house cleaning. sigh.
now that is a chore.

why not make it simpler and {is this too much of a stretch?} inspiring, by cleaning out your broom closet,
or making a broom closet for that matter.

here are some broom closets that inspire me:

Doesn’t this make you want to have an organized and bright broom closet? Nothing fancy, just a designated space for everything. Oh, and color. {Real Simple}

Classic and minimalist Martha. This closet also has beautiful colors, and everything in its place.  I love the idea of keeping tools handy too. {Martha Stewart}

I love this. Why not fit a broom closet {or broom cabinet} wherever you can find a sliver of space. One does not need much room to hang brooms. {Home Depot}

The point is, have a designated space where you keep your cleaning products. Buy those silly mop-and-broom-hanging-thingies. Get rid of the stuff you don’t use. Then, use your brooms to clean out your broom closet. And if you are truly inspired, paint it to look pretty.

The chore of ‘cleaning house’ would feel much more like a ritual if you opened up your broom closet and faced all the tools you need… and it never hurts to face a cheery and yellow painted closet.

Do you have a broom closet? Do you want one?
– {darlene}

For more “beautiful ritual” posts, click here.
And thank you to everyone who is cheering me on in my dream of Fieldstone Hill Design.  Love Fieldstone Hill? thanks. you rock. Would you consider sharing the love by Following {click Follow in the right sidebar}, Liking on Facebook, or linking here from your blog. I just knew you were awesome!

washing dishes.
unloading dishes.
rinsing hands.
washing dishes again.

The sink can certainly be a place where the word “chore” abounds. But, could some simple changes toward beauty, organization, and the joy of the senses… could they turn our chores into a ritual?

Sometimes it is not the having of the “perfect sink,” but what touches of beauty you surround your sink with.
Be inspired by details at the sink:

bowls of bright fruit, a juicer, a simple shade, a thriving plant, a wall-mounted soap holder with a hefty chunk of soap, beautiful pitchers nearby, and an open window. All of these touches start the day off with cheer. {Martha Stewart}

it is often what is under our sink that enables us to keep the top of our sink free from clutter.  here, pull-out storage beneath the sink keeps the daily utilitarian items out of site, but not out of mind. notice the tall neck on the faucet; this is a great choice for making daily “chores” easier –  like washing a huge pot. Don’t miss that the dish soap is kept handy by the sink, but has been transferred into a gorgeous dispensing bottle. everyday beauty. {Martha Stewart}

even though this sink does not sit directly beneath a window, it is still bathed in ample light. What a cheerful space this is; the yellow and the blue touches are lighthearted. And notice the soap and hand cream that are kept close by. My best guess would be that they are filled with a delightfully fragranced product; in other words, not Dial. It may seem silly, but these touches of luxury – {which can be purchased on sale or discount; I always get mine from T. J. Maxx} – can immediately elevate the mundane chore into a delightful ritual. {Decor Pad}

And who needs a window? Many of us don’t have the luxury of a sink with a view. But this sink is made bright and sunny with beautiful jars of fruit, plenty of under-counter lighting, and clear containers filled with spices and grains. And just a few open-shelf cabinets add airiness. {Artistic Designs For Living}

Fresh flowers and plants do wonders to keep a space feeling alive. When was the last time you had fresh flowers by your sink?
And a trough of fresh grass right behind the faucet. I LOVE that idea.
a lovely, pure cotton dishtowel is useful, yet pretty.
and those glass subway tiles are just amazing. le sigh. {House Beautiful}

It is the little things. Details like a beautiful soap dispenser, a working and stately faucet, lovely fragrances, and fresh plants kept nearby. All of these details can surround us with beauty and ease as we go about doing our household rituals.
– {darlene}

For more beautiful ritual posts, click here.

I love this time of year. Organizing time. When magazines and blogs and stores turn their focus toward the art of organizing.

It may not seem like an art, with plastic bins, and bags, and boxes, and sorting, and filing. But the art can be found in how simple tasks can improve the peace in your life. How an hour spent improving your closet or garage or clearing out the old, well, it can actually add time and joy to your day.

Organizing can, ultimately, take the burden out of a chore.
For example, do you hate to do laundry? How would you feel about doing laundry if you made the effort to organize your space in a way that added ease and beauty to your chore? What if your laundry space was a beautiful space? Would that alter your motivation?

Sometimes, the effort to brightly wallpaper the back of your laundry closet, add large, matching ball jars filled with detergent, and installing a brighter light above your work space, can elevate your chore into a relaxing ritual.

Join me this week, as I will be posting on ways that you can transform a variety of chores into rituals by adding beauty and organization to your home.

To get us started, enjoy the inspiration offered by these beautiful laundry spaces! I am wondering….Do you want to do laundry yet?

a farmhouse sink. butcher block counters. gorgeous draping fabric instead of cabinets. an antique washboard. a few sprigs of lavender, and a window for daydreaming. I am home. {cabbage and roses}

is your laundry room part of your basement? why not brighten it up with a cheery and soft robin’s egg blue, and install plenty of lighting. Here, simple elfa shelving adds enough order to transform the utilitarian into the beautiful. {elfa}

love this laundry room. and she is a great blogger too! I just love the bead-board work in this laundry space. and the small shelf just above the sink. visit Rie at {home and harmony}

ah. martha. you are one classy lady. with washer and dryer hidden away by gorgeous gray-green doors, this room feels like an oasis. Gorgeous collectibles may very well hide a stain-stick or two. Canisters with wooden spoons and an amazing stone bowl hold the necessities for cleaning clothes. And, the amazing shaker laundry basket elevates the room to a new level of clean and crisp beauty. I love this space. {martha stewart}

clothespins in an antique basket. a tile backsplash to die for. and I love the idea of installing a swinging arm towel holder to hang a curtain – I am guessing it covers some shelves below the sink. And who says you can’t have silver in the laundry room? and right on the sink? How classy is that? {apartment therapy}

this photo, and the one below, are from my laundry room here at Fieldstone Hill. While rather a work in progress, I must admit that I find it delightful to see bare fieldstone, soft blue-green baskets, slate mosaic tile, and a bright window as I do my chores. It is a wonderful start toward elevating my chore into a ritual.

I look forward to seeing you here at Fieldstone Hill as I explore ways in which we can elevate our chores into the beautiful rituals of life.

And thank you to those of you stopping by from {my friend Traci} and {Thrifty Decor Chick}

I would love to know that you stopped by my home. – {darlene}