If you're stuck at home, with the gardening already done and wondering what to do next, here are a few tips on how you can refresh your home during lockdown...
Deep clean - obviously very welcome at this time. It's also very cathartic and something the kids can help with. Try not to use too many unnecessary chemicals though. There will be a lot of cleaning going on at the moment and we need to minimise the impact this will have on the environment. Oils like orange oil, tea tree or euycalyptus are anti-bacterial and really good for de-greasing.
Declutter - this is a great idea particularly now we are all at home sharing the space, which will feeling smaller and more crowded by the day! De-cluttering can really transform a space, making it appear brighter, lighter and more spacious. Be ruthless and get the kids involved. Use 5 bins, bags or boxes: 1. Put Away, 2. Recycle, 3. Repair/clean, 4. Bin, 5. Charity.
Rejig your furniture / configure your living space - sometimes just moving things around and changing a layout can breathe a whole new life into your home and help it work much better for you. [see blog post on tips for room layouts]
Get your kids to re-configure their rooms! This is something they actually really enjoy. Get them to draw a scale layout of their room and where they'd like their furniture to be. Make sure they think about movement around furniture and access to power points etc. It's a good lesson in practical planning, but you'll be surprised how creative they can be.
Upcycle - it’s a great time to be creative! Why not tackle those up-cycling projects you’ve been thinking about for ages - breathe new life into old pieces of furniture, shelving etc. Kids can also help with this and may like claim some pieces of furniture from your garage.