step 1) envisioning my ideal environment

The first step to getting organized is to work from the vision of the life you want to live.  Everything flows from this.   – no idea where this is from –

Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it.  In other words, describe your ideal lifestyle.  When you imagine your ideal lifestyle, you are actually clarifying why you want to tidy and identifying the kind of life you want to live once you are finished.   -  Marie Kondo –

 

My ideal house ties in with my vision of the life I want - connected to yet different from anything that came before!

I can imagine happily living all my days right where we are now.  It’s just the right size for us, is bedraggled enough that I don’t fret about what a disaster the cats can be.  Envisioning it furnished in a combo Cottage & Adirondack style.

 

Let’s start with the basement, which is destined to be my ideal room in this ideal house.  In crucial ways, it is the heart of the home, housing the heaters, the washing machine & dryers.  My ideal basement cubby is also my cozy reading nook, creativity resource center & art space – my personal sanctuary.  The “tack room” would be taken out to open up more space.  Although it is below ground with no outside access, it would have a warm, light-hearted feel.  Whether I am going down to put in a load of wash , to read or create or just chill, it would say WELCOME as soon as I head down the steps.  Namaste, basement…

The den is turned into an exercise studio, with a stationary cycle, a Nordic Track, weights & yoga mats.  No monitors, but an excellent sound system.  The book case is used for Deev’s business & how to succeed books/magazines.  Cat walks & resting spaces run along the upper walls, with cushioned crates creating great viewing areas at the front window, a cat tree at the back windows for easy viewing.   

The small yet charming bathroom welcomes humans  & felines alike, with kitty litter boxes  sharing space with our toilet & basin;  the bathroom window opens out onto juts out into the porch area, creating another great viewing space for the cats.  The den floor says WELCOME as soon as you set foot in it. 

Ditto the porch & garage, both off the den floor.  The garage actually does house one of our two cars.  The walls are lined with great storage areas for tools, ladders, a 2^nd fridge, two bikes & household supplies.  Although we store our trash cans on the porch, they are set off in an attractive enclosure that’s easy on the eye.  Baskets of flowers & bird seed feeders hang from hooks.  They both say WELCOME.

The kitchen features a gas oven/range,  with a matching combo convection oven/microwave.  The cabinet woodwork & all the appliances are clean & shining, all the doors open & close precisely as intended.  The counter tops are clutter-free, the floor is clean & gleaming, all the windows are intact & replete with storm sash & screens.     

A few steps over into what was the dining room area, French doors lead from out to a spacious wooden deck, complete with patio table, cozy cushioned chairs &  a fire pit.  Crates are staggered on either side of the doors, giving the cats great viewing stands for outdoor gazing.  The dinner table, moved over to under the side window, provides another great vantage point for bird & squirrel watching.  The kitchen/dining room area says WELCOME as soon as you enter it.

The living room has been covered with a warm vinyl flooring, with washable throw rugs.  The Lockhart furniture as been recushioned/upholstered, still welcoming 2-legs & kitties.  The walls are still lined with book cases holding an astonishing number of stuffies & dolls, along with a smattering of books (mostly Deev’s).   John’s K-4 hangs over the mantel, Evening at Kuerners is in its longtime spot, a Richard Redd print hangs on the other side of the kitchen doorway, Susquehanna Afternoon is over the  china cabinet, which continues to hold place of honor.  The hall closet’s sliding doors have been replaced with solid wood doors.   The area says WELCOME as soon as you walk into it.

We take hold of the banister to head up the  stairs  to the 2^nd floor.  

 

The hallway wall near the stairs is adorned with photos of us & others.  All the doors on this floor, leading into the tower bower suite, are beautiful hardwood.

The 2^nd floor bathroom features a working tub & shower with a fabulous head that can be adjusted for all sorts of body-worshipping water streams.  The window is identical to the one in the den basement,  the perfect vantage point for kitties to enjoy all the seasons.  The “How to be Happy” poster still graces the wall, the mirror & counter are the same, as is the kitty box in the corner.  It is a supremely WELCOMING bathroom.

The front room is Kitty Central, as well as being home for Deev’s personal dynamics & wholehearted living books/magazines & the DVD collection.  The Christmas wreath with a bear that Dave & Candy gave Mom is still on the door, looking out to the hall, while a show bag hangs from the back for storage.  The floor is also a deep color, but dark blue,& stenciled with stars & moons, suns & clouds.  There are cat perches at each of the two windows; cat walks & kitty alcoves adorn the upper walls.   

 

The closet is used for Christmas, box & photo storage.  The back wall features an equal mix of pictures of Bryn Athyn Bounty moments & catitudes, family & friends. This most whimsical of all the rooms most definitely says WELCOME.

Outside the door, on the walls, are framed pictures of the Moms – Lockhart & Murphy.

The computer studio/art file room is now also a meditation/reading room.  The closet houses the computer equipment,  allowing it to be hidden when not in use.  Comfy chairs make it a cozy reading spot;  the additional open floor space makes it a calm, centering room for meditation & contemplation.  Books on spiritual development, eldering,  expansive living fill the crates & cases.  The walls are painted a deep, rich, warm color, chosen to offset Richard Redd’s delightful Fred Astaire collage.  Other artwork likes the walls, along with John & Deev’s separate & together vision boards.  A happy, restorative room that says WELCOME as soon as you open the door, it is mostly off limits to the cats.

Dark green stairs stenciled swirling stars lead up to the tower bower suite.  The bathroom is a tiny spa.  The shower is utter luxury, the walls are covered with some of our favorite lovey dovey cards to each other.   

 

The bedroom looks as it does now, except it isn’t cluttered.  A few significant significant changes, like new curtains and this... 

The big changes are in the master closet.  We will welcome Marie Kondo as a weekend houseguest to overhaul our closet spaces!

  

Steps lead up to the insulated attic.  Only the sturdiest of things are stored here, since it still can get beastly hot in the summer, in spite of the fan & being well ventilated.

A few things I left off - all the windows are sparkling clean, we have new roofs over the house & porch, we've become whizzes at ripping out carpets, putting up shelving, assembling, painting & stenciling.