Chronic Home Rearranger

I bet many of you are like me: a chronic re-arranger. Or maybe you are, but don't yet realize it. Read on. 

You know how it feels so good to take down your holiday decorations? Yeah, I know that feeling big time. After they are all packed away in boxes in the attic, I usually just sit and happily stare at my naked home for a while. I've missed you; you look so beautiful and different, I think.

Taking down the decorations feels just as good to me as putting them up. I understand why the decorating feels so nice - I'm in the festive spirit, I'm doing it with my loved ones, and my house looks a little warmer and cheerier afterwards.

However, the joy I get from the putting away always stumped me a bit because many people I know don't share this same joy. I always hear grumbles about tearing down the tree and packing away the ornaments, but me? I'm chomping at the bit. 

I don't know what it is, but when my home looks different, I get a big rush and I'm constantly chasing this feeling. Let's face it, I get tired of looking at the same things in the same places all the time and I enjoy the process of putting something new and beautiful together. And I've decided there's absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, I've decided to embrace it. 

Instead of  frequently buying new furniture or painting my walls, I've designated areas in my home where I can easily change out (or leave out - sometimes you just need some negative space!) decor to satisfy this incessant need to rearrange. Sure, there are some pieces I want to stay stationary in my home for months or even years, but I've built in some spaces for my chronic re-arranging needs.

Case in point, my dining room built-in. I've displayed wreaths, hats, flowers and vases, and sometimes nothing. I feel like I've just hit the tip of the iceberg in terms of what I can do with this space. Any ideas for temporary decor for this space are appreciated.

An oldie, but a goodie - the dining table. Your dining table is a wonderful place to change it up frequently and display fresh farmer's market flowers, pieces of driftwood, pine cones, clippings from the backyard, small objects encapsulated in glass domes and baskets of fruit. Am I right?

Wall space is a new one for me. I have a couple of small nails in my kitchen I leave available for decor whims. A handmade wreath, a wooden mask, a calendar, or nothing at all have graced this wall thus far.

I don't have one, but a mantle is another great place to focus your chronic re-arranging needs. The mantle is especially fulfilling because it is typically front and center in your home.

So you relate to the joy I get from my naked home after the holidays, huh?  You other chronic re-arrangers out there: tell me some of the ways you express this in your home.

-Palmer