There’s no reason to be bored, an adult once told me when I was a child. Were you ever a child? I remember thinking. However, I actually took this (blasphemous!) adult advice and applied it to the game. I built fortresses, held football in the neighborhood Gameand cook “gourmet” meals in Doritos for my friends — all as a must-do solution when you’re bored. Now decades later, I’ve kept many of those tactics alive and put a masterful spin on them. My depressed ideas are grouped into groups: things to do with friendsdishes to cook and, as the following section reveals, design projects to work on as you bored at home.
The group eventually grew exponentially. Rearranging living room furniture always makes you satisfied. The same goes for the pantry cleanup, bedroom redesign, and home library overhaul. But it doesn’t stop there. The home is a mecca for creativity, and there is always something to fix, update or redo. Enter these 23 home projects to do when you get bored.
Feature image of Diana Ryu’s House in Los Angeles via Teal Thompson
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23 Boring Things To Do At Home When Bored That Makes You Better — Design Version
1. Art Rehang
That framed scarf in your office might be a better fit for your living room. Or the print in your bedroom could be the ticket to your bathroom decor. Simply swapping out your artwork will enhance the design in no time. You don’t have to commit to nailing a new hole right away: Use the hanger in the best possible position and let the inspiration flow.
2. Highlight functional decorative items
The most useful items in our homes, such as a stiff mixing bowl or a ladle, get little attention beyond their usefulness. Scour your home for the items you use most, preferably ones made of metal, glass or solid wood, and consider hanging or placing them on the counter to give them a shiny finish. Doing so can make an unexpected artistic statement.
3. Rearrange your library
Is yours bookshelves color code? Or group by genre? Mix it up and divide your readings by author or by their perception. This is a great way to find well-loved and forgotten titles.
4. Incorporate your open shelves
All shelves ask to be refreshed from time to time. This could be a collection of three items or transforming what you currently have with lots of new accessories. Towards a combination of sentimental, outstanding and poetic.
5. Create a round vibe
A well-designed home includes areas that encourage conversation and intimacy. This is even more achievable in a huge mansion as it is a micro loft. You need to use the circular aesthetic, which is to place items so that they gently face each other. (Think of two chairs around a small table.) I love Remodelista Editor Justine Hand’s advice: “When you organize your furniture, you can create a […] circular motion, not by placing the pieces in a literal real sphere, but by imagining that each piece is held in place by some kind of centrifugal force. “
6. Fill your room with fragrance
Split essential oils and diffusers. Collect fresh flowers in the vase. Open the window. Pour rose water on your pillow. Sage every room. The scent is strong and transformative.
7. Take advantage of natural light
The beams of light outside create the flattest and most sublime light in the house. Check every window to see if you’re using all the light possible: Draw the curtains, draw them tight, place mirrors to reflect light into the room, and make sure you’re not obstructing the windows. .
8. Paint an accent wall
As (almost) every interior designer will say, paint is the ultimate magician. Take a small can and a brush and just place it against a side wall to create depth and punch. For rooms that lack natural light, choose lighter tones to create reflections.
9. Breathe air into your coat closet
On a recent Sunday, I was looking for my favorite old sweater — everywhere. After much searching, I found it in my little coat closet. That’s when I realized how messy this space is. I took out each coat, created donations and dry cleaning, and redesigned the area to be efficient and pleasant to walk in.
10. Switch your cooking equipment
Walk into your kitchen and pretend you’re about to make one of your must-haves meals of the week. Consider everything you need, from pots to spices to utensils. Are they all within reach? See through the movements and meals you make and rearrange your kitchen so it flows. You want a place for everything that makes it difficult to remove and store.
11. Get creative with light
It’s what makes or breaks a room. Lighting is key, so you should evaluate the types of lights and placement. Are your lights properly positioned so they add warmth and texture? Do your rooms have focused lighting and ambient colors? Get creative and move around lighting features. Simply switching the lamp from one table to another can visually enlarge your living room.
12. Audit of office supplies
I love Whitney Leigh Morris’s in her book, Small space style: When was the last time you used the punching machine? And do you need all those pens and pencils? Give your work area an in-depth look and throw away outdated supplies. This will immediately free up space and create some breathing space.
13. Refresh your workspace
After the above, allow new vibes to enter this area. Move your seating around to take advantage of natural light, bring in a side table to place fresh flowers (place them behind you for your Zoom audience), and tidy up your books. Think about it: You spend a good time here. Make it feel really good.
14. Create a coffee station
I closed my eyes at night dreaming of my cup of coffee. Anyone come with me? If so, a small coffee shop corner holds all of your morning goods, including grinders, fresh beans, French presses, or favorite teas. If counter space is limited, Morris has the clever idea of organizing all of this into a small tray or storage tray so you can quickly move away after making your morning cup.
15. Rethink the outdated “necessity”
When the lifestyle writer Erin Boyle and her husband moved into a small apartment in Brooklyn, their drawer space was limited – so much that there was no room for the bulky silver organizer we racked our brains into thinking we needed. . Instead, the couple opted for two glass jars to store their belongings, which were placed within arm’s reach in the cupboard.
“When you decide you don’t need to rely on store-bought devices, the storage available to you expands and the joy you get from your stuff increases,” Boyle writes in my book Simple problems. So smart and free.
16. Clean unnecessary things from the bathroom
Chances are there are bottles and jars of medicine in your bathroom that you haven’t used in six months. As the editor of Remodelista: The Organized House suggest, purge them! Also, throw away toiletries you use less than once a week, expired cosmetics and medications, used toothpaste tubes, unclean perfume, rusty razors, and old nail polish .
17. Update your pet’s niche
Take a look at Scruffy’s dining area. Is it a bland spot with a bowl? Put down a nice mat (my dog eats on a ) Block Shop napkins), replace the old doggie bowls with pretty human-shaped bowls, and check out a small folding blanket on the side. Scruffy may not notice, but you will.
18. Shake well
Literally. Throw pillows, rugs, sofa blankets, and any commonly used fabrics outside and shake them vigorously. You’ll be surprised (or astounded) at the layer of dirt that clings to them — even on items you wash regularly. Reward: This is a killer triceps muscle do exercise.
19. Enhance the spa element of your bathroom
Another great suggestion from Morris: Make your bathroom “a private paradise on earth,” she writes. Choose your favorite personal care items and display them, arrange a potted plant on the window ledge and set up the space for a mini spa moment.
20. Rearrange living room furniture
It’s an old piece and always a good thing. Start with moving the sofa to another wall, moving it to the opposite window or simply pushing it to the left a few inches. A change of perspective may just be what you need to prevent relationships and allow new design ideas.
21. The site of a meditation area
Building a space for solitude is the definition of self-care. And it doesn’t need an entire room. Cut out a small corner of the living room, or set aside an area in your bedroom or office to take a moment to contemplate and feel what you’re feeling. Add a soft pillow and throw for a makeshift seat.
22. Throw away toxic cleaning products
One tip from Camille: “You can have really good cleaning products that remove all the waste and harmful chemicals in most cleaners.” So go through all the things in your home and throw things that are not made from pure ingredients. And don’t forget to check your health washing powder!
23. Check every room
Commit to going into every room or area of your home. Upon entering, see how the space makes you feel. Is it mellow or frenetic? Does it look serene or messy? Is there an ornament that reminds you of a good or bad event? It sounds silly, but trust me. Auditing each room can provide a lot of information. Take your time and everything will tell you — for better or for worse. From there, remove the bad, add the good and move forward.
What’s your favorite home project to tackle? Share in the comments!
