I’m about halfway through my month of focusing on beauty, and I have to admit, I’ve found it harder than expected. Seeking beauty, I’ve had no trouble with; I’ve found myself more observant of beauty in nature, in people, and in writing. But creating beauty is another matter, because in order to evaluate what, in my life, needs beautifying, it is first necessary to consider what’s ugly, unnecessary, or unappealing.

One of my goals for the month was to beautify my home. I don’t generally do spring cleaning (I figure, whether rightly or wrongly, that most chores either need to be done regularly or not at all) but I like to de-clutter in the spring. I also wanted to make a few “tweaks” to the house’s decor. We can’t afford to do anything major until I start working full-time again, but in the meantime, I spend an awful lot of time in this house, and I get tired of seeing the same thing day after day. So, over the course of a few days, I took stock. I saw what I liked, thought about what I didn’t like (hence, the need to consider the ugly, unnecessary, and unappealing) and figured out what I could do with limited time and resources. I’m by no means finished, but I have made a few small changes that are significantly boosting my appreciation of beauty, and my overall happiness, at home. Here are some of the things I’ve learned throughout the process so far:

1. Know your style of looking and living. It’s important to determine the space in which you feel happiest, most calm, and capable of your best work. I’ve learned that I prefer minimal clutter (or at the very least, organized clutter), saturated colors on the walls, and well-made furniture that I won’t be tempted to cover with knick-knacks. In terms of decor, I like photographs of people and places I love, old maps and clocks, fresh flowers, and plenty of books. (I’d turn every room in the house into a library if I could.) I also need a space that’s easy to clean, as I like to be efficient as possible with cleaning. That means not putting furniture in the middle of the room, where I’d have to vacuum around it.

2. One small room can make a big difference. The biggest thing I’ve done so far is redecorate my bathroom (it was my Mother’s day gift!). I didn’t do anything major like replace fixtures or mirrors; I simply gave the room a facelift. Before, I had a plain dark blue shower curtain and matching towels. Not ugly, but boring. Now I have a white curtain artistically printed with bright flowers, two new sets of colorful towels, an open-weave basket for Edwin’s bath toys, and a new fluffy white rug in front of the vanity. It took just over an hour to buy everything and half an hour to set up, and it cost less than $100. I get a burst of happiness every time I walk in the room. I’m thinking about doing something with my closet next.

3. Ten minutes a day is all you need. I’m targeting one room per week for de-cluttering and beautifying. Any time I get 10-15 minutes- when I’m on the phone, before getting ready for bed, if Edwin naps a bit longer than usual- I tackle one small thing in that room. I cleaned out several drawers over the course of my “bedroom” week, and got rid of a stack of magazines I’ve had lying around since before Edwin was born. It didn’t add any burden to my schedule, and it feels good every time I open an emptier drawer.

4. Make a small change that has a big impact. I never paid much attention to our entryway, except at Christmastime, but I recently realized that it’s really boring. The walls are the same neutral color we have throughout the rest of the house, but with no artwork or furniture to draw interest. We’re planning to paint a wine-colored accent wall soon, and I want to start a gallery of photos in black-and-white frames. In the meantime, though, I decided I could make a start on beautifying our entryway with a simple “Welcome” sign at the top of the stairs. I ordered a personalized one (see picture at top of post) from an Etsy shop I discovered while shopping for signs at Christmas: SlateExpectations (I get a huge kick out of the literary name). I can’t recommend this shop highly enough; the artist does a beautiful job, the signs ship quickly, and each one costs just about $40, which I think is a steal for something hand-painted.

5. Plan bigger changes, and anticipate the happiness you’ll receive from them. Even if you can’t make a big change, like reconstructing or even painting a room, it’s fun to plan for the future. Price out materials, sketch out your dream layout, start earmarking money in your savings account, or tape paint swatches to your walls. Gretchen Rubin says that a big part of happiness is found in preparation for a happy change. You might enjoy the big change even more if you spend time anticipating it rather than wishing it was already done.

Did this post inspire you to beautify your home, in big ways or small? If so, I’d love to hear your plans!