Small changes that make a big difference in our family homes

We hung a clock in our kitchen and here are the surprising benefits

One of the biggest takeaways we hope people will have when they read our book is that it’s often the smallest changes that make the biggest difference in a family home. You don’t have to overhaul your space to make it work better for your family. More often than not, it’s the small, intentional touches. Hooks hung low enough for kids to reach so they can hang up their own backpacks. A simple caddy for keys and mail so these items don’t end up on the dining table. A big basket by the door for shoes so they don’t become tripping hazards on the deck. Even swapping scratchy cushions for soft ones so teenagers will actually lounge in the living room.

A few days ago, my sister texted to tell me they’d moved their train set from the downstairs playroom up into the living room, and suddenly her little boy is playing with it so much more because he’s nearby while she cooks in the adjacent kitchen. She said this one small switch has made their busy afternoons feel so much easier.

Last year I hung two extra hooks in our bathroom so we finally had one for each child. Then I invested in new towels, giving each kid their own colour, and that tiny shift made such a difference. Suddenly everyone knew which towel was theirs, and they were more inclined to hang them up and take responsibility for washing them.

These are just a few small but impactful tweaks we’ve made over the years. (And here are ten other clever ideas I discovered while photographing homes for our book if you haven’t seen this post already.)

This past weekend, we made another little adjustment at home that has already had a surprisingly big impact: we hung a clock on the wall in our kitchen. And just like with the towels, I’m left wondering what took me so long. How have we lived here for seven years without one?