New year, new home!
With Christmas seeming to be a distant memory and another year now past, January is the perfect time to start thinking about refreshing, changing and refurbishing your home and to cast a fresh eye over every room. Maybe parts of your home are looking a little rough around the edges? Or perhaps there are some features that would simply welcome an injection of a bold colour or pattern? Could your cushions do with renewing, does the paintwork need a fresh coat or do you simply want to completely update the whole room or rooms and start again? If you follow our easy updates, our owner Leigh guarantees that your home will be filled with a renewed sense of verve and vigour that you never knew it had before!
Reboot your bedroom
Why not give your bedroom a very simple and low-budget refresh by simply buying a brand new set of bed linen? There's nothing more comforting than climbing into a bed made up with fresh newly laundered sheets. If you play it safe with crisp new whites and soft neutrals, treat yourself to some new scatter cushions and finish it off with a new quilted bed runner and a lovely plant by the bed for an uplifting hint of spring.
Revamping your lounge
If your sofa's looking a little tired and in need of a pick-me-up then look no further as there's a simple solution to transform not only your sofa but your whole room. Why not dig out some old photos that need framing, or a piece of art or a print that you’ve been meaning to put up? Maybe pick a colour from the piece of art or all of the colours to match with some new cushions? They’re such a simple way to lift a room without much outlay, whilst also linking the colours with your accessories. Adding a coloured vase with some beautiful faux flowers and foliage along with a number of scatter cushions are just a couple of ways to transform a whole room. If you can stretch to it, a new rug can also add fresh energy to your living room.
How to display artwork
If you struggle to find the right place for each piece of art, you can't go wrong if you simply group them en masse to create an ever-evolving art gallery which will freshen a space and draw the eye. If you do decide to have them on one wall, it’s always good to have the same frame colour. If you're putting them throughout the house, remember to pick a colour that's already in your room to twin with your print.
A paint job
Repainting is such an easy fix to transform a room and is so very effective. Take the plunge and be daring by picking that dramatic shade you’ve been hankering after and cover a feature wall. A deep green or blue/grey will add a new dimension to a room, or you can panel one wall with a zingy bright or fresh pastel, although Leigh admits that panelled walls look their very best in dark and striking colours. As you're only covering one wall, there are paint pots starting at just one litre in size. You can splash out on a designer range – for instance William Yeoward Paints, Zoffany, Designers Guild and Farrow & Ball – all of which have varying textures and finishes and amazing palettes from which to choose.
Displaying your special mementoes
Everyone has a few items that are pushed to the back of a wardrobe or cupboard, or hidden in a box in the loft! Get them out and dust them down as these can be displayed in a very cost-effective way. Glass domes can be home to your most treasured items that have been hidden away for so long. It might be a pair of boots that have history, which is why you don’t want to throw them away. Display them in a domed display and they'll bring those memories back to you each time you look at them. A piece of china, an ornament your children bought you for your birthday or just a simple sculpture – these can all be displayed in a stylish way, and they can easily be swapped in and out with various other items.
An uncluttered entrance
You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. The hall is the first and last room you and your guests see, so make sure yours is fresh, functional and free from clutter. Be inspired so that everything has a home – especially coats that tend to be hung on the banisters! Create a small boot room style area by cladding the wall and placing coat hooks and painting this in a contrasting colour to the walls, so at least it looks like they're supposed to be there. Create a bench in front of the panelling maybe with added storage where shoes and boots can be placed and kept tidy and away from the eye when you first walk in. Finally, hanging a large mirror will visually brighten and widen a narrow space and boost and reflect light.
A makeover for your bathroom
If you've gradually allowed the toiletries to take over your bathroom, then you need to invest and stash away the clutter by investing in a storage unit. From reasonable Skandi store IKEA to a bathroom showroom where there are many designs and colours that could easily fit into a designated space instantly to freshen up your bathroom, there's plenty of choice. If you're in need of inspiration, Leigh has just opened her new showroom in Newmarket and has an array of storage options that will leave your bathroom neat and tidy! Fabulous brands such Geberit, Dansani, Crosswater, Vitra and new brand Fiora all have options to store those dust-harbouring sprays and creams away from sight! Along with clearing the clutter, why not give your walls a splash of colour? This will freshen up your bathroom and transform it into a relaxing new space.
Kitchen 'klean up'
OK, it’s a slightly bigger project and as such will be more expensive than just adding a few cushions, but simply fitting a new glass splashback will make your kitchen pop with colour. A strip of bold colour will lift a neutral scheme and you can achieve this by exchanging your dark, dreary, black glittery worktop for a stylish new veined slab of a luxurious material such as marble, quartz or Dekton which will immediately give your kitchen that feeling of being new!
Clean up your act
Finally, once all the Christmas gifts have found a new home and the last decorations have been stashed away for another year, why not give the house a deep clean? It’s a sure-fire way to add fresh sparkle to your home. Clean out your cupboards, throw away out-of-date tins and groceries, clean your ovens, re-organise your wardrobes, then sift through the clothes you haven’t worn in two years and bag them up and send them to the local charity shop. This will make you feel better that your house is in order for at least another year!
The Strive for Design team can help with de-cluttering, style rooms with accessories, assist with paint advice and provide many solutions to your interior conundrums. Simply calling us on 01223 622 688 for an initial chat can be the first step towards transforming your home!
Leigh Hall from Strive for Design is an interior designer in Cambridge, so if you're looking to redesign your home, please contact us.