Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to improve your home? There are plenty of organizing tricks, storage hacks, design updates, home renovation ideas, and DIY projects to help you spruce up your living space. Here’s a guide to refreshing your home in the new year!
Streamline Your Living Space
Eliminating clutter, staying on top of household duties, and making your living space more functional are some of the most common New Year’s resolutions for homeowners. These are the best ways to kick off visions of a new home for the new year!
Declutter Your Home
Decluttering after the holidays is a great way to cultivate happiness going into the new year. However, decluttering a whole house—or trying to declutter for the next year all at once—can feel overwhelming. Start by determining a timeline, and consider prioritizing the most-used rooms in your home. Then, go room by room and take inventory of what you have and figure out what you no longer need. When sorting through your belongings, try a few decluttering methods to find one that works for you—such as the KonMari method, which suggests you donate any items that no longer bring you joy.
Perform Home Maintenance Tasks
The start of a new year is the ideal time to check items off your annual maintenance list and ensure everything is running smoothly. Dedicate time to a practical home refresh by performing crucial tasks like inspecting and deep-cleaning major appliances, changing air filters, and replacing batteries in smoke detectors. Additionally, check on your plumbing for leaks, clean out your gutters to prepare for inclement weather, and inspect windows for any necessary upgrades or repairs to boost efficiency. This proactive approach not only keeps your home comfortable and safe, but also prevents small issues from becoming expensive repairs down the road.
Find Ways to Maximize Space
Find yourself running out of space for your belongings? While a custom closet or built-in shelving can be a game-changer, you can achieve similar organization results with strategic, smaller changes. Take advantage of vertical space by installing open or floating shelves in your kitchen, living room, or bedroom, which draw the eye upward and can keep floors and counters clutter-free. Buy space-saving furniture or embrace hidden storage in your living room, bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom by incorporating more dual-purpose pieces in your home—such as storage ottomans, coffee tables with drawers, toe-kick drawers, or beds with under-frame storage.
Give Each Room a Design & Organization Makeover
Once you’ve dealt with excess items and taken care of the necessities, you can refresh your home with DIY home improvement projects, trendy design styles, new decor, and a streamlined organization system. Whether you’re after a weekend home improvement project or a longer undertaking, here are some great ideas for updating different rooms in your home.
Update Your Living Room
Because it’s a high-traffic area, the living room can be a smart place to start. Consider using feng shui and improve the flow of energy in your living room or rotate new decor into the space for an instant refresh. Give your space more edge by restoring old furniture or repurposing and upcycling items you already own—for example, use an old suitcase as an end table or create a decorative DIY blanket ladder. And keep clutter at bay by taking advantage of hidden living room storage hacks.
Refresh Your Kitchen
The kitchen frequently gets overrun with clutter, making daily meal preparation and cooking more difficult. Smart kitchen organization ideas like expandable pantry shelving and storage bins are simple yet effective solutions. If you want to enhance your kitchen’s appearance, consider refreshing the cabinets with a fresh coat of paint or switching out the hardware. Introduce a pop of color with vibrant area rugs, curtains, or dish towels. For a more significant design impact, consider updating your kitchen floors, countertops, or kitchen layout to give the room a new feel!
Create a Bedroom Oasis
Whether you live in a cozy studio apartment or have a spacious master suite, prioritizing bedroom organization and design can make a big impact. Focus on creating a comfortable, functional space, whether that means reorganizing furniture or embracing a new design, such as maintaining a feng shui bedroom. Then, elevate your bedroom’s style with simple, high-impact changes—like investing in vibrant linens. Create warmer lighting by adding stylish table or floor lamps. Paint your bedroom or incorporate art with a gallery wall to revamp the space!
Make Your Bathroom a Retreat
There’s a way to organize, design, and even feng shui any bathroom, regardless of size. Tackle bathroom organization—including common problem areas like medicine cabinets and under the sink—with drawer dividers or shelves to keep toiletries, makeup, and linens separated and easy to find. Swap out old faucets, showerheads, or drawer pulls with modern pieces to instantly give the room a more sophisticated look—and even make your bathroom more eco-friendly! Invest in new towels or shower curtains to bring new colors or patterns into the space that reflect your personal style. And add candles, lamps, or a few plants to create a relaxing and inviting atmosphere.
Enhance Your Home Office
Is your home office ready to support your New Year’s goals? A productive office needs to be well-organized and comfortable. Purchase an ergonomic chair that supports your posture, get a desk that fits your needs, and add a chair mat for easy movement on carpet. Use drawer organizers for small supplies and install vertical shelving to keep files and books tidy and accessible. For an added touch, select a paint color that boosts your mood for the walls!
Upgrade Kids Rooms
Whether you have a younger child who struggles to keep their toys organized or a teenager ready for an updated bedroom, there are plenty of ways to curate a stylish, organized space for all ages. Focus on decluttering and designating spots for specific items, like clothes, books, and toys. Paint the walls, bring in rugs, and add decor that better reflects your teen’s personality. You can even design a playroom or study space for younger kids!
Improve Closet Organization
Simplify your life in the new year by streamlining your closet organization! No matter if you’re working on a bedroom, linen, or hall closet, the same tips can be applied across the board. Utilize small closet organizers with labels to keep track of toiletries, jewelry, and other belongings. And maximize vertical space with shelves, hooks, or over-the-door organizers for shoes, purses, and towels.
Designate a Mudroom
Having a room or space designated for storing shoes, outdoor gear, and more is the key to stopping clutter before it starts—especially during the colder months, as winter entryways collect coats, hats, boots, and more! Don’t have a mudroom? Create one in your garage, foyer, laundry room, or closet. Some of the best mudroom ideas are as simple as building your own shoe cubbies, adding a dry-erase board, or buying a bench with storage.
Revamp Your Garage
Upgrade your garage in the new year! Custom solutions like DIY shelving, pegboards, and slat walls are game-changing additions for maximizing space in a garage. Purchase or build your own hanging racks designed to store bulky sports equipment, tools, and other outdoor gear. Use magnetic strips for metal tools or consider drawing the outline of tools on a pegboard to keep your work area clean.
Unlock Your Basement’s Full Potential
This New Year, transform your basement from a boring storage space into a highly functional area! Consider renovating an unfinished basement into a home office, cozy movie screening room, or flexible multi-purpose area. Looking for budget-friendly basement renovation ideas? Opt for an affordable basement refresh by adding an area rug, buying new lamps, or picking a fresh paint color. Or install storage lockers and bins to efficiently organize seasonal items and keep your living space free of clutter!
Tackle the Attic
Level-up your New Year cleaning plan by taking on your attic! Because of the unique shape and low or slanted ceilings, DIY attic storage ideas have to be creative. Begin by ensuring the space is structurally sound, bracing the floors with plywood if you plan to store any heavy items. To enhance functionality, install lighting so you’re not fumbling in the dark, and incorporate drawers and small cabinets in the attic’s nooks and crannies to organize smaller items.
Conquer Clutter in Storage Rooms
Ready to make big home organization changes this year? Spaces like storage rooms or closets, junk rooms, guest bedrooms, and under-the-stairs areas often become accidental dumping grounds throughout the year. Set aside time to go through these forgotten zones, clear them out, and completely reorganize everything to reclaim valuable space in your home.
Tidy the Outdoor Areas
As you refresh your home this year, don’t forget your outdoor spaces! Update your outdoor shed with ample shelving and homemade organizers so it’s easy to quickly find garden tools, safely store the lawn mower, and organize backyard party games. Make your outdoor space look better and feel cozier with DIY projects for your backyard such as using pallets as dividers, adding a built-in cooler to a table, or creating a planter wall.
Transform a Spare Room Into a Unique Space
Want to create your dream living space this year? Whether you plan to tear down walls or just rearrange furniture, there are countless home renovation ideas that can breathe new life into an unused space. Explore these flex space ideas for inspiration!
Develop a Hobby Room
Whether you’re an avid crafter, dedicated musician, or simply wanting a separate space to focus on your interests, turning a spare room into a hobby haven is the ultimate way to explore your creativity—and accomplish your other New Year’s resolutions!
Create a Cozy Nook
Harness the potential of a spare room by flaunting your bookshelf wealth and creating a home library, reading nook, or functional office space designed for deep concentration.
Incorporate a Fitness Room
If you’re hoping to get in shape and want to save money in the New Year, creating a home exercise room can be a great solution. Bring in some free weights, lay down a yoga mat, add a couple mirrors, and you’re off to a great start!
Make a Pet Room
Have some barkitecture plans in mind for the new year? Creating a designated pet room or “catio” for your furry friends—complete with their bed, food and water, and favorite toys—is a great way to incorporate pet organization ideas into your home.
Revamp Storage Areas
Unlock the potential of your home by repurposing underutilized spaces into functional areas you’ll love. Whether you seek organization or luxury, the following options offer inspiring ideas for creating your dream home additions.
- Dream closet ideas
- Home wine room
- Garage makeover ideas
- Mudroom ideas
- Storage room organization ideas
Improve Your Home with Renovation Projects
Check off all your big home improvement resolutions this year—even the ones that require more elbow grease! Find home remodeling ideas to overhaul your space, bring new energy to your living areas, and even boost your home’s resale value with these project ideas.
Overhaul Your Outdoor Living Spaces
Many of the best home renovations involve transforming your backyard into a prime spot for lounging and hosting outdoor parties. Major additions to your backyard, like outdoor kitchens and living spaces, don’t just make it more enjoyable—they can also increase your home’s resale value!
Try a DIY Backyard or Garden Makeover
Refreshing your outdoor spaces is one of the best ways to upgrade your home for the New Year. If you don’t have the room or budget for a complete outdoor renovation, there are always fun DIY projects for your backyard or garden that can still have an impact! Build a tree bench, add a water feature, fire pit, or new lighting, or update your landscaping—no matter what you choose, your yard will look better than ever.
Boost Resale Value with Room Remodels
Looking for home remodeling ideas? Some of the best home renovation projects include remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, finishing your basement, or adding square footage onto your existing property. While these projects are time-intensive and costly, they can provide a great return on investment for your home!
Build or Upgrade Your Home with Custom Features
Are you planning to build your dream home this year? Or are you upgrading your current home with more modern features like smart devices to live more sustainably? It’s important to know which home styles, floor plans, and interior features home buyers care about most, as these can significantly affect your home’s resale value.
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Need some extra space while you pursue your New Year’s resolutions—or after you’re done remodeling your flex space? Extra Space Storage has easily accessible storage facilities throughout the U.S. that can provide secure, climate-controlled storage—for anything from seasonal clothing and art to appliances, furniture, and more—to help you achieve your goals of decluttering, organizing, and remodeling your home. Find affordable self storage near you!
