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Looking for Inspiration for the Brighter Months
Clear out the cupboards, bag all the winter woollies and prepare for that trip to the skip; it’s time for the spring clean to take effect!
Schools are about to reopen in March (fingers crossed) and the sun is making its grand return, so naturally this is where we start shaping up the home for the year ahead even if you are still set to work from home.
So if you are like a lot of homeowners looking to spring into action on the home front, what kinds of things can we look at to brighten up our lives for the year ahead?
Effective Mood Lighting
With the days set to get longer and we near that period where the sun stays out until 10pm, we find that we will not be using as much lighting as we have over the winter months.
This could also play a hand in your design by changing to some mood lighting or artful lighting pieces. As you won’t be using room lights or lamps as much as you were, you can choose energy efficient lighting or even candle lights when it does get dark, saving you some extra money through the summer.
Take up the Rug
Your rug has probably provided plenty of warmth during the cold nights, but as things get warm you won’t want that providing even more warmth.
Roll it up and store it away, otherwise if you no longer feel it to be a required part of the room you can look into alternatives. Carpets are great but hey take a lot of care, and no doubt they have had their fair share of extra attention in the past year due to all that time at home.
There is fantastic durability within luxury wood effect vinyl flooring that not only provides the comfort and style, but also greatly reduces those instances of clean up due to anti stain, anti-scratch and water resistance. It’s a relatively cheap option too, but not on quality.
If you want a floor that's durable and stylish you should check out lowest price Amtico flooring.
Provide Under Stair Storage with a New Life
A lot of people tend to have that under stairs storage space as a place for shoes, coats, umbrellas and those boxes of items you just have not found a use for yet.
Why not find a unique solution for that storage space by providing it with an organised alternative use such as a small office space or a learning area for your kids. It sounds a little crazy but decluttering that area and installing a small desk in there with a chair can provide a unique space for getting your work done away from family activity or a room simply to hold Zoom meetings away from the usual distractions around the house.
Simple small ideas that play a big part in freshening up your home for the year ahead, from use of space to installing the cheapest Amtico flooring in the UK, and the best Amtico Signature and Spacia flooring, to saving on those electricity costs for the year ahead.
Interior Trends for 2021
It will be hard to follow a year of pandemic but there’s always hope with fresh new ideas and designs to give our homes a well needed face lift for Spring. Here are my top picks of the Interior Trends of 2021.
Background image by Paweł Czerwiński
2021 is all about texture. From fluted cabinets to rippled tiles to boucle headboards. If it makes you want to run your hands across the surface then it’s doing it’s job. Bringing texture into our homes can instantly transform a room, whether it’s your favourite blanket or plaster effect paint - it has the power to envelope and create the cosiest of spaces. It also adds interest to the blandest of decor schemes.
One of my favourite ways to add texture at the moment is through tiles in the bathroom. Reena from Hygge for Home is currently doing the most epic renovation on a bungalow and her bathroom is so dreamy. She has combined Zellige tiles with Tadelakt walls. Both hailing from Morocco, Tadelakt is a traditional waterproof and decorative plaster and Zellige are handmade tiles which give an uneven, authentic feel to any wall.
Other ways to add texture into your home can come in the form of T&G fluted panelling to frame a bed or ribbed cabinets in the kitchen. Fabrics like Boucle, Cord and Velvet are great additions in big or small amounts.
And if you just want to start small, then these candles from Norsu Interiors are a really quick and easy way to introduce this trend.
2020 shook everything up and it feels like 2021 is probably going to continue some of the habits learnt from the year before. It’s no secret that our homes have had to work harder recently - they have become offices, schools, retreats and restaurants 24/7. Most of the surveys suggest that workers, where possible, would like to continue a work from home balance of some sort so look out for clever home office as more ingenious ideas come through.
The most important thing is here to zone the space if you can. The ideal scenario would be a separate room where you can close the door behind you at the end of the day but, if like me, you are not lucky enough to have a room dedicated to an office then just simply designating a corner can help you distinguish where the working the day ends and the home life starts.
This spare room office design below by Luke Arthur Wells is a fab example of zoning the space by using an alcove corner and some simple panelling to frame the desk. The room is still a spare bedroom when needed, but functions as a home office perfectly.
And Medina from Grillo Designs is the Queen of making spaces would hard to accommodate her family’s needs like this workstation she designed under the stairs for her son to do school work. It’s compact, neat and in keeping with the rest of the room. Notice the framing idea is used here too and it really works.
Image by Atelier Ellis
Every year we see colour trends come through from various paint companies and 2021 is no different. Dulux and Pantone are the leading experts on colour but there are many different colours to choose from if these particular colours aren’t your flavour. One thing is for sure, we are getting braver in our homes and I urge you to pick colours that make you happy rather than following the trends. If it’s something you don’t particularly like - don’t force it to work.
One colour that scares the hell out of me but also weirdly makes me happy is Lilac. If any of you grew up in the 90s you’ll probably remember the classic half and half lilac/turquoise combinations that adorned teenage bedrooms. Border wallpaper anyone? All those hideous memories aside, when teamed with moody blues and dusky tones, Lilac becomes sophisticated and works particularly well in small amounts - headboards, accent chairs…that kind of thing.
Elle Decoration by Crown Paints.
Green is also growing in popularity, some people are even saying it’s the new grey. Using green as a neutral is a brilliant way of installing tranquillity into any home and adding lots of plants is a perfect combination.
On the deeper scale of Green is Emerald Green which works as a brilliant colour pop. I particularly like it on Casa Curated’s art deco inspired bed.
And finally I am still in love with the warmer tones whenever I see them. Here is a brilliant pairing of Desert Rose and Caddie by Paint and Paper Library. The thin splash of black on the dado rail grounds the colours and adds just the right amount of contrast.
Paint and Paper Library
So that’s my top picks for 2021. I would love to know your favourite and if any have inspired you to use them in your home. Let me know in the comments below or my DMs are always open on Instagram.
Have a fab January!
3 Christmas Trends No Matter What The Rules 2020
3 ideas to keep the Christmas Spirit alive in lockdown.
Image Source Unknown
The C word. It’s coming and it’s probably going to be the strangest Christmas any of us have ever experienced. Here in the UK the next few months are looking bleak for freedom but I have found 3 trends we can all embrace no matter what the rules.
Photo by Valentin Petkov
Photo by Monika Grabkowska
This humble and wholesome trend is all about embracing and appreciating the small things and relishing in the season’s simple pleasures, an idea which has become especially important during lockdown. Baking, crafting, gifting - there are so many ways to do a homemade Christmas. Celebrate those new skills learnt during lockdown and make something with love to gift to your treasured people.
Homemade decorations will also be big this season, especially if the whole family gets involved. And another form of self care - in my opinion - is attending a Christmas related workshop. DIY wreaths and centrepieces are the perfect escapism from the real world.
nostalgia
noun
a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time:
a nostalgia for his college days.
Photo by Markus Spiske
A natural response to bad events is a desire to return to simpler times. Childhood memories of Christmas are no longer something to be embarrassed about but something to embrace. Dig out the family heirlooms and decorate the tree. Make your Grandma’s Christmas pudding recipe. Or create new family traditions which can be passed down to future generations.
after hours
adjective
occurring, engaged in, or operating after the normal or legal closing time for business:
an after-hours drinking club.
Photo by Kevin Fitzgerald
Curfews, restrictions and mixing with strangers. Even before the pandemic there was a massive rise in home entertaining and FOMO became JOMO. This Christmas, our homes will be the place to hang out whether we are allowed to invite guests in or not. Think homemade cocktails, fairylights and dinner parties for 2. Staying in is the new going out.
So no matter what happens, I hope you have a lovely Christmas! Happy Holidays!
