April 2, 2009
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Changes
This is the topic of the month on the Featured Grownups site.
I first started this blog (under the name notMarthaStewart before I changed it to Kallioph) to document my clean sweep through my house. So I thought I would post a photo blog to show the before and after pictures – the changes my house went through.
Here is my kitchen, before:
and after:
Living room before:
Living room after:
Dining room before:
Dining room after:
Guest room before:
Guest room after:
Master bedroom before:
Master bedroom after:
For the most part, four years later, the changes are still in effect. I vowed never to put anything on top of the kitchen cabinets, but we bought a grill/griddle and have noplace else to put it.
Now we are thinking about painting and getting the house ready to sell. I’m glad I did this decluttering when I did, because that is that much less that I’ll have to do to get it ready to put on the market.
Comments (20)
Wow, you can really see a big difference in every room! Great job, and yes, you will be so glad that is behind you when you are getting your house ready to sell. In your “before” kitchen photo, my eye went right to those Cheez-its – my all-time favorite snack!
Kathi
Those slight changes and a bit of organizing really bring out the beauty of each room. I really like the guest room and living room. Did it make you feel great after you changed it up? I love that feeling that comes after a good change. Neat post.
Isn’t it amazing how a transformation of a room cannot only transform the room but transform your attitude? Kudos to you!
i really need to start cleaning up around my house. i am such a mess. this is good inspiration for me.
Big difference!!
I was going to say it looks like it’s been “staged” as they say in real estate! Great job!
This makes me want to go through my house on a de-cluttering mission! You have done well!!
A unique approach to the topic. Don’t you just love a place that isn’t cluttered.
@Still_groovy - @TiRocKiinPiinK - @windingroadsblindinglights - @NightlyDreams - @nevragn - @Featured_Grownups - @thereluctantsinger -
I was not working at the time I did this, so I was able to get it all done (including a garage sale) in about 6 weeks. After that, it only took me one hour a day to clean my house from top to bottom. Now that I’m working, I have someone come in and clean every other week. It does make a big difference in attitude when you don’t have to look at so much clutter every day! Thanks for stopping by
Yes, but what does the garage look like?
Nice changes all! Good for you. I am doing a bit of that myself and look forward to a more cluttter free living space.
@Jaynebug - believe it or not, as cluttered as the house gets, we keep the garage pretty much clutter free. I can’t see parking $60,000 worth of cars out in the driveway to succumb to the elements, while storing (usually worthless) junk in the garage. I used to take walks through my neighborhood and would see Mercedes or Cadillac SUVs in driveways – I had to wonder what was so valuable in their garage that they would park a $100,000 vehicle in the driveway.
@Kallioph - Touche!
Looks great.. I get that bug occasionally to declutter..but then look around and cannot figure out where to start so I sit at the computer and look at what others have done.
@dianelub - It was overwhelming for me, when I got started, but I decided to just do one room at a time, and take as long as I wanted. It was easier for me to start in the kitchen, because I look at it constantly every day and I knew that when I was finished it would help inspire me to keep going. (The one room I didn’t do was the room where we keep our computers, and other electronics – and basically live – and it opens right into the kitchen.
I like a house that looks lived in. Well, not TOO lived in…
@dsullivan - We have a running joke about finding horizontal space. I thought a fire when I was 21 where I lost everything cured my pack rat tendencies, but after this project, I realized that they had come back LOL
Nice changes! I love cleaning my house to where the change inspire even myself!
Cleaning is so therapeutic!! Good post!!
Wow. You wanna come “sweep” my house?
I’m impressed! I also tend to have a problem with clutter. My bedroom right now is awful. Bad for me even. But I’m moving out 1.5 weeks so I know it will get cleaned soon.
@lauralen - Nothing like moving to force you to clean and get rid of stuff. Don’t do like we did when we moved here, though. We moved all our junk then sorted through it.