apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've always felt that a big reason for me to do the Cure was that I wanted my home to be an oasis of calm, a port in the storm, where I could hole up against the cold cruel world, do whatever I wanted and regroup. (In fact, I named my Cure shopping list "From Home to Haven.") In medieval times there were moats and dragons or dense forests to protect a house against intrusions; in Victorian times, there were butlers. On Apartment Therapy, we have the landing strip.

It doesn't have to be elaborate. This, one of my favorites, a great chair and a cool hook, pretty much covers it. You've got a place to sit to put on and take off your shoes; a place to hang a coat, a handbag or an umbrella; a place to put the mail or a bagged lunch. As Trish1980 puts it:

Now, I've got a three-shelf half-round entry table. My purse resides on the bottom shelf. Library books to be returned and outgoing mail are on the middle shelf. On the top shelf are a decorative red bamboo bowl for my keys and cell phone, and there's flat space for incoming mail. My commuting shoes fit under the bottom shelf out of sight. And everything I need for the next morning's commute is ready to go when I head out the door. Fabulous.

If you use this tool, your evening landing strip will also become your morning launch pad and because you're not running around looking for stuff, you're calmer. As you head out the door you discover that you don't have to leave for another 20 minutes. Hmmm....

Besides a landing strip, the other important items this week are:

• Think about colour: specifically the 80/20 rule (80% neutral, 20% strong colour) and whether a room is warm or cool. Schedule in a half hour at the local paint store to look at paint colours. Allow yourself to play. When I was deciding what colour to paint my living room I couldn't decide between yellow, lavender and sky blue. I got three sample pots and painted the colours onto pieces of foam core (available in art supply stores). Still I was confused. So, how did I make my decision? Two things helped me: moving in a large piece of art that would be the focal point of the space (that eliminated the lavender), and deciding that my living room was warm (that eliminated the sky blue). Similarly, let what you love and must have in a room help you make colour choices.
  
• Call in the professionals to take care of the work you won't be able to do yourself: We have an upholsterer, an electrician, a plumber, a handyman, and a framer, among others. Here are some tips on developing your own entourage. If you want to retain your sanity, you can't and shouldn't do it alone.

Learning to manage your time is a big part of what this week is about. Delegating tasks, eliminating junk mail, organizing your entry way to make things more efficient and eliminate demands on your time are all part of that. Hmmm, you're curing your home and starting to have time for your life. Nice!

TODAY'S QUESTION
What am I going to do with my extra time?

Here are some suggestions: catch a few extra Z's, eat breakfast, sit in the garden, read a few pages in a book, order a pillow for your home, have a conversation with your significant other, call your mother, check out that new restaurant and make a reservation, write in your journal, start your novel, organize your photos, make your bed, prep dinner, cull your old magazines, watch cartoons, play a few rounds on your XBox, learn a language, plan a trip, volunteer.

POST INDEX

• Week 3 - Tips and Tricks with Sarah Rae
• Week 3 - Intro with Maxwell
• Week 2 - Show & Tell with Abby and Laure
• Week 2 - Tips & Tricks with Susie
• Week 2 - Introduction with Maxwell
• Week 1 - Show & Tell with Abby and Laure
• Week 1 - Tips & Tricks with Sarah Rae
• Week 1 - Creating Your Vision with Maxwell

DISCUSSIONS

• Green Cure
• USA

• North
• South
• East
• West

• Canada
• Australia
• UK, Europe & Beyond

CURE INFO

• Main Cure Page - Spring 2009
• Sign-Up Here

BUY A BOOK

• From Amazon
• From Powell's
• From Barnes & Noble