Hello! How are you? It’s been a while since I wrote anything here. First up I want to say I hope you and your family are as safe and well as can be in these times.
I’ve been thinking of what to write about during Isolation and how anyone can be interested in Interiors. But our homes are our sanctuaries at the moment and more than ever we need them to feel calming, nurturing and safe. And also places we want to be and hang out in.
So I have teamed up with a few fellow Insta pals to show you ways you can update your living spaces without breaking the bank and adding to the “non essential” shopping list. Hopefully this will inspire you to get creative - some are really easy, some require a bit of DIY and others might just leave you admiring them from the comfort of your sofa.
Hope you enjoy!
Rejigging Shelves
I probably sound like a broken record but one of the easiest things you can do to give a room a “fresh” feel is by rejigging your shelves, wall art, furniture arrangement. Anyone else used to constantly switch their bedrooms up as a child? I think that’s the sign of an Interior Stylist right there! Seriously though,rejigging a shelving unit can instantly change things up.
Start by stripping back all the objects and giving it a good clean. Then slowly start adding the items back on, change up the positioning and maybe try adding some new bits from elsewhere in the house. Take some things away or just simply mix up the order of the shelves. It will all help to trick the eye and the brain into believing it’s brand new and fresh.
I’ve included examples of my shelving units over the year and how certain things have stayed put, some bits were added in and others were just mixed up.
2. Create Your Own Artwork
Take inspiration from Jessica at The Middle Terrace who has rediscovered her love of painting art. She used leftover paint from the hallway revamp to create a gorgeous “red thread” linking the hallway to the dining room. Mixed in with other “shop bought” prints and photos, you could create something truly unique to your home. I’m definitely going to give it a go as soon as I can get my hands on some paper.
3. Support Your Local Artists or Frame Cards
There are some many local artists on Instagram and Etsy, selling handmade prints for really reasonable prices and some will even design bespoke ones for you. Another fab idea which I’ve written about before is framing cards. I love doing this - see the “Merci Beaucoup” card I bought especially to frame. I recently had a birthday and got many “topical” cards that I’m definitely going to frame to remind me of these times. I wrote a blog a few years ago with other cheap and easy ways to personalise your gallery walls which you can read about here.
Framing cards is the best way to update your gallery walls cheaply!
4. Paint Your Kitchen Cupboards
I recently had a kitchen revamp but I used a professional, partly because I’m lazy and partly because I’m no expert, but the lovely Kate from @copper.and.me has just completed it herself and it looks AMAZING! She used Lick Paints which are the newest paint company in town. Kate was particularly impressed with the handle and screw lid and the fact that it is self priming! It meant she only used 1/2 of a tin to cover the whole kitchen! It’s the perfect, cost effective way to switch up your kitchen! Head over to her feed to see more of how she did it here.
5. Plant, Plant, Plant
Looking after my plants is providing the perfect distraction when I get a bit anxious. I am definitely not green fingered so if I can keep them alive then so can you. Sunflower seeds, for example, are so easy to grow and can be kept on a sunny window even in the smallest of flats. Mine is currently thriving, having grown 10cm in 2 weeks. I was also gifted this cute little basil seedling by my Father-in-law for my birthday and I’m making it my mission to keep it going into a fully fledged plant. If you have more than enough then why not gift some to neighbours or those self isolating? I promise you it will cheer someone up.
6. DIY In Your Garden
Create a haven in your garden
It’s typical that as soon as lockdown hits we get the best weather of the year so far, but I have to admit it is making it much easier for me. I am enjoying working on my tan with a book in the garden most afternoons.
Alice from Simply The Nest however is the Queen of DIY and lockdown is no exception. She has just recently made her own outdoor seating area from items she already had in the house. Having thought about an L-shaped seating area for around 4 years, lockdown has given her the time to finally see the plans comes to life. Using a couple of old doors that were taking up space in the cellar, screws, paint and joist wood that were also left over from previous projects, she has created a zero-cost furniture item. Alice is fab at showing exactly how she completes DIY so head over to her page to see if anything else floats your boat!
7. Use Leftover Paint
We’ve all probably got tins and tins of leftover paint from old projects sitting in sheds, garages, or in my case - under the stairs. This is such a good time to dig them out and give some furniture pieces a revamp. That old wooden chair? The chest of drawers in the spare room? Or even plant pots. Anything’s fair game as long as you’ve got a paint brush. I painted this ikea step stool a while back and I still love it! Currently eyeing up my fireplace and some ikea shelves in the living room so I will report back!
Using left over paint to paint furniture items.
8. And Finally…If In Doubt…Bake!
Because we’ve not seen enough baking pictures and stories ;) Even the least skilled baker can make banana bread - trust me I’ve tried. And because of the flour shortage I uploaded my expertly made chocolate nest cakes that a five year old could probably do a better job of. But they filled my heart with joy and reminded me of my childhood so give it a go - you won’t regret eating them I promise!
Baking in isolation - Easter Nest Cakes
So there we have it! 8 ways to update your home in Isolation. Hopefully that has inspired you to get the paint brush, the drill or the duster out. Failing that, I hope it’s passed ten mins of boredom! I would love to see some of the bits you create so tag me in them! And also go check out all my lovely Insta pals, big thank you to them for allowing me to use their pictures!
Stay safe!
