I’ve told you about my year-of themes before. The year of the body. The year of paying off student loans. My year sewing. I spent a year writing my book. 2026 was the year of honeymooning and I wrote about a few of our trips. This year* will be the year of nesting. Here’s my plan of attack.
Action Plan
First, the look. I’ll walk around my place making a giant wish list of things that I think would make everything look better. I’ll put nesting on my resolutions chart every month, and every day, I’ll work on an item from the wish list. I want to put up pictures and pick out art and put some color and comfort into my world. The goal is to make our home a haven tailored to me and Mark.
I’m going to Konmarie the space again and buy more organizers that look pretty. My house will turn more functional, cleaner, more beautiful.
Then, we’re hiring an interior designer to tell us how to make our space more homey. I don’t have an eye for that stuff and neither does Mark. We’ve hired her to do a few of our Airbnb units in the past and we’ve been very happy with the results and her taste.
I also mentally prepared myself for spending on a “flower budget” every couple of weeks.
Then, for smell, I plan to regularly light incense and candles and boil cinnamon sticks in water on the stove to make our home cozy.
Also, I’ll play music I like regularly. I’ve never been one to think about sounds. I only listen to people singing when I’m in the car and putting on the radio, but I like the idea of mood music in my life.
Nesting means enjoying my home city. We’re plotting visits to museums and booking monthly couple’s massages. I plan to cuddle the kitty regularly.
It’s going to be great.
Cost
I’ve never spent real money on furniture. I used to scour Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for used stuff close to me and just hodge podged everything together. Nothing matched and nothing brought me joy. I could not create a cohesive theme. Mark bought all his furniture from Ikea. But, again, no joy.
I’ve also never scheduled monthly body maintenance like a regular massage. It’ll be a shift in mindset, for sure.
Spend out. Die with zero. I gave myself a budget for this project that made up for not traveling this year. We’ll see at the end of the year how close I came.
*I say year 2027, but it’s really late-October 2026 through late-October 2027. I don’t always start a year-of project on January 1st. Sometimes, I start on my birthday. Right now I’m doing it by year of marriage. Year three of marriage for us is nesting.
What else can I do for my year of nesting? Any ideas?
I’d say do something for the inner nest, too: make some art, any kind of art, just for the sake of making it. It’s amazing for processing emotions and feeling more like yourself in your own body. And when people start asking for your doodles, because they like them and want them in their own homes, your heart will blow out with joy. Have a great 2027!
Noted, but I can’t imagine anyone asking me for my doodles!
Make babies.
NOT
LOL
LOL
I have found some patently awesome wall decor at thrift and antique stores, including an old NYC subway map, some Native American made art from the 60s, and an old art deco car advert. Really helped make my place feel more like “me” despite the minimalist furniture.
I’m not good at picking out art. Hoping the designer can do that. I like where your head is at though.
I love maps also and love to track the places i have been. On your travels, see if you can find a beautiful old map and then go to the expense of having it mounted and framed. Would be a nice addition to your decor and something you look at often. I started collecting an artist, Dorothy Brett, about a decade ago because of her relationship to Taos New Mexico I place I love. It gives me so much satisfaction looking at my art and following the auction and movement of her pieces.
I have a giant map where I pin and track the places we’ve been. It’s my favorite thing I own and the one thing I want to keep. Love the idea.
2 ways I nested after moving to a new state in right before having a baby:
1. I tried to meet and get to know all my neighbors. Nothing felt nest-ier to me than knowing the people around me
2. I made a ton of freezer meals. It is so comforting to have a delicious, no effort, nutritious dinner just a 5 min microwave away
I love these ideas! My dream is to have a friend that’s also a neighbor who can pop over for breakfast spontaneously.
How fun! For anything decluttering, I really enjoy Dawn from The Minimal Mom (Youtube). She has been a minimalist for over ten years and shares her approaches and how it’s helped her. One of the things she talks about is how our stuff is ‘inventory we have to manage’. I’ve found a lot of the things I’ve kept just in case, are actually taking up physical and mental space unnecessarily. And when I pare down I appreciate the things I do need/enjoy. It really changes the feel of a space.
It’s cool you have the budget to update; another win for living frugally! Now go give that cat some snuggles!
I cuddled the crap out of kitty this morning for you. 🙂
I’ll check out that youtube page!
Knitting and other kinds of handwork could compliment your nesting goals. To me, they’re made for cozy winter evenings, especially when coupled with engaging podcasts and a hot cup of tea.
Ooh, I love this. I know how to knit, but haven’t done it in ages. I also crochet. And sew now.
I’m continuously declutterring, and like things neat. I need spaces to appeal to my eyes— try to figure out what is it that appeals to you. Some things that have worked for me are: One or two large plants (easier to care for, and make a greater impact) and a few well-chosen art pieces ( depending on what style appeals to you more— I like modern and make my own as hobby) will make a minimalistic design more personal and feel more “ homey.” You don’t want your home to feel like a hospital.
For example, the furniture in the photo above looks in good shape, and with a different arrangement, a couple of plants, good looking pillows, a simple blanket over the couch, the room would improve dramatically without spending a lot of money. Frame your map— it will look neater and more professional, and put it in an office space rather than in your living room. One or two good lamps that look expensive will upgrade your space while still remaining minimalist.
Do some reading on minimalistic decorating before making any big purchases and making big decisions with your interior designer. You are very good at doing research.
Figure out what appeals to YOUR eyes when you look at photos of what others have done. There are many free books and magazines at libraries that can help you decide what style you like best. Any style can be adapted for a minimalistic home. Photograph with your iPhone designs you like and have them available when meeting with your interior designer.
You want your spaces to reflect you, and not an interior designer who won’t live in your home. What may be homey to her may not work for you. An interior designer can be helpful, for example, on how to best arrange furniture, best lighting to buy, best size of furniture for a specific room. However, the overall decorating tone should be based on what most appeal to you guys—modern, conventional, farm-like, cottage- like, etc? For example, do you like wallpaper?—I don’t, but some interior designers love to suggest this. Would you like to have an antique furniture piece that can make a statement in one of your rooms? Would you like a a couch table? Etc.etc.
Make this process fun for both of you as you learn what appeals to you most. This is an investment in your future. And learning is always fun! You may just become an interior designer when this is all done…
Thanks for the thorough comment! Are you available to redo my house? 🙂