Top Five New Year's Design Resolutions

So, you're feeling accomplished because the holiday decorations are all put away. But, you look around and what do you see? Yes, your house looks boring without all the extra greenery, color and chaos. Here are five simple design resolutions that will lift your spirits and give you something to look forward to.

This year I will:

1. Finally decorate my bedroom. Millions of poor souls wait to decorate their bedrooms "for last". Years go by, and one day you wake up and realize you are a middle-aged adult living in a mismatched, unromantic, college-dorm era bedroom. Resolve to buy a few pieces of furniture, a new comforter, pillows, lamps, candles and a gallon of paint. Do it January, then relax for the rest of the year!

2. Give away everything I hate. Aunt Matilda's doilies, dried flowers dating from the Reagan administration, the duck collection - all free to a good home. Life is too short to live with outdated stuff you never even liked in the first place. Be ruthless. Resolve never again to display anything unless you really love it.

3. Replace my old lampshades. Take a good look at your lamps. Do they need new shades? Bet they do! Shades get yellowed and tattered, and no one ever realizes it. Take your lamps into a good lighting store, and keep an open mind. Let the experts recommend new shapes and colors. You'd be surprised how quickly this will update a room. (If you don't have any lamps, that's a whole other resolution. Using only overhead lighting is bad, bad, bad.)

4. Buy a real piece of art. Art galleries can be scary. Try actually going into a few with the intention just to look. Begin to discern what appeals to you. Do you like landscapes because they soothe you? Abstracts because they make you think? Still lifes? Portraits? Photography? Begin to get a sense of what you love and how much it may cost. Then resolve to purchase a piece of art this year, and display it in a spot where you can admire it every day.

5. Find a place for everything. If you live in a constant state of clutter, analyze your storage needs and then do something about it. Buy closet organizers, double duty furniture (think storage ottoman), a key rack, umbrella stand, letter trays, etc. etc. Just start with one room at a time. You will feel amazingly free when you're done. Resolve to de-clutter once a week.

There. All done. You won't even miss the garland!