NEW YEAR CHEER
Your home doesn’t have to lose its sparkle once the festive decorations have been put away
DrESSiNG your home for Christmas and New Year is fun, but when the festivities are over and the decorations and tinsel have been stored for another year, the house or flat can look bare and feel drab.
January offers us the chance to refocus our interiors for a fresh start.
‘See it as an opportunity,’ says Andrew Dunning, design director of London Contemporary. ‘ Careful editing and rearranging can actually make your home feel like brand new.’
Here are some ways to refresh your home.
SWAP BAUBLES
PUT flowers and plants all around the house. Tulips will be in season soon and fresh flowers always bring life to an interior. For longer-lasting greenery, consider faux flowers and plants, which are not only realistic but practical and low-maintenance. Try Oka’s Evesham blossom bunch (£60, oka.com).
ADORN YOUR WALLS
ARTWORK is a quick and simple way to brighten and refresh your home.
‘ playful, exhibition- style wall prints are going to be big for 2020,’ says Wil Law, home design stylist at John Lewis. ‘They add an eclectic, collector’s look.’
Law suggests the Galerie Maeght Joan Miro Sobre Teixims framed poster (£280, johnlewis.com).
For bigger budgets, consider Andrew Martin’s paintings, which range from vibrant collage works to stripped-back pieces. Try The Sixties Neon ( from £ 1,795, andrewmartin.co.uk).
LOOK AHEAD
SPRING is around the corner so embrace the colours of the next season — it’s not too early. Dunning says: ‘Out go the autumn-coloured cushions; bring in the yellows and the greens.’ He suggests Margo Selby’s Eden cushion (£84,
margoselby.com). Or try Heal’s collection of velvet cushions from £31.
CREATING a feature wall with statement wallpaper allows you to have fun with pattern and colour. Subtle patterns will add interest to your walls without completely taking over.
The Scenes and Murals collection at Designers Guild offers tailored geometrics, floral and landscape scenes in wallpapers and wall art panels from its in- house designers as well as from the likes of Christian Lacroix and John Derian.
The digitally printed cherry blossom tree sends a signal that spring is near (Shinsha Scene 2 Blossom, £195 a roll, designersguild.co.uk).
CHANGING SHADES
ADDING colourful, decorative lampshades to a tired base or pendant transforms the look of a room with minimum effort.
Check out the mood-boosting designs at pooky, such as the handmade marble shade in yellow acido (from £48, pooky.com).
NEW LIFE
REUPHOLSTER a sofa, armchair, set of dining chairs or even the headboard on your bed. Consider the new range of Andrew Martin Villandry velvet fabrics, which are stain and crease resistant (£58 per metre, andrewmartin.co.uk).
KITCHEN UPDATES
MORE new kitchens are ordered in January than any other month — or if you just want a quick update, try replacing a few accessories. Brass is currently a growing trend for handles, sinks, taps and lighting. Consider brass cabinet handles from Buster and punch (from £35 a pair, busterandpunch.com)
WREATH HIT
REUSE Christmas decorations: for example, wreaths can be used to create a striking table centrepiece as we head towards spring. ‘ Take out the berries and any festive elements, and weave seasonal flowers through instead,’ suggests Sue Jones, the founder and creative director of Oka.
AND FINALLY . . . SWITCH ABOUT
ONCE the tree has gone, do some rearranging. Change the room around and pare back the clutter.