New Year, Fresh Eyes!

Yesterday we finished the mammoth job of taking down the Christmas decorations (although I always seem to find a rogue one hiding somewhere at a later date) and the hallway in particular looks bare after the monster tree my husband picked has gone.

 

 

 

Whilst it is tempting to just put back the furniture that we moved in December to accommodate the tree, it is worth assessing if a new look could be achieved.  Whilst it might be possible to pick up the odd bargain in the sales, often just moving the items you already have around a room, or even around the house, can create a new look.

 

Mirrors and pictures are a good place to start - often we have mirrors and artwork that we no longer notice in their current position, but if you move them to a new location they make a statement again. 

 





Beach Style Powder Room by Northport Architects & Building Designers ADL III Architecture

 

Contemporary Living Room by West Midlands Interior Designers & Decorators Rendall & Wright

Cushions can also enliven a space.  Could you move cushions from a bedroom into the sitting room and vice versa?  If you have a fairly neutral colour scheme throughout the house, sometimes just changing the textures is all that is needed - swapping cotton and silk for fur and textured wool for example.

If you cannot move larger pieces of furniture due to restrictions with space, flow and windows for example, then perhaps moving the table or floor lamps will create a different atmosphere, creating pools of light in unexpected places and highlighting any architectural or decorative features in your home.

 

Transitional Living Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Jarlath Mellett





 

 

 

Transitional Dining Room by London Furniture & Accessories Oficina Inglesa London

 

 

 

 

It is always good during the bleak, bare months of winter to add some flowers, foliage or even fruit to your rooms - a reminder that Spring will eventually be here.  Above, the addition of red Tulips highlights the red lips on the painting and the red shoe in the glass display case below.  Glass BonBon jars full of lemons and limes look good in a kitchen, and large branches of evergreens can create a statement display on a console table.  Add some battery operated mini LED lights for a magical evening look.

 

We have a few more cold and dark months when we will be spending a lot of time indoors, so enjoy your home by refreshing the décor and seeing the things you love with fresh eyes again.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Get cosy for winter

Now it is getting dark before 5pm and the cold weather is finally starting to hit after a warm autumnal spell, it's a great time to think about making your home more cosy and comforting for winter.  After a hard day at work all I want is to close the doors, shut the curtains and snuggle up on the sofa.

As soon as it starts to go dark then pep up your space with a warm glow from strategically placed lamps, or even better, use candles and lanterns for that flickering glow. A scented candle also adds to the atmosphere!

Brompton Lantern from Bayswater Interiors

A focal point such as a fireplace, especially with an open fire or log burner, really ups the cosiness factor, but if you have a fireplace and don't want to light a fire, try arranging logs, pine cones and winter foliage interspersed with fairy lights for a pretty effect.

Traditional Family Room by Novato Kitchen & Bath Designers Julie Williams Design

 

Lots of texture from cushions makes a room feel more cosy, even if the furniture is more formal. Chunky knits, faux fur, suede and velvets all give a lovely tactile quality to sofas and beds, and layering up throws with can be pulled over you on a cold, snowy day, all add to the effect.  Take time to add a few new items to coffee tables and bedside tables such as books, flowers or decorative accessories such as glass jars full of baubles or clove studded oranges, put your favourite box set on TV and grab a mug of hot chocolate or a mulled wine, and snuggle up.


Cushion from Bayswater Interiors