it will work, you can try using painter’s tape on the floor, or piling boxes to the size of the piece to get a sense of how room will feel with a new bed or desk or shelf or whatever item it is that you are considering.

Once you’ve worked with the new space arrangement for even a short time, you’ll know whether you want to move forward with your redesign yourself, or whether you want to consult a designer.

If your space needs renovation:

If you have identified issues that you think will require renovation, consulting a designer before your renovate is a good idea, even if you plan to do the actual renovations yourself. However, there are a few steps you should take before you call the designer!

First, if you can do even a little bit of rearranging for a trial run, you should do so. Second, you should also answer the project planning questions as well as you can before calling in the designer

This is a short version of the information I gather when preparing for working with new clients. You don’t have to have everything figured out, but answering these questions before starting will help the project go forward quicker and smoother. Don’t worry about the HOW yet, just worry about the WHAT.

This can snowball into other rooms. If your space has become a dumping ground, or you decide to move an activity to another location, you may find a similar issue in another room.
During you initial thinking and research stage, take a walk around and see if there are spaces or rooms that will work for the relocated items, activities, and people.

If you can’t think of where or how to relocate things, this is the kind of issue you can bring to a designer. The solution might be as simple as a furniture rearrangement to integrate the overflow activities and items to a new location, or you may need to rethink your plans.

Some designers, like myself, will offer a fixed rate for short consults. Even if you want to do it yourself, it is good to hire a designer for an hour or two so you can discuss your space analysis and the solutions you’ve identified.

This is especially important if you’re planning renovations. While furniture layouts are low-risk solutions that have few consequences if you get them wrong, renovations that miss the mark can be costly, time consuming, and miserable.

The great news is, if you’ve gone through the first three steps listed here, you’ll be able to make great use of a one or two hour consultation: you’ll know the WHAT and you can get the designer’s advice on the HOW.

Do a space analysis of your existing home if you are moving to a new one. This will help you figure out your must haves and want-to-haves, as well as keep you focused on how the living spaces you look at will support your life and the things you love to do.

If you’re ready for a designer’s input, or if you have questions, get in touch!

Whether you are considering a large-scale project with contractors, DIY projects, or just some regular home maintenance, the phases of your projects can be more suited to one time of year than another.

Understanding these seasons can help you better accomplish your project goals. In this post, I’ve created an overview with key tasks for each season.

Large Projects
Prep season is most important if you’re planning on hiring professionals for your project. Contractors will be difficult to schedule during the high season, so these are the months to get your plans finalized with designers and architects, as well as to find and schedule your contractor.

Schedules fill up fast in the high season, and it can be very difficult to find a contractor during this time. In particular, if you haven’t scheduled a professional outdoor painter by now, you may not get one this season. Don’t let this discourage you… but know your project might take a little longer if it’s not scheduled by now.

Most indoor painting can be done anytime, but I recommend painting radiators in the summer months when the heat is off. This avoids stronger paint odours and ensures that the paint cures properly. How fast the paint cures can have an impact on the finish and in some cases, the quality of the final result.

Tip: There are lots of good deals to be had in the High Season!

• Tools often go on sale leading up to Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June), so if you need something new for a high season project, check for sales in June.
• People tend to donate after spring cleaning, so this is a good time for thrifting. Since the ReStore salvages quality kitchens from renos, the high season is probably a great time to shop there as well.
• July is a clearance month for furniture, and can offer some great deals on new furniture.
  

This is the easiest period to schedule contractors, but the sorts of jobs they can do are more limited. And of course, if you’ve got a big reno in mind, this can be a good time to start planning. Designers will also have more availability in these months, and starting early can maximize your opportunities to get deals on necessary items, and have them assembled or delivered before the reno starts.

The low season is one of the best seasons for painting indoors (with the exception of radiators!), for a few reasons.

• Light: These months have the greyest coldest type of light and if colours look good now, they will look good in summer. On the other hand, colours that look fresh and crisp in the golden summer sunlight might be rather dreary or dark in the clearer bluer winter light and shorter days. The same applies to choosing wallpapers: the low light of the low season will help you choose wall coverings that look great all year round.
• Availability: If you need a professional to paint or hang wallpaper, this is the season where they are most available.
• Cheer: Let’s be honest, the low season isn’t just low in terms of renos. This is the season where a lot of us miss the bright light and long days of summer, and start to feel cooped up indoors. Tackling a smaller decorating or painting job in this season can be just the thing to help your indoor environment feel fresh again.

Last Thoughts

If your project is in the works and cannot follow this schedule, think of this post as a way to set realistic expectations.  Things may not happen on the schedule you originally had anticipated: perhaps your contractor will have a cancellation and be able to fit your project in during the high season with little notice, perhaps you'll be waiting for an October start instead of  July one.  Many things beyond the season can effect the timing of a project - back orders happen constantly and can really throw expectations out the window. 

In view of that, my last tip is to plan plan plan!  Have your orders in and confirm stock of items before you book that hotel to stay in during the renovation.  Talk to your contractor and designer to get a clear picture of their timing expectations and any potential snags.  Finalize the design details as early as you can, confirm when things are locked in and cannot be changed.  Open communication and advanced planning can really take a lot of the stress out of what is generally a very stressful time.  Things will go wrong - the important things are to remember that the timing of the project will fluctuate, have competent people helping you, and contingency plans in place for the worst case scenarios. 

I’d love to hear what you are doing over the course of the year. Have you got projects you’re planning? Questions about how to phase them, or what you need to get started? Let me know in the comments!

The most common repair that walls need before repainting is the fixing of small holes made by pictures or shelves. Whether you’re redecorating or staging, there are some easy DIY steps you can take to make sure that your wall looks smooth and gorgeous when you’re done.

To illustrate these steps, I’m using a personal redecorating project I did a few years ago. We had a large picture wall collage (also called a gallery wall) against a vibrant colour, but with the addition of some new furniture and the changing use of the space as a place to put on boots and shoes, we needed to rethink both colour and style.  This looked, at the outset, to be a big project that I was dreading getting started on.  Just looking at all the repairs I needed to make felt exhausting.  However it went much faster then I anticipated and was actually kind of fun once I got started.  Using the following method made the actual filling of the holes less fussy than usual which had the added benefit of improving my mood as well as cutting down on the time it took to sand them all.

The Original Picture Wall:

So, here is a step-by-step guide to help you get the best results:

First, prepare the wall

1. Remove all the pictures, shelves, nails and screws.
2. Wipe down the wall and trim with a dry or damp cloth to remove dust and cobwebs. If your wall is in a kitchen or bathroom, brush your fingers gently along the surface to feel for grease or soap build up (grease looks shiny and soap is slightly sticky). Remove buildup with TSP all purpose cleaner or soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
3. Remove switch plates. This is an opportunity to inspect them and clean or replace them.

Next, repair the holes

You will need: a hammer, trowel, spackle, sand paper, paint brush or roller.

When you remove a nail, a small lip will form in the wall. If you fill it at this point, there will be a bump on the wall.  It will be difficult to smooth the spackle around the hole, and there will be a lot of sanding in your future to make it appear to be smooth.

Instead, Use a hammer, tap the hole to create a small dent or crater. Do not hit hard enough to break the wall. The goal is to create a small indent where there may previously have been a slight protrusion around the hole.

Like this:

Not like this:

Fill the dent with spackle. Once the compound is in the hole, smooth it with the trowel.  This should be quick and easy as you are filling in the dent only.  Try not to spread spackle onto the surrounding area very thickly - some is going to happen, but smooth it as best you can with the trowel while wet. Once the spackle is dry, sand it smooth with the sandpaper (about 150-220 grit) or a fine sanding sponge. It will end up looking like this:

Now you’re ready to prime and paint!  If you skip the priming step the finish of the spackled spots will be a duller sheen from the rest of the wall.  Primer seals the spackle evenly so that the paint is absorbed evenly and maintains the original sheen.  If you do not have access to primer, an extra coat or two of the finish colour will create enough of a even film over the spackle that the sheen will match very well.  The shinier the paint, the more coats you will need to maintain the desired sheen without primer.  If you are using a flat or eggshell paint, usually three coats will be enough.  If the paint is semi gloss or gloss, expect four coats to maintain the same sheen levels.

Another way to ensure a seamless invisible repair is to use the same tool to paint as the original.  That means if the repair is in a place where a roller was used (this is 95% of the time) use a roller to apply the new coats of paint instead of a paint brush.  Paint brushes and rollers make a different physical textures on the wall and this can lead to visible repairs as it effects both the sheen of the paint and how the light bounces off it.

By taking the time to indent and fill the holes, your freshly painted wall will look great!

What a daunting challenge to create the perfect home office.  Does my office above look perfect?   It is for me, but it probably isn't for you.  That's the real issue with these types of planning posts - what works for one person is totally out of sync with another.  What if your office is in your car?  Or your dining room table?  What if you hate white, or need a whole room dedicated to your work?  Don't worry, I have you covered.

This post is much longer then my usual ones, and is about analyzing your specific needs and making sure they are met in a way that helps you instead of hinders you.  There are questions below to start you thinking about what it is that you NEED as opposed to what you THINK you need.  Its basically a mini course.  OK, here we go:

The Setup
It is likely that you have a space already in mind for a home office.  For mine (pictured above) I took the doors off a closet to get a couple more feet out of a long narrow room, and use the space a bit better.  I still have storage above for my partner's art, and I have a great zoom background that no one is allowed to touch except me.

When choosing your space keep some things in mind:

• what is the sound like - can you close a door to get some quiet or keep the children or dogs at bay?
• Do other people need to work in your office while you are there ie) team members?

Once you have chosen a spot you will need to figure out basic furniture. 

• Do you want a standing desk or a sitting desk? 
• Do you have an office chair that squeaks and drives you nuts, or is it good?
• What are your storage and filing needs

Space/Behaviour analysis
Now the meat and potatoes of the office space design. What do YOU actually need.  This will take about a week of analysis, but should only be a couple minutes every day.  First, take a photo of your current desk as is.  I suggest a photo because we often see things differently in them, and you also want to see how far you've come at the end.  Now you need to get a paper and write a list of everything that is on your desk.  If it looks like this and you are feeling daunted please remember that this is a very important first step, and we are there with you!




Now, put everything away that you think does not belong on your desk or in your office.  If this is too much, at least put it all in a box and place it to the side, so that it is no longer on your desk.

Every day for the rest of the week (or about 5 days) keep track of what you use.  Each time you stop work for the day tidy everything away in the box or in its other home.  This is important because we are looking for patterns and if you only took your knitting into your office one time as an anomaly we don't want that down as something you must have.  On the other hand, if you are cleaning up your knitting every day, you need to find a home for it in your office. 

Here are some questions to keep in mind during your week:

• What are the activities/hobbies taking place in your office?
• Are you drawn to any areas outside your office to work - if so what makes you feel comfortable there?
• Do you like working at your current space of do you find it uncomfortable?  What would make it better if money was not an issue?

Putting it all together
Now that you have your data its time to put it together.  You can see what you actually used during the week - everything counts.  Do you have a surplus of hair elastics?  Pencils?  Did you end up never using your headphones or did you find that knitting at your desk improved your creativity? 

Now it is time to go through the box of things that were on your desk that didn't have a place.  Why do you think they ended up there?  Are there some systems you can put in place to make sure they don't end up messing up your space again?

• How did you feel cleaning up your desk every night? 
• Did it improve productivity or hinder it? 

There are so many ways that you can set up your office and the "right way" is the way that works for YOU.  If it is not serving you, it is not perfect.

Final Touches
Now that you have your supplies in order, and your space chosen, there are some finishing touches that we will touch on now, and get into more detail in future posts.

Task Lighting
Choosing a light that can be adjusted is paramount if you are using a task light.  I suggest a light bulb that is full spectrum, or between 2800k and 3000k light temperature.  This means the light is a warm light and has been known to lower anxiety and be easy on the eyes.

Ergonomics
Posture is everything. Some people need to stand, some to sit.  If you find that any part of you is getting tingly or numb, or if your back is aching or your shoulders burning, experiment with changing the height of your chair or your desk if possible.  If you don't have a chair that is adjustable try adding a cushion or something to raise yourself up and see if the pain goes away.   If not, you need to reevaluate your set up.

Desk Chair
I have a gaming chair. It's not in the photo above partly because its huge, and partly because its so ugly.  However, it is the most comfortable chair I have had in a long time.  When choosing a chair remember - if you're in it, you don't have to see it!  Comfort always is above looks when it comes to desk seating.  You move quite a bit when sitting - it is far more active then people realize so good lumbar support and adjustable seat and back will go a long way to productive days and a happy back.

Last Thoughts
I hope you have found this helpful, if you want to go deeper into analysis and get some of my top tips for a perfect home office I have made a workbook which you can get HERE.

This post is a resource guide for what goes where in Waterloo Region, with information and links about how to dispose of unusual items, as well as my favorite donation - accepting charities,  Now that things are opening up, we all have things that we want to get out of our homes.  Whether it is one bag or a truck load, it can be daunting to figure out the best places to take all that stuff without it ending up in a land fill.  Old paint, cleaning supplies, clothing, what can you do with all this?

Getting Rid of Garbage
Most garbage in Waterloo Region can be put on the curb.  There are a few categories that might come up more when decluttering then in your everyday life though:

Bulky Items:
these are picked up weekly within the urban areas, and monthly in the townships.  The region picks up appliances, furniture, carpet and more.  More details about bulky items are available on the Garbage and Recycling Rules page, and you can find your pickup days as well as download a calendar app on the Region's Garbage and Recycling page.

Household and Hazardous Items:
If your item contains harsh chemicals, there's a good chance it is hazardous waste.  This includes things like fuels, chemical cleaners, paints, batteries, and fluorescent light bulbs.  It also includes things like medicines and unused medical "sharps"  If in doubt enter the item question into the Waste Wiz tool. 

There are two main ways to get rid of hazardous waste: through stewardship programs like the one offered by pharmacies where you can bring in all unused prescription and over the counter medications, and most also also offer if you bring in your used sharps container you get a new one.  The Cambridge and Waterloo Waste Management sites also have collection areas. You can find out about various recycling drop offs from sites like regeneration.ca or call2recycle.com.

Prohibited items:
There are a number of prohibited items including electronics, corrugated cardboard and tires.  These items can be dripped off for a fee at one if the Waste Management sites (Waterloo or Cambridge), or you can find a program that recycles them.  Fore e waste go to recyclemyelectronics.ca to find a complete guide to recycling your electronics.

Donating or selling usable items
The Restore, run by Habitat for Humanity, has two locations in the region (Waterloo and Cambridge), and is a great option for donation the reusable items that come available when you renovate, stage or declutter a house.  Check out their extensive list of acceptable items through the link above, and then either drop off your stuff or request a pick up (including FREE salvage removal of kitchen or bathroom) using their online form.

Thrift on Kent is a thrift store in Kitchener (on Kent street!) that is run by the Mennonite Central Committee.  They also offer pick ups for larger furniture items

You can also donate items directly by using websites like Freecycle (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge) and Kijiji.  To post on Freecycle you must become a member.

With lots of options, and a little time you can save most of your stuff from clogging up landfills.   If you have some great tips or tricks that I have not mentioned here please comment and let us know your favorite recycling or selling ideas. 

Painting a wall is a fairly straight forward thing to do.  But there are several mistakes that can make it a nightmare task.  In this post I'll talk about my top three painting mistakes, and how to avoid them.

For several years between high school and college I worked at a paint store.  I worked at the same paint store part time while I set up my Lenore Brooks Design business, so all in all I have eight years of experience helping people figure out what they need.  I could probably write a book about it, but today I'm sticking to the top three mistakes I saw over and over again.

1.  Not doing the proper prep
Preparing the space to be painted is by far the most important and tedious task of painting.  But proper prep can be the difference between a paint sticking and looking good, and having a mess on your hands.
Make sure you:

• Dry wipe the walls and the corners only to get off all the dust, grime and spiderwebs
• Use TSP on bathroom and kitchen walls and ceilings to get off soap scum and oils
• Vacuum and wipe down baseboards with water only to get off the dust bunnies
• Remove the switch and outlet covers.

2.  Not knowing what you are covering

This is a step that is more important in older houses or if the existing paint is not sticking.  Oil paint was used often up till the early 2000's for trim, bathroom and kitchens, hallways and doors.  In some cases the whole house would be done in oil paint.  There is nothing wrong with it, but latex or acrylic paint won't stick to oil paint - it will bubble and peel.  Even if it sticks immediately, the first humid heat wave you have the paint will start to lift.  It can be a huge mess to scrape off and try to resurface.  But don't worry!  I have an easy solution.

Take a cotton ball with some nail polish remover and rub the wall or trim.  Latex is removed by the polish remover, and oil is unchanged.  If you have latex, charge on ahead.  If it doesn't change and you have oil paint, you need to take one additional step before applying your top coat.  Do all your prep as in step one, then use an oil primer first, and when that is dry use a latex paint on top.  You will have no problems, and won't need to use the oil primer a second time.

3. Not painting two coats
So you think you have gotten away with one coat?  Think again.  In order for there to be a solid film of paint on the wall with a consistent sheen, colour and durability, you need to do two coats.  Period.  Unless you are refreshing a wall with the same colour and type of paint, there will be imperfections that will effect the durability and the looks until the wall is painted again.

The second coat usually takes less paint, and the edging is faster as well.  It is worth doing well - after all, you did all the prep work, checked your paint, and have worked hard!  Make the job look great!  Even paints that have primer in them or advertise that they are a one coat paint don't really stand up to the test.  I have tried them and they don't stand up to my standards nor should they to yours.

Designing for disabilities can be a challenge, but I find one of the most rewarding.  There are many solutions for every situation, and you may be amazed at the things a designer can do for you now or in the future.  As aging in place becomes more popular it's a good idea to think about the future when looking at a current renovation.  This post looks at a bathroom designed for a couple aging in place, where one was rapidly going blind.

The clients (We'll call them Karen and Jim for this article) had a small Toronto bathroom that in and of itself wasn't terrible, but when Jim started going rapidly blind, it became extremely difficult to use.  It was dark, and had a claw foot tub that was difficult for him to navigate, a low toilet that was increasingly difficult to use, and low lighting that made everyday tasks for Jim very difficult.

My clients didn't want to have a bathroom that screamed "I'm blind" to anyone, and they were also wanting to capture the French Provincial look with a modern twist.  Even though he was loosing his sight Jim had exacting design standards.

We did the standard things for aging in place - a towel bar in the shower was reinforced with plywood in the wall so it would hold the weight of a person; the toilet had a high seat.  But we had to go beyond these to a very intimate look into the needs of someone losing their sight. It is not always easy to talk about disabilities, the physical needs at the moment as well as the ones coming down the road.  I believe that having a comfortable relationship with a designer is paramount for these types of discussions to happen in a constructive way.

What we did
Jim could see best in saturated light so first we picked a colour palette of black and white.  That way we were able to choose a high contrast tile on the floor that clearly delineated both where the walls and the step into the shower started.

Next we chose fixtures that had both the look the couple wanted, and also details that felt good to touch.  The top of the toilet tank and the edge of the sink have a decorative edge that is pleasing to run your hand over, and feel less like you're touching a toilet to get your barrings.

The wainscotting on the walls does double duty as well.  It captures the French Provincial look while giving my client a guiding edge along the length of the room. 

We then amped up the lighting.  This was a tiny bathroom but we had three overhead pot lights (one in the shower) and a bright sconce on a dimmer, with easy access to the switch from the sink.  This is more lighting than necessary from a sighted perspective, but an easy adaptation that allowed Jim total independence in the room. 

We removed the claw foot tub and added a shower that is almost a third of the room.  At 4' deep it is both luxurious and practical.  It can hold a bench, or a chair for ease of use, and as mentioned, the towel bar can take the weight of an adult.  The white tiles continue to the ceiling on all sides for easy maintenance, and to reflect the light.  The glass doors are not quite as low maintenance as the tiles as they need to be squeegeed often, but they don't block any light, and help make this tiny room feel bigger.

This bathroom ended up looking great, and functioning well for both clients.