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Clear clutter in your home, and refresh the look this new year!
Here are some tips from expert Jo Ong, Communication & Interior Design Manager, IKEA Singapore
Ms Ong is Singapore's Marie Kondo — the famed Japanese organising consultant who made her name teaching people how organise their homes. She offers three tips:
- Invest in furniture that does double duty. IKEA's Vallentuna seat module with storage is good for storing magazines, toys or sofa covers, while doubling as an extra seat.
- Divide your space. Shelving units do more than just control clutter — they are also great room dividers. Use them to carve out a separate area to create an illusion of space.
- Make use of walls, which are often under-utilised. No space on the kitchen or bathroom counters? Mount containers with suction cups on the walls, to store small items. To keep things from feeling too cluttered, choose rails and baskets that are the same colour as the walls.
Colour your world
If moving house is not an option, giving your walls a fresh colour can lift your mood. Dulux's Colour Play Tester helps you make the right choice. The palm-sized paint tester comes with a mini roller that applies colours quickly and evenly, compared to traditional brush-application testers in the market. Create customised tester packs from over 2,000 colours.
Floor protection
The much-ignored floor can get damaged with time, but there are ways to make the tiles last longer. Place protective pads under heavy furniture for example, and place mats in high-traffic areas, such as in front of the bathroom vanity, kitchen sink and stoves.
Keep a sharp edge
Get rid of bulky knife holders for more countertop space. Stick knives into a jar filled with raw spaghetti. It will hold knives up the same way as those knife holders. Meanwhile, if your knives are blunt and you can't find the knife sharpener, a quick fix is to run the blade against the uncoated bottom of a ceramic mug.
Lazy Susan
Fill awkward corners in kitchen cabinets with lazy susans to maximise use of the space. They will help you gain access to items easily when swivelled.
Clean safe
Most mass market cleaners have toxic chemicals such as ammonia and lye. For better health, switch to non-toxic ones. The Thieves by Young Living Essential Oils range of cleaners contain clove, lemon and eucalyptus, leaving a refreshing scent after cleaning. Karen Cornejo, country manager for Young Living Singapore recommends the Thieves Spray to use on door knobs and toilet surfaces. Apart from cleaning, the spray also acts as a disinfectant. Available from www.youngliving.com.
Adapted and first published in The Business Times