You Said It: Imagine It Empty and More Tips of the Week

Houzzers, have you ever felt your creative mojo completely drain from your brain? It happened to me this week, and it’s panic-inducing. So I stared at the screen for a few days, adding a sentence here or there, barely able to finish a story. Then I asked for some advice on Facebook, then decided to put the laptop down and attack a closet. This turned into a four-hour project; I cleaned out three closets and a dresser and under a bed.

The sense of accomplishment of cleaning up and clearing out so much stuff overrode the disturbing realization that I am a clothes and Bubble Wrap hoarder. Coming up with new simple organizational solutions stimulated my brain; letting go of nice “eBay sellable” things and giving them to the women’s shelter felt great. Spreading out all the Bubble Wrap on the floor and jumping on it while listening to “Two Step” by Dave Matthews Band felt even better.

When I finally went back to my laptop, I started looking for more projects that could help me break through creative blocks. Mojo isn’t ever really lost, but its batteries can drain. Thus, I call these projects mojo rechargers.

Mojo recharger: A somewhat mindless household chore

“Organizing your food cupboards and kitchen pantry is a good way to stop wasting food.” — Liz Durnan

This is so true — whenever I clean out the pantry, I get clued in to wasteful habits — a soup I always buy but never eat; relics of diets past, like expired tasteless power bars; weird gourmet condiments I’m never going to cook with; and more. Durnan’s list is great to read for the end of the day on a Friday, as it will inspire you to prep menus, plant a few herbs, repurpose, inventory your wardrobe and more over the weekend.

Full story: 21 Ways to Waste Less at Home


Mojo recharger: Arranging a vignette

“Vignettes can easily be reinvented to suit your whims — a change of season, a new find, a gift and a special occasion are all good reasons to refashion your mini displays.” — Janet Dunn

Throwing a few things together in a group is effortless for some, a real challenge for others. If you find it tricky, read Dunn’s guide; it shows you how to create pleasing arrangements by paying attention to sizes of objects, balanced formations, background items, relationships between the items and more. The great thing about little vignettes is that they help you refine your design skills and gain the confidence to tackle larger areas. Before you know it, a little bedside table’s arrangement can lead to a bedroom furniture rearrangement. Try to incorporate some fall color and textures into a vignette this weekend.

Full story: Decorating 101: The ABCs of Arranging Vingettes


Mojo recharger: A creative paint job

“From the start we imagined geometric shapes on the walls. … We wanted to do something that would give the room a new look, draw attention to the molding and tie together the colors in the room.” — designer Ali Levin, as told to Mary Jo Bowling

The designers first played around in Photoshop to come up with a pattern of bold graphics for these walls, then laid out the pattern with painter’s tape. The look is cool and unexpected, and it seems like it would keep this homeowner’s creativity flowing.

Your project doesn’t need to be this complex; it can be as simple as choosing a daring color for your front door.

Full story: A New Yorker’s Bold New Bedroom


Mojo recharger: Using a piece of furniture in an unexpected way

“I use a bar cart like the one shown here in my bathroom for all my everyday needs: soaps, shampoos, towels — it’s like a little spa on wheels. Even if you don’t have a vast en suite (I don’t myself), a compact bar cart makes an excellent place for storing your morning essentials in easy reach while giving the bathroom a stylish twist.” — Yanic Simard

I delighted over this list, feeling like I was in on some easy-to-do designer tricks, but this last suggestion was my favorite. I never would have thought to use an elegant little bar cart in the bath. Seeing an idea like this opens up my mind and lets me come up with other unconventional ways to use different pieces around the house.

Full story: A Designer’s 8 Go-to Decor Pieces


Mojo recharger: Making big plans, even if the project is just a dream right now

“I always recommend completing a master plan up front to define the full scope of the project from the beginning. The complete picture is necessary to fully appreciate all of the factors in play.” — architect Eric Reinholdt

Planning a construction project is complicated, and it can be overwhelming. As you get started with your plans, ready this ideabook closely to figure out if a phased project is for you. Reinholdt takes you through the pros and cons and factors to consider, including costs, scheduling, living in a construction zone, how to plan out the phases, financing, permitting, how to get started, dealing with changes to the plans and more.

Full story: Design Workshop: Is a Phased Construction Project Right for You?


Mojo recharger: Seeing the amazing things that can be accomplished on a shoestring budget

“I found this claw-foot tub for sale on the side of the road in axing condition. It had just been sandblasted and primed on the outside, and the porcelain just needed cleaning on the inside. The best part was it was $100! I have a gray and white bathroom with chrome fixtures, so I painted the feet [with] chrome-colored spray paint and the body a charcoal gray — the same one we are using on the ceiling. It looks like a thousand bucks.” — Houzz user Olivia, in the Comments section

Olivia, I’d say it looks more like five thousand bucks. I love when Houzzers share photos and stories like this one in the Comments section, and I think there is a bond among us fans of vintage claw-foot tubs. My $300 refurbished score is one of my very favorite things about my own home.

In this ideabook Karen Egly-Thompson helps us figure out if we want refurbished or new, and what’s involved in choosing the former, including costs, heavy lifting, cleaning, reglazing, plumbing issues and more. The most important tip to take away is to leave the reglazing to the pros.

Full story: How to Get a Claw-Foot Tub for Your Bathroom


Mojo recharger: Looking at creative gifts other people have given each other, for holiday shopping and crafting inspiration

“It’s a representation of our favorite beach in Panama, and the two figures in it are us. I was five months pregnant when we were there this year, so they made me pregnant in the terrarium. It’s a fun homage to our past and our present and will always be a fun reminder of the pregnancy.” — homeowner Cody McBurnett, as told to Rikki Snyder

There was so much awesome stuff (literally — letters that spell out “awesome” replaced the logs in the owners’ fireplace) in this apartment, it was tough to choose one thing. But this charming custom terrarium by Twig Terrariums is one of the most thoughtful and coolest gifts I’ve seen in a long time.

Full story: My Houzz: A Stylish Brooklyn Apartment Filled With Memories


Mojo recharger: Empty out a room in your mind, or really empty it out

“Imagine your room without any furniture in it — the walls and floors completely blank. … Pay close attention to which areas seem improved without your stuff in them — this is a good clue that something in that area needs to go.” — Laura Gaskill

Envisioning the room empty is a great exercise, and I’m going to jump off from that point — if you don’t have the vision but you do have the energy or need a workout, empty it for real, then place the most important items back in it first. Also, try putting things back in different arrangements (read the rest of Gaskill’s ideabook for additional help with color, flow, seating arrangements and more). The process will help you naturally thin out the things you don’t need — you won’t want to put them back in the room.

Full story: 10 Steps to Pulling Together Your Living Room Before the Holidays

Find more little home projects:
To-Dos: Your November Home Checklist
Your November Garden Checklist
The Get It Done series

What do you all do when you’re suffering from a creative block? Please let me know how you get your mojo back in the Comments section (my Facebook friends were not all that much help!).

URL: You Said It: Imagine It Empty and More Tips of the Week http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-24993.html