Makeovers in Minutes
There’s time to refresh your home before Christmas visitors arrive,
DeCeMber is no time to start big interiors projects. but if you are pining to give your home a facelift before visitors descend, we have the answers on some of the best quickfix solutions. here are seven top tips for a new look, pronto.
PILE ON THE PAINT
WITH today’s improved technology, paint dries faster, so you won’t need to vacate a room for days on end. Designer Andrew Martin’s paint collection is touch-dry in just 20 minutes and can be recoated after an hour.
So whether you plan to paint a whole room or just a feature wall, you can start after breakfast and be done by the school run — if not before. The paint is 100 per cent water based and virtually odour free. When choosing colours, there are 114 shades inspired by travel and adventure. Among daring darks, there’s Mendoza Malbec and Japanese Kimono. If you’re inclined to go neutral, there’s Maasai Mist and Sussex Flint. From £31, andrewmartin.co.uk.
ACE ACCESSORIES
To BRIGHTEN a drab room in a day, update your accessories. Instead of agonising over the right mix of colour and design, buy a ready-made bundle of accessories that complement one another.
K.D. Loves has created such a solution and launched a collection of ‘roompack’ wicker hampers filled with matching pieces. Its Salthouse roompack includes a fuchsia and orange marmalade lamp, fuchsia throw, two fuschia-striped cushions and two orange velvet cushions. Priced from £1,200 (kdloves.com).
KITCHEN UPDATE
NEW door and drawer handles breathe new life into chests of drawers, sideboards, kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Try the Adeline knotted handle in gold (£18, anthropologie.com) or the Mother of Pearl brass handle. If you feel like splashing out, head to buster + Punch for some slick designs such as the gunmetal pull bar (£42, busterandpunch.com).
If you want to add colour and personality, try brightly painted ceramic knobs (from £8, anthropologie.com).
INSTANT GALLERY
A GALLERY wall is a carefully curated display of photographs or prints arranged on a wall using photo frames. It’s the perfect way to add interest to hallways, stairwells, living rooms, or bedrooms, fast.
Instead of spending hours spacing out each frame, buy a set.
At The White Company, each photo frame is numbered with a sticker that matches up to two printed templates to choose between. The guidelines mean you just need to align each frame (from £180, thewhitecompany.com).
If you’d prefer wall art to family photos, try the set of 12 Dera framed abstract prints at oka (£395, oka.com) or the eva Watts Tropical Leaves framed prints (£140, johnlewis.com).
SPEEDY SOFAS
NEED a new sofa fast? Plenty of brands offer ready-made sofas that you can have delivered within a few days.
At Sofa Workshop, sofaworkshop.com, its website promises that all in-stock sofas will be delivered within five to ten days of your order. And at Snug, snugsofa.com, all sofas are guaranteed to be delivered before Christmas. Crucially, they can be assembled in minutes and don’t require any tools.
SUMPTUOUS BEDDING
WITH your bed as the focal point of a bedroom, it’s a good place to start for a fresh look. Classic white sheets are always a crowdpleaser. Try 600 thread count cotton bedding from Soak & Sleep (from £25, soakandsleep.com). Top with a luxurious quilt for a layer of indulgence. oliver bonas’s pink and green quilted velvet bedspread is a favourite (£125, oliverbonas.com).