The idea of living a minimalistic life sounds attractive to many these days and it’s definitely something that’s on the rise in popularity. The benefits of owning fewer possessions means you have less to clean, less to organise, less stress, more money and therefore more energy for the things you’re really passionate about due to the amount of time you’ll save not having to clean so much stuff!

However, this is where things could start to get a little stressful, especially if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of. Many people starting out will begin to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and defeated around the idea of decluttering their homes. However, the decluttering journey doesn’t need to be as painful as you might think.

Here are our tips to help you declutter your home…

Give yourself a time limit. By giving yourself a time limit, means you have a clear end in sight. This could be anything from 5 minutes to half an hour. See what you can get done and once you reach your allied time, stop and treat yourself by doing something you love – go for a walk; spend time with friends…etc.

A room at a time. As it can sometimes feel very overwhelming when it comes to decluttering your home, do it piece by piece, or room by room to make it more manageable.

Fill one trash bag. One great way to declutter is to grab a large rubbish/bin bag and simply fillet up. Pick a room and just go for it! I bet you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can fill it up. Then once it’s full, either take it to a charity shop or your recycling centre to give your unwanted items a new home.

Try the closet hanger experiment. To identify pieces in your wardrobe to clear out, hang all your clothes together in your wardrobe with the hangers in the reverse direction. After you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After say, 6 months, you’ll have a clear picture of the clothes you do and don’t wear, making it easy to get rid of the ones still facing in the wrong direction.

Make a list. Create a list of places/areas in your home to declutter beginning with the easiest. When you’re done with one area, stop and take a break or stop all together and focus on something else. This list could be made as easy or difficult as you desire based upon what areas of your home make up the list (drawers/closets/rooms). And could easily fit into any schedule.

Take the 12-12-12 challenge. The 12-12-12 challenge is a simple task of locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home/place. It can be a really fun way to quickly organise a multitude of things in your home.

Experiment with numbers. Pick a number of items to get rid of and see if you can make it happen. For example, say you picked the number 48…this would be the number of items throughout your house to get rid of. However, if 48 seems too little, or too much, adjust it to suit you. The important thing is to challenge yourself to live with less and see what you learn from the experiment.

The Four-Box Method. Buy yourself 4 boxes and line them spout of the way, in a spare room perhaps. One for trash, one to give away (charity), one for keeps and one to relocate (perhaps to give to friends/family or put in another room more suited).

No matter what you choose to help you get started, whether it’s one of these tips or not, the goal is to take your first step into a clutter free world.

If you’re thinking of improving your garden but you’re not sure where to make a start, do not worry, we have some great ideas for you.

One of the best ways that you can make a start on improving your garden is to start with the easiest improvements first. Once you’ve tackled the easier aspects you may feel much more motivated to tackle the longer-term improvements.

Top Dress your Plants

It’s easy for plants and the soil that they’re in to become full of weeds. Top dressing your plants will make your garden look a lot tidier. Remove the first 5 centimetres of soil from any established plant or pot. This will help to remove weeds and any dead leaves too, giving your garden a tidier finish. Replace the soil with some decorative mulch which will allow water to run through it or some compost. Now water the plant unless it’s completely saturated and pull out any further signs of weeds.

Fill in the Cracks in your Patio

Patios can start to look a little old and dated once cracks start to appear. Rather than paying someone to replace your patio why not fill in the cracks? Use a patio weeding tool or a pair of old secateurs and remove any weeds and moss from between the cracks. This will make the patio look better almost instantly. Now add a mixture of 1 part cement and 3 parts sharp sand. Add some water to moisten the mix and then push it into those cracks using a pointing trowel. Once the cracks are full use an old piece of hosepipe or a trowel to smooth it down.

While it may be obvious where you’ve filled the cracks in, after a while, the colour of the mixture will change and you won’t notice it so much.

Add Some Composite Decking

Composite decking is very versatile, it comes in a variety of colours and it’s very easy to look after. Adding a small or large deck area to your garden can breathe a bit of life into it. It will also give you somewhere to sit out during the warm summer months which is nothing short of enjoyable. Composite decking can also add a touch of colour to your garden or complement the colours that are already there. What’s more is you can add a bit of garden furniture, a bird table and a few pots too if you wish, giving you an even better chance to enjoy your garden whenever you wish.

Give your Lawn a New Edge

During the summer months lawns can grow almost exponentially, and during the winter months, they can look quite tired. Here is where you can make a real difference to your garden without doing too much work. Cut into your lawn’s edges so you can see where it finishes and your borders begin. Run a hose or a line of string along the edges of your lawn so you can clearly see where the edge needs to be. Now use a lawn edger or a spade and make cuts in your lawn. Once you’ve made the required cuts use a fork to move the soil away from the edge of the lawn. Not only will this make your garden look so much tidier but it will also make trimming the edges of your lawn so much easier.

Give your Pots a Clean

Pots can become dirty after a while, and they may not look as good as they once did. The good news is there’s a quick and easy solution to this. Clean your pots using a bit of detergent and some warm water. Take a scrubbing brush and clean the pots on your patio, your decking, and around your garden. Trust me, they will look so much better for it.

Give your Plants a Lift

Crown lifting is a procedure that involves removing some of the lower branches from shrubs and trees. This procedure can make all of your plants look so much better, in addition to ensuring that air circulates a little better too. You’ll also find that there’s more room for you to add plants underneath if you wish. Cut away branches that are touching the soil or seem to be ruining the plant’s shape. Remove the branches completely using a sharp cutting tool and cut right back to the stem or trunk.

Get Rid of Old Plants

If you have some old and somewhat tired plants in your garden you may want to think about getting rid of them. Dig these plants up and get rid of them, throw them on the compost heap so you can use their nutrients another time. As soon as you have gotten rid of those tired, old plants your garden will start to look fresher.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money improving your garden. A little bit of work here and there can make all the difference. Think about those changes you can make to your garden today so new life is breathed into it once more.

It’s January. It’s a bit grey and miserable, and we’re all feeling a little flat. Well, revolutionising your living space is one sure-fire way to kick-start your new year with a bang and shake those post-Christmas, winter blues. An interior shake-up helps keep your home feeling fresh and exciting, and can even contribute to improving your wellbeing.

A new piece of furniture will help to transform your home completely and reconfigure your space. A top choice is a corner unit or L-shaped sofa. Maximising your space by fitting into the corners of your living room, a new comfortable corner sofa can be just what you need to help make your living room the haven you deserve after a long day at work. Picking the right fabric is key to achieving the right, relaxed look. Check out the corner sofas from Arlo & Jacob that are all available in over 120 fabrics; so whether a bright velvet or cool linen is your preference, there’s plenty of options.

Thinking outside the box and doing something unexpected can totally transform your décor. Instead of opting for pictures on the wall, or even embarking on a photography gallery wall, how about mounting baskets, and artefacts that you’ve found on your travels to the wall? This 3D-take on a picture gallery wall will add visual interest, depth and texture. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to show off your trinkets and will be a talking point at dinner parties.

A quick revolution is to change your wall colour or introduce some pattern to your living space. Our top picks for this year are dessert shades, like rust or sandy browns and golden hues, which will put you in good design-stead for what’s predicted to trend in 2019. These colours will also make a beautiful backdrop to the woven baskets and hangings on your wall. What’s more, a pot of paint or a couple of rolls of wallpaper is an affordable way of making a big change. For paint colours, we like Cinnamon Sand and Auburn Flair by Dulux: both taken from their 2019 ‘Repair’ colour palette.

A much simpler and quicker update is to change your accessories, cushions and throws. Whether you use them to introduce a new accent colour, bring pattern to your space, or just use them on a practical level to ‘up’ the comfort factor of your living room; accessories are the interior designer’s go-to when it comes to revitalising a space. Opt for multiple multi-sized cushions in a variety of tactile fabrics for an on-trend sofa set-up. Throws are the perfect piece for encouraging a more relaxing atmosphere, which can also be achieved with the right lamps and lighting. As for me, I love to consider extra large rugs and favour oranges and reds. The vast selection of cushions available at Graham & Green will provide you with plenty of choices to reinvent your room.

Are you going to be selling your home soon? Before you put your house on the market, there are lots of things that you will need to do in order to improve the presentation of your home and ensure that it sells for the best possible price. If you want to get a head start, make sure to carry on reading for our top tips on things you need to do before selling your house.

Welcome Potential Buyers

One of the first things that you should do is make sure that your home looks welcoming from the front for potential buyers. Remember, this is the first thing that they will see when they arrive at your home and a good first impression is what will set the tone for the rest of your home viewing. We would recommend making sure that your door is in tip top condition, that you have cleared away any debris, there is no clutter lying around and that your lawn is mown and hedges are trimmed.

Pack Away Your Personal Belongings

When you are trying to sell your home, you should try and start packing away your things early. When you have a cluttered room, this can make your home feel much smaller and will deter any potential buyers. What’s more, having lots of clutter and personal items lying around can make it difficult for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. Pack away all things that you do not use on a daily basis and put them in storage a this will also give you a head start on your move too.

Lick of Paint

If you want to instantly freshen up your home but with little effort, then an easy way to do so is with a lick of paint. Give your walls a fresh coat of white or beige paint and keep things neutral as this is always more appealing to potential buyers, rather than having extremely bright colours.

Repair Broken Items

Before buying a home, potential buyers want to know that everything is in tip top shape, and this will ultimately be a deciding factor in how much they are willing to pay for the property. When selling a home, often the buyer will ask you to leave certain electrical appliances, particularly in the kitchen which could be things such as fridges, dishwashers, and washing machines. If any of these items are not in good working condition, take a look at who the manufacturer is and then head online to find an authorised repair partner. For example, if you have Electrolux home appliances such as a tumble dryer, washing machine or fridge freezer, then you can book a repair slot with https://www.serviceforce.co.uk/electrolux-repairs/ who are the only authorised repair partner for Electrolux appliances in the UK. This will ensure that all repairs are carried out by a professional and having a full range of working appliances is sure to increase the value of your home massively.

Update Your Lighting

You would be surprised at how changing something as simple as your lighting can make a huge difference in your home. New lights can give a fresh look to your home and you can install new bulbs that will help to create specific atmospheres around your home. Accent lighting is also a great thing to use as a focal point in a room and you can use specific lighting such as those above paintings, to draw attention to specific selling points of your home.