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5 Things I Removed From My Home That Instantly Made It Feel Calmer
Somehow, I’ve lived in my New York City apartment for almost five years now, which means that I’ve done a lot of editing and rejiggering throughout the space over the past half-decade. As time goes by, I always enjoy experimenting with new looks and trends—I’ve been this way since I was a child, and it’s probably why I’ve chosen home design writing as my profession. But the changes I’ve made to my place haven’t always just been aesthetic; over time, I’ve switched things up from a functional perspective, too.
Given that I work from home every day and also host and unwind here, it’s important to me that my space looks organized and calm at all times. And I’m not just talking about managing household clutter. Rather, I’ve learned that certain design choices just aren’t suited to small spaces. As such, I’ve pared down some of my original furniture and decor, and these choices have truly made my home feel so much calmer.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the current state of your own space? Read on to learn about the simple changes I made in my space to create a more serene home.
The Busy Wallpaper in My Bedroom
It’s no secret that wallpaper is having a major moment, and I was more than eager to hop on board with the look a couple of years back after living with bare walls for far too long. I landed on a verdure-inspired wallpaper that brought instant depth and visual interest to my bedroom.
After some time, though, this lively pattern ended up feeling too busy for my sleep space, especially since I was also displaying framed art on top of it.
After: I’m much happier with the soothing blue tone.
My new wallcovering of choice? A simple yet sophisticated blue grasscloth from Pepper Home. It still adds plenty of dimension to my bedroom and makes the space feel 10 times more soothing. I wish I’d opted for it from the get-go!
The Expansive Gallery Wall in My Bedroom
Before: There was a lot of black and white on this wall, and I ended up not loving the look.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gallery wall and have incorporated them in most of my spaces over the years. That said, it turned out that my bedroom wasn’t the best place for one. While I loved being able to showcase some of my favorite framed black-and-white pieces all at once, the presence of so much art grouped together became a bit visually chaotic.
After: I pared back the art to one impactful piece.
I have since opted to display just one singular framed work in the area where the gallery wall once hung, and I appreciate it just as much.
Navy Paint in the Living Room
Before: There is such a thing as too much blue—I felt that the shade overwhelmed the space.
I had originally chosen to take my living room from white to navy blue, landing on a moody color that I thought I’d want to keep forever. Well, it turns out that I was wrong—the deep shade began to feel too overwhelming in my small space after a couple of years, and back to a simple white I went.
After: White walls allow my home’s interesting design details to really pop.
While I think navy blue can still be great in some instances, when your home only contains two real rooms, a dark hue can become a bit too intense. Now, I love the way that the white paint really makes my apartment seem so much brighter and airier.
Excess Furniture
Before: While I loved my decor, I was struggling with the fact that it was taking up the limited square footage.
I have a hard time resisting a pretty piece of furniture, especially when it’s an affordable find from one of my many Facebook Marketplace scrolls or thrift store visits. I have learned that cramming too much furniture into a small space isn’t the best move, though.
While I loved being able to fit both a bedside table and a vanity into the corner of my bedroom, as pictured above, I started to find that the area looked a bit too jammed up.
After: I swapped for pieces that prioritize storage and freed up a bit more floor space.
The vanity went into storage, and in went a dresser instead, providing storage while allowing for some breathing room.
An Exposed Bar Cart
Before: This bar cart looked beautiful, but in a small space, it felt a little too cluttered.
I think that bar carts can appear quite chic, but in a small space, having so many pieces styled out in the open can sometimes give off the illusion of clutter. I have since said goodbye to this two-tiered bar cart and now store most of my glassware and entertaining supplies in a secretary desk-style cabinet instead.
After: I moved my barware to a desk cabinet for easy access.
I can still access everything that I need when I need it; it’s just not constantly in my line of sight.
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