We never thought we would have THIS much time in our GAFFs. While we all stay safe and stay home, we know it’s hard not to feel tired of your surroundings. Whether you’re renting and confined to your bedroom, or have exhausted every room in your house to hang out in, we have some easy and safe ideas to help inject life into your abode.
Making Room
Don’t roll your eyes quite yet; we KNOW decluttering is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but though you may initially resist it, making our homes and spaces feel bigger and calmer right now is a priority. So, designate a room and start clearing it out. For the bathroom, not only will getting rid of junk help you relax and feel productive, but it’ll also help you make sure it’s as clean and sanitary as possible. Win-win, right? In the bedroom, get stuck into those wardrobes and drawers. Check out thriftify.ie – a great new social enterprise that helps connect you to charities who can take anything you don’t want. And if you’re in desperate need of getting some dry cleaning sone, try laundr.ie who will collect, clean and deliver your essentials.
Home Rituals
We’ve been incorporating a few soothing home rituals these past weeks, and for those of you in need of that extra TLC, listen up. Lighting clean candles (check out Clean Slate and Sómas) is key right now. Not only are they free from nasty ingredients that interfere with our bodies, but many also contain essential oils that have a calming effect on our systems. Speaking of essential oils, these bad boys are one of the easiest ways to help you feel like you’re in a whole new space. Get yourself a good diffuser (we love The Nature of Things little cutie, above), and make sure your essential oils are high quality for optimal results. Try matching your essential oil fragrance to the time of day – so something citrus and natural smelling to emulate the outdoors and nature for morning, and something soothing like lavender or tea tree for the evening to help lull you to sleep.
Changing Space
If you’ve been considering an interior redesign, you can start researching and getting expert insight and advice, CR Interiors is offering e-consultations, and Dan Eire Designs is online and on hand to answer any questions you might have about rethinking your home space.
Get Styling
Those empty shelves and bare coffee table are just calling for some styling love. Get to Pinterest and get inspired by how you can restyle an area and give it a lift. Remember, plants and greenery are even more vital right now as they play an important role in the home by cleaning our air. There are loads of garden centers delivering, so now is a great time to add a little life to your space.
Make It Personal
Time to make your home meet your current needs. If you’re working from home, it’s really important to have a home office, even if it’s a make shift-one, somewhere quiet, calm, with a good chair and desk. When you leave that space you’re leaving work. Psychologically this is so important for us. If you’re working out from home, think in the same way, Clear an area for you to work out in, near a window if possible, so you can benefit from all of that fresh air, add a gorgeous yoga mat and try your best to ignore the cracks in the ceiling while you stretch. Your bathroom is your beauty salon now, so light a candle or diffuser and break out the expensive skincare. The garden, if you have one, is invaluable at the moment. Even if it’s chilly, grab a blanket and a hot drink and breathe in that fresh air during your tea breaks. Our homes and spaces are our current refuges – so let’s make the most of them.
Stay safe GAFFers, and stay tuned here for more home inspo and creative ideas during this difficult time.