Living Etc

STYLE UP HUNKER DOWN

Meet our Reader Awards winners on page 49. Their smart home won them this Howie chair designed by us for Love Your Home

- Pip Rich Editor @pip.rich

My advice for anyone tackling a renovation is to get the living room finished first. I mean, a completed kitchen is handy, sure, but having a space to put your feet up in each evening is really the tonic you need to stop getting too dependent on the gin. Yes, there are still whole rooms my husband and I can’t get into (the joys of this particular 1840s house is that the walls start crumbling down if you dare to remove the wallpaper), but once I could sit on a sofa without being surrounded by bags of plaster my whole world suddenly felt better.

Even if you’re not starting an entire project, I feel like this is going to be the year of the living room. Admittedly, you might assume that was 2020, when nobody really left their couches, but now I’m seeing living areas pivot towards being luxe spaces to entertain while at the same time becoming wellness-inducing nests to squirrel into. By getting the hues, shapes and textures right, they can be both these things, which is the basis for our guide starting on page 105. We have the shopping pieces that best make an elegant, multipurpo­se room, followed by advice from the experts – designer Lucy Barlow’s colour tips are invaluable.

Elsewhere, we know this is a big month for bathrooms – I’m supposed to be starting my own after being unable to face even thinking about it before Christmas, so let’s hope as you read this I’ve got renewed vigour for taking it on. The feature on page 118 has galvanised me a little – it focuses on creating a spa-style sanctuary, which is just the mood

I’m after, while our columnist Minnie Kemp on page 124 is taking a decorative approach to her tub. What I need to do is focus on the end result, on the joy of splashing around in a brand-new shower, and not on the fact it means getting the builders back in.

With finished projects in mind, I urge you to take a look at the brilliant galleries on Livingetc.com for more informatio­n, inspiratio­n and ideas. We’ve got every room covered, an army of incredible expert advice as well as a vast array of suggestion­s on how to be more sustainabl­e, stylish and smart – my watchwords for the year.

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