Have you ever downsized? In case you haven’t — simply put, downsizing refers to moving to a smaller apartment or home.
Over the last few years, minimalism has become a trend among millennials and others attempting to simplify their lives as a reaction to the fast-paced, cluttered lives that we lead. People also downsize in order to use fewer natural resources. Or, they’d just like to focus and compartmentalize their lives based on their top priorities.
No matter what, downsizing requires a lot of organization. This post will give you a few tips on how to make downsizing easier. Read on for more!
This process can be difficult. After determining how much space you’ll have in your new place, you’ll probably realize that you need to get rid of a lot of your stuff.
The easiest way to make these decisions is to plan ahead. If you intend to toss or donate your excess personal items, you should give yourself plenty of time to track how much you actually use the things that you own. Observe the parts of your wardrobe that you didn’t touch for a month, six months, or a year. Do the same thing for the items in every room.
Which kitchen utensils haven’t been touched? What furniture hasn’t been used? Do you notice any items on your grocery list that you regularly don’t end up using?
After creating this list, bite the bullet and be ruthless about de-cluttering your space. Give away what you can and toss the rest.
This is pretty simple. Make sure you have exact measurements of every room in your new place. There’s no bigger pain than realizing your furniture won’t fit after you bring it up three flights of stairs.
This is a slightly different process than de-cluttering your home.
Imagine yourself in an emergency scenario — any other situation where you have to leave your house with a very limited amount of time to prepare. Or, simply keep the term “bare necessities” in mind as you meticulously take an inventory of your possessions.
These are the kinds of items to hold onto:
Another trick, suggested by House Beautiful Magazine, is to categorize your possessions and ask yourself this question about every category: “If I could only take 5 of these with me, which 5 would I take?”
The maximum number of items may change depending on the category. For example, a 3-item cap on paintings makes more sense than a 3-item cap on forks.
Moving to a new place is an exciting event. It’s a time for a fresh start, and sometimes we get carried away with trying to reinvent ourselves by changing our surroundings.
Something you want to avoid is buying items to complement your new home — and the “new you” — that end up ruining all the hard work you’ve done to de-clutter and optimize your use of space. For more tips on avoiding unnecessary purchases, check out this guide from Nationwide.
After all, it’s important to remember that “downsizing” means your home will be smaller. And you may have many reasons for your new lifestyle, but part of the process is acknowledging that you can’t fit everything you currently own into your downsized living space.
Contact us today to learn about our wide variety of locations and amenities, and let us help you find the perfect home in one of our gated apartment communities!
Genius doesn’t have to be 99% perspiration, as the old adage famously says. Go for 99% inspiration instead with these seven awesome Instagram accounts focused on fun, attainable interior design. Your thumb will do a lot of scrolling, but that’ll hardly make you work up a sweat.
This account is a favorite of ours because it’s based right here in New Orleans! Los Angeles transplant Dab shows off his eye for fun colors and funky accents with a subtle mid-century aesthetic. He’s big on gallery walls and indoor plants, two easy ways to incorporate interior design into your space.
Designer Grant Gibon proves that minimalism and eclecticism aren’t mutually exclusive. Use his Instagram account as a visual guide for how you can incorporate knick-knacks into your decor tastefully.
With a subtle Scandinavian vibe, Kirsten Grove focuses on the essentials: clean lines, fresh colors, and plenty of natural light. Keep an eye out for quirky accents like hints of metallic or playful figurines that enhance her design style.
Chances are, you love her show “Fixer Upper.” But HGTV star Joanna Gaines’ pictures are just as fun to browse. Gaines blends rustic elements with feminine details for a country-chic look.
Follow this account for the fun name and the awesome recipes, sprinkled in with design photos that capture designer Melissa Coleman’s clean style.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnKFsZuhaKg/?taken-by=thefauxmartha
Pet lovers will enjoy this account from a designer based in upstate New York. Her two pups are a big part of her cozy design style — and they’re definitely allowed on the furniture.
Another NOLA-based account to finish off the list! This fun stationery store in downtown New Orleans has a great Instagram account full of polished pictures sure to inspire. Like @theyellownote, the ladies behind @thegrovestreetpress love their pets, too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_1BhDnX2B/?taken-by=thegrovestreetpress
Check out our website to find a 1st Lake residential community near you!
As spring transitions into summer, the days will get longer and warmer. Summer is also the season of backyard cookouts, leisurely afternoons and pool parties. And whether you’re entertaining guests every week or prefer to relax in solitude, summer is the perfect time to update your home’s decor.
Read on for a few of this year’s summertime decorating trends!
Floral prints are “in” right now, and summer is the perfect time to incorporate them into your apartment’s decor. Whether it’s shower curtains, throw pillows or rugs, floral prints add a pop of nature to any room.
Check out The Spruce for more ideas!
If you’d like to bypass floral prints and go for the real thing, we encourage it! Placing flower arrangements around your apartment is a great way to create a summery atmosphere. Make sure you use warm colors for an upbeat, cheerful vibe.
Other plants, like an ivy tree, can make your apartment look lush and tropical. According to The Spruce and Pinterest trend data, climbing plants are very popular this year.
Mixing bright colors together will make your apartment feel vibrant and in the spirit of the summertime. House Beautiful Magazine suggests starting with neutral tones to “ground” the room, such as neutral colors for walls and bedding. Then, use items like cushions, rugs and curtains to bring bright pops of color to the room.
Geometrics are also trending in 2018. One way to include geometric patterns into your decor is through artwork. Whether you purchase a piece of art or get creative and make one yourself, hanging geometric artwork on your walls allows you to incorporate bold design elements without permanently affecting your walls. Check out House Beautiful’s recommendations if you’d like more information.
Now that you know some of 2018’s biggest summer trends, get busy decorating!
Moving into a new apartment can be stressful. Arranging furniture, organizing your closet, and simply settling in can take some time. Also, decorating your new apartment can be costly.
However, it’s not necessary to break the bank to impress your friends and family with a fresh and trendy interior. Read on to view our list of 5 ways to decorate your apartment on a budget!
Adding a large mirror to your apartment adds depth to a room and makes it seem larger. Also, place the mirror so that it reflects light into the room, which adds dimension (Business Insider).
Plants immediately add color and life to any room. If you’re the absent-minded or forgetful type, be sure to get a self-sufficient plant like a cactus or succulent. Check out this list of indoor plants by Good Housekeeping for more options.
If the large decorative pieces in your apartment have a neutral color palette, your options for smaller pieces and accents become more diverse. Don’t rely on couches, tables, and beds to give your apartment a personal touch. Choose neutral colors and patterns so that you can add texture and life with art and accessories (via POPSUGAR).
By maintaining a neutral color palette with your larger furniture pieces, you have room to flex your creative muscles. Throw pillows with pops of color and intriguing textures will become a perfect point of interest in your space! It’s the little details that tie together the big picture.
Throw rugs protect your carpet, and are a wonderful and subtle way to add color and texture to a room. Rugs can also protect your carpet (and your deposit!).
There are so many other ways to decorate your living space on a budget. Sites like The Spruce, HGTV, and the others we’ve listed above are wonderful resources for making your apartment beautiful and unique while keeping your hard-earned money. Now, go forth, and start saving!
Can you believe January is almost over? It’s amazing how fast this month has flown by! If you’re like us, you’ve been rocking your new year’s resolutions (Our’s was launching the beautifully built Clearwater Creek Premier community) and things are going well! Keep up the great work! If you’re looking to add more purposeful initiatives to your daily routine, or need some inspiration for organizing your 1st Lake space, use this list to guide you toward achieving even MORE goals in 2018!
1. “Eat the frog.” According to Insider’s Lucy Yang, completing your hardest task first is the best way to overcome procrastination. Do you have an assignment at work you’re avoiding? Is there a closet full of clothes you’ve been meaning to organize but dread the task? Yang refers to Reddit as her source for this daunting, yet rewarding idea. “That thing you feel crummy about? That thing you’re dreading? That is exactly the thing you need to do […] You know you’re going to end up feeling bad if you procrastinate anyway […] [so] you might as well take the action that will improve your life.” – Reddit user, ParallaxBrew
2. If it only takes one minute? Do it right then! Think about how many times you’ve left dishes in the sink or tossed your jacket over your sofa or chair instead of hanging it up properly? If you’re avoiding a task that only takes a little time to accomplish, they’ll eventually pile up and come back to haunt you.
Rinse that cup out and put it in the dishwasher immediately! Done! Grab a hanger and put your coat neatly back in your closet! Done! You’ll keep your space tidy and feel significantly less stressed knowing there isn’t a pile of shoes accumulating outside of your closet door and a pile of dishes smelling up your beautiful kitchen.
3. Get an “anti-workout” workout in. If you’re not a fan of going to a gym or fitness class, that’s okay! There are dozens of other ways to improve your physical and mental health without leaving your 1st Lake home. Many of our apartment communities feature landscaped nature trails and walking paths you can use to get healthy.
According to Prevention.com, walking just 30 minutes a day can improve your mental well-being, your creativity, and help reduce your waistline. If that’s still too much, start small with 15 push-ups or crunches in your bedroom or living room. It’ll be 15 more than you did the day before!
4. Meditate. According to Insider, “It sounds too good to be true, but research has shown that meditation can help reduce stress and negative emotions, improve your memory and emotional control, and literally change your brain for the better.”
1. Evaluate and donate unworn wardrobe items. Remember that “Eat the frog” tip from above? This is how you apply it. Stop putting this off and take some time on the weekend to really dig through your wardrobe. Not only will you free up space in your overcrowded closet and drawers, you could potentially make a little cash on the items you decide to sell to consignment stores. And in the long run, you’ll feel good about accomplishing this goal, making some money, and donating to people in need.
2. Store plastic grocery bags in a tissue container. This hack is pretty simple, but it can solve a very annoying problem. It’s great to repurpose grocery bags for trash bins and pet needs, but your collection might outweigh your frequency of use and that pantry looks like a plastic warzone! Head to your local home accessories store and pick up a few cute tissue holders. That way, they’re stylishly hidden, yet easy to access.
3. Donate towels and bedding to shelters. Refinery29 says, “…the best place to give them a second life is an animal shelter or vet’s office. “Animals often need to be bathed in these facilities — they’ll need tons of towels and blankets to find comfort in.” Here’s a list of Greater New Orleans area animal shelters.
4. Store owner manuals & toss cardboard packages. The first step in this home hack is to head to your local office supply store and buy an accordion-style file holder. Then, find all of the empty appliance and electronics boxes you’ve kept over the years, collect the owner’s manuals from the depths of those dusty cardboard containers and file them neatly in your new accordion filer! After you’ve assembled and organized every manual you have, pitch those space-sucking boxes. Not only will you have much more room for other items, you’ll be ridding your home of a dangerous fire hazard!
This is a lot of information to absorb, and it may seem overwhelming. The best way to really start hacking is to single out one or two of the tips above to start with! Over time, you’ll be able to chip away at this list and accomplish more than you thought possible at the start of the new year! Which tips caught your eye first? Tell us on social media and share your progress with our 1st Lake community!
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
