There is no better time to make those simple home improvements that can make life a little more comfortable or even functional. And as Aussie battler Darryl Kerrigan once said in the iconic film The Castle, “It’s not a house, it’s a home.” The sweetest homes of all are not necessarily the ritziest (although they can be nice), they’re often the ones that are set up in a way that makes daily living more practical, comfortable and convenient.
And as we find ourselves with more time to do things around the home, our simple home hacks and improvements can make your home become more like The Castle you rightly deserve. Let’s get to it.
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Store away those seasonal greeters
Christmas Decorations. Yes, when summer’s done, they need a home, otherwise you’ll be admiring them with your Easter Eggs until Christmas in July! We like snap-able plastic boxes, or an even cleverer idea is to insert dowel into a deep box and hang your ornaments in there so they’re easy to spot and use next December.
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Suitcase secrets
Old suitcases can be a joy to admire, and with not much use for them right now. Rather than throwing them out, consider how you can use these vintage items to accent a bedroom or other living space. Even adding a pair of furniture legs creates a great looking coffee table or end of the bed storage box. See what you have stashed in a cupboard and let your creativity go to work.
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Turning your dining table into an office
You may have wandered between the living room, working from bed, and now found camping out at the dining table offers the best bet as a transitional work area. To prevent work overtaking the dining room and create a “now you see it, now you don’t” hideaway home office, try a cart or caddy on wheels which can be handy to keep your supplies, accessories and even laptop in arms reach. And at the end of the day, the caddy can be placed in a corner, hidden under the table or put away in a closet.
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Perfect pot placement
Many of us adore nurseries. They are highly tempting places to visit, and it’s easy to come home with one too many potted herbs, succulents, ferns and other items, even if you didn’t at first intend to. If you have a ‘crowd’ of pots, a great solution is to utilise a large window and arrange glass panes as shelves. That way your little beauties will get organised, plenty of sunlight, and best of all you’ll be able to wipe away any water if you happen to overfill the soil while admiring the view!
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Reusing jars can get you out of a jam
Jars are an organisational wonder. Use them to store spices, hold makeup pencils, brushes or just those pesky wayward items in your home such as paperclips, buttons and rubber bands. Labelling also helps. A great idea is to use blackboard paint on lids, so you can see everything at a glance.
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Never separate a man from his tools
Garages and sheds can easily become darkened dens of clutter. If you don’t keep things in hand, finding a drill or hammer can become more like a scene from Tomb Raider. Contain the chaos with a peg board arrangement. They’re easy to make, and a quick view of sites like Pinterest will give you tons of ideas. You’ll spend less time searching and more time doing.
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Heavenly handbag organisation
If you’re a fan of having a bag, purse or clutch for every occasion, sooner or later part of your closet can look like a mugger’s favourite disposal spot. Getting creative and using dead space above or below clothes hanging areas is a great idea. Source shelves or even racks typically used for kitchens from a hardware store or place like IKEA and you might be surprised at what you can achieve.
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Seeing is believing
Storing multiple items together can mean they can become impossible to find. If you own plenty of shoes, consider purchasing transparent storage boxes, or if you’re on a budget, use boxes and paste images of each item on the side of the item. It’s a real time-saver.
Need more inspirational ideas to turn your castle into something blissful and beautiful? You’ll find plenty more here, here and here. Have fun this weekend with them!
DISCLAIMER
The following advice is of a general nature only and intended as a broad guide. The advice should not be regarded as legal, financial or real estate advice. You should make your own inquiries and obtain independent professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before making any legal, financial or real estate decisions. Click here for full Terms of Use.