8 Things I Stopped Buying for My Home to Make It Cleaner & Nicer
Today, I'm going to share eight things I stopped buying for a nicer home. I have a few regrets, and one such regret has become much more apparent.
That is, buying certain impractical home decor pieces that no longer bring joy to my life. I want to share with you the types of home decor I'm no longer buying to create a more functional and enjoyable home.
Table of contents
1. Metal box or bar furniture
The first pieces I'm no longer bringing to my home are furniture or decor pieces with a metal box frame and a horizontal bar that goes across the floor. As chic as it may look, it's an absolute nightmare to clean. Dust collects underneath the bars, and it’s difficult to try to navigate a vacuum or mop around it. It's complicated and frustrating.
Our living environment directly affects our mental well-being, and a cluttered or dirty space can add unnecessary stress to our lives, so opting for furniture that's easy to clean is just simplifying how we live and making our environment as stress-free as possible.
2. Anything with complicated-looking legs
These detailed patterns can seem like a cool artistic statement, but I think they create a lot of visual clutter. Your eyes don't know where to focus, and when there are so many visual elements going on in the same tight space, it can be mentally exhausting to keep constantly looking at things like this.
Too much mental stimulation can be overwhelming, making you slightly tired. So, if you want to feel a bit more serene and harmonious in your home, I would opt for furniture pieces with cleaner lines and more straightforward leg designs.
3. Open console table
At first glance, they seem stylish in displaying some of your favorite decor pieces, but they're not so practical. I am very limited to showcasing only aesthetically pleasing objects on the shelf. So these are things like plant pots, beautiful boxes, a nice picture here and there.
But for everyday items that you need to prevent them from looking too messy, you end up stashing them in different containers.
So, if I were to buy a console table now, I would choose something that balances aesthetics and something practical. I would go for a console table that has drawers. This way, you still have a place to display your beautiful decor pieces like picture frames and plant pots, but you also have drawers to dump all of this ugly stuff into.
4. Wire candle holders
The intricate wire patterns can distract the eye and collect dust like crazy. I mean, wax is hard enough to clean off candle holders as it is, but dust and wax?
Instead, to keep my space looking elegant and easy to manage, I would go for candle holders with a simple shape made of maybe glass or ceramic, so they're easy to clean and provide a visual break from all of these complicated shapes. So you can let your eyes and your mind rest.
5. Metal and plastic hangers
These budget options end up feeling and looking very well budgeted. Not only do your clothes slip off easily, but they also feel flimsy and cheap. They can bend under the weight of heavier items, causing the wires to lose shape. So, instead of buying these cheap plastic and metal wire hangers, I only bought two: wooden and velvet.
The wooden hangers are perfect for heavier items like coats and suits and lend a gravitas to your wardrobe. I use these velvet hangers for everyday items, which are affordable and can be bought anywhere. They are space-saving, feel nice, and the clothes never slip off these hangers.
6. Glass top furniture
It can seem sleek and modern, but it's more troublesome than it's worth. The transparent nature of glass means that everything next to or beneath a table is visible, making it challenging to keep the area tidy.
The glass also shows every smudge, dirt mark, hand print, and paw print. Keeping it looking clean requires so much wiping and dusting, and I don't want this in my life.
For a cleaner, cozier look with less upkeep, I try to buy tables with surfaces made out of wood or metal if they're outside.
If you already have a lovely glass table and don't want to replace it, maybe you can invest in a nice tablecloth to cover the surface so it looks visually less busy and a little bit more forgiving to the dust that accumulates on the surface.
7. Perforated lampshades
These are trendy and kind of everywhere; it's hard to avoid them. But I find them counterproductive for providing a cozy and comfortable atmosphere at home in the evening.
These lampshades throw strong and unpleasant shadows on the walls, which often disrupt the ambiance I'm trying to create in my home, basking everything in a very nice, soft glow.
8. Globe lamps
Globe lamps have been so popular in recent years, and while they look pretty and visually appealing, after having used them for a couple of years, I would not buy them again.
These lamps emit excessively bright light due to the absence of a diffusing material like fabric or paper, and the intense light disperses everywhere. And without a lampshade to filter the light, looking directly at the light source is also uncomfortable. It's like looking at the sun but less intense. I wouldn't buy these lights anymore.
Instead, I would go for a lamp with some serious frosted glass in the lampshade so that the light is much more diffused.
Things I stopped buying for my home
That wraps up the things I stopped buying so I could have a nicer home. What items have you stopped buying to make your home easier to care for or more comfortable? Share your tips in the comments below.
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