Make some promises to your rooms this month. Promises for better organization, refreshing seasonal elements and to focusing on the details, these are the words that your rooms have been longing to hear.

Vertical spaces occupy the greatest surface area in a room and are most often neglected- this year make a promise to maximize your vertical spaces visually and functionally.

Take advantage of wall height by adding tall bookcases, cabinets or shelving. Built in or free standing bookcases and shelving adds valuable storage space and creates an opportunity for display space and to create architectural interest. All most every room could look forward to a wall of additional storage and shelving. On the remaining walls, add colour and texture with some fabulous new wallpaper. Wallpaper will add colour, texture and pattern to your rooms. It’s easy to hang and has a dramatic effect on the space- the trend is to use natural textures such as cork, or contemporary geometric pattern or ‘wall tattoos’.

When the wallpaper has been hung, draw additional attention to the vertical spaces with new artwork and wall hangings. Oversized mirrors, framed works and organic pieces all make terrific wall hangings. You can also get a designer look by framing pieces of luxury wallpaper - hand-painted fabric and even silk scarves. Frame some priceless original art - your kids' artwork - it can look like a Rembrandt when framed!

Increase the vertical, with new baseboards and crown moulding. On a budget? An inexpensive way to add new moulding detail is to simply install a piece of 1” half round bead moulding about 6 inches above the existing baseboard. Paint the wall between the two baseboards and the baseboards and half round all the same semi gloss colour.

Lighten up your rooms with layers- yes; dressing and lighting in layers are must do’s for any room. Light should come from various directions and locations around the room. For a typical 14 x 20 living room, you should have a minimum of 4 table lamps, 2 floor cans or up lights, and 4 recessed ceiling pot lights positioned throughout the room. To calculate the required amount of wattage required to light a particular room, multiply the total square footage by 1.5

Hook your rooms on organization- they’ll look better and you’ll feel better for it. Hang hooks for jackets in the hallway, robes and towels in the bathrooms, for tools in the garage, or pots and pans in the kitchen. Control clutter in your rooms by getting rid of items you no longer need or use-be ruthless. Always deal with paperwork as it comes in, file important papers in labeled folders or boxes, and return everything to its original place when you're done with it. Add storage wherever possible.

Store like items together – for example keep all your cleaning products or bathroom supplies - in labeled bins or baskets under the sink. For those particularly unruly areas, purchase clear plastic storage bin and organizational aids such as a over-the-door rack to help get shoes off the floor, or a armoire or closet-size storage units to squirrel away seasonal clothing.

Cheryll Gillespie is a nationally syndicated Design and Décor columnist.