5 Tips for Divorced Women: Creating ‘The New-You Home’

By Dana J. Smithers

I’m a home stager and home redesigner and I was divorced almost 30 years ago. Over the last 10 years I have had the privilege of helping other women change their surroundings to help them move forward in their lives.

Whether or not you are in favour of the divorce, your life changes dramatically. At times you can feel so overwhelmed with day-to-day living that you just want the world to stop so you can curl up and feel safe and forget what is going on. What I want to share with you are some of the things you can do to help you rebuild your ‘self’ and create the ‘New-You Home’ whether you are moving or staying where you are:

Start with the bedroom you shared – first buy new bedding at the very least, if you can buy new furniture great, if not, anything can be painted in any colour you want, consider rearranging the room and getting some new art and accessories, painting the room a colour you love is a great idea

Take a look at what you have in each of your rooms and if there are glaring objects/things that create negative energy in your body and mind, then remove them. You can give them away, throw them away or store them away until you are more ready to deal with them. Consider rearranging the furniture and even changing the functions in some of the rooms to work for YOU.

Go out shopping and see what you really would like to have in your home. If you can afford to make new purchases at this time do so, if not cut out pictures of what you will have down the road because it will happen.

Buy yourself something to represent the ‘New You’ for your home – maybe you would like to buy flowers every Saturday just for you, buy some new candles, some new music, a new cushion, a new throw, or maybe you can afford to remodel your kitchen – whatever it is just do it for YOU.

Keep taking deep breaths when you feel overwhelmed and say your new mantra: “It’s all about me and I can do whatever I want because I am strong and wonderful”

If it’s any consolation to those of you going through divorce, life does get better and time really does heal…some therapy is not a bad idea either.

Dana J. Smithers, Founder & Creative Director of PRES (professional real estate stagers) Resource Centre is a professional interior decorator, redesigner and home stager.  She has taught a professional home staging and redesign course for 6 years and is known as the ‘Staging Guru’. She appears frequently on television, radio, newspapers, magazines and in e-articles.  Check her out at www.PresStaging.com for articles and Do-It-Yourself ebooks on home staging. Stay tuned for new book in 2010 on Starting Your Own Home Staging Business.