Addition by Subtraction: 5 Household Items to Remove for a Whole New Look in Des Moines

This article originally appeared on the Springs "You're Home Blog."

When it comes to furnishing and household items, a certain inertia tends to set in. Then one day you look around your Springs apartment home and wonder where everything came from.

Give your home a facelift and get rid of those things that you're hanging on to out of habit or a sense of obligation. Here's a list of some of the more likely suspects to get you started. How many of these do you find?

Do you have that one uncomfortable living room chair you keep around just to fill some space? Instead of storing magazines or coats on it, replace the chair with one that people can use the way it was intended.

It's easy to put magazines aside until you have time to read them, but then you find they have mysteriously multiplied to the point where they're taking up all the available table surfaces. If you haven't read a magazine by the time the next month's issue comes, put it in the recycling bin or pass it along to a friend.

It seems to be a natural human trait to hang on to old sheets and towels even after they've been replaced. You really don't need more than two sets per bed. Get rid of the rest and put the linen closet space to better use.

Between gifts and advertising giveaways, you can quickly build up an entire cabinet shelf's worth of coffee mugs. Pick your three or four favorites and donate the rest.

One or two throw pillows provide a nice pop of color. Any more than that and your living room starts looking more like a dorm room.

Don't stop at throw pillows. Take a fresh look at any grouping of accessories on tabletops or shelves to see if they couldn't benefit from a little editing. Use this tried-and-true fashion tip: once you think a look is done, remove one item.

Do you have a piece of furniture or accessory that you just can't bear to part with? Tell us about it in the comments!