Is it just us or does January often leave you feeling a little, well, cold?! Not just physically of course (we anxiously await the return of double-digit temperatures), but in terms of your home. With all the Christmas decorations back in their boxes, those new toys and gifts already losing their lustre and a distinct lack of sunshine around, it can leave us looking round our living spaces with a slightly more discerning eye than when they were festooned with tinsel and fairy lights to distract us.
[Image] A good declutter (and the addition of some extra houseplants to semi-replace the loss of Christmas tree) can help your home feel more considered this January. The living room of our previously sold property on Blenheim Road perfectly illustrates this point.
Is it just us or does January often leave you feeling a little, well, cold?! Not just physically of course (we anxiously await the return of double-digit temperatures), but in terms of your home. With all the Christmas decorations back in their boxes, those new toys and gifts already losing their lustre and a distinct lack of sunshine around, it can leave us looking round our living spaces with a slightly more discerning eye than when they were festooned with tinsel and fairy lights to distract us.
You may have set (and possibly already broken) some New Year’s resolutions, but what about applying some to your home, too? January can be the perfect month to undertake some decluttering and decorating, helping to set you up for the new year. And, if a house move is one of your goals for 2022, now’s a great time to get your current home in order so it’s ready for a potential listing.
Our resident writer, interiors stylist Joanna Thornhill, has come up with some décor updates to try out this month, whether you’re selling or staying, that will help things feel a little lighter and brighter in every sense – read on for her expert advice:
[Image] The dining room of our previously sold property on Harrow Road showcases a wonderfully clean, crisp aesthetic that feels nicely nestled into the garden it overlooks
1. Undertake a ‘house audit’: are there any areas in your home – whether decorative or functional – that just aren’t really working, and is there anything you could do about them? Would rearranging your living room furniture (now the tree has gone) create a better flow throughout the space, or maybe those unruly kitchen cupboards could benefit from a reorganisation now the excess Christmas food has been eaten? Does the house feel bare to the point where bringing in some new artwork might help things feel more complete, or conversely, is there actually more clutter than you’d like? Take this as an opportunity to make some changes, alongside any other resolutions you might have set.
2. Go for it with greenery: one of the charms of decorating for Christmas is bringing in so much of the outdoors into our homes in the form of trees, garlands and wreaths (and even if you went for fake in your home, it still has that same connected-to-nature effect on us). If you’re missing some of that comforting connection, consider adding in some tall houseplants to give you the same feeling.
Supersized houseplants have become increasingly popular in recent years, due to the wellbeing benefits of being around (and caring for) plants in the home. If you’re not very green fingered, opt for a Monstera (aka cheeseplant) – a very forgiving specimen, they can quickly grow to lofty heights if well cared for, or if you’re up for a challenge, the somewhat fickle fiddle-leaf fig is the oversized favourite of Instagrammers.
3. Add back some twinkle: fairy, string and festoon lights have segued from special-occasions-only to year-round use, and they can certainly help bring a lovely warm glow to the afternoons of our short Winter days. Try dressing a string of battery-powered micro-lights along your mantlepiece or along a tabletop, or add some festoon lights around a mirror so they are reflected back into your room. Nothing quite beats a real flickering flame, though LED candles are a great idea for nestling along bookshelves (where real flames would create a fire hazard) or even to dress into a fireplace that’s not being used.
[Image] Try squeezing in a storage nook into an under-utilised spot, as seen in the clever shelving added underneath the sitting-room side of this kitchen island. Image taken from our previous listing, Wragby Road.
4. Sort those snags: Whether you’re planning to sell your house or not, Christmas can wreak a little havoc on our homes, with paintwork getting scuffed by trees and new toys being liberally strewn around the place. Have a good look round and remedy any scuffs either with a good scrub or, if required, a paint touch-up (if you don’t have any of your original paint left, purchasing a tester pot of the same colour can be a low-cost way to get around this if you’ve only got small patches to tend to).
5. Replace or refresh: If you've been making do with furniture that doesn't really work for your space, check out the January sales to see if you can upgrade for less (especially if you’ve accrued any Christmas pocket money). Hosting guests can often highlight any furniture-based issues, such as the need for an extendable dining table or one extra armchair, though avoid stuffing your house with additional seating options that might limit how you use the space when it’s just your immediate household around. Be mindful of what you do with your old furniture when upgrading, too: see if any local charity shops would collect them for resale, or offer them out on your local Facebook sell-or-swap groups, rather than taking otherwise serviceable items to the tip.
6. Analyse your accessories: On a similar note, take the time to audit any home accessories, artworks and soft furnishings you no longer love: if there are pieces you wouldn't miss if they were gone, maybe it's time to move them on, as well? Have you accrued lots of items as gifts or hand-me-downs that you feel obliged to keep even if you don’t necessarily like or want them? A good test can be to ask yourself, if this item was in the shops today, would I purchase it – or, if this broke or went missing, would I be upset (or even notice)? If the answer is no, it’s probably time to pass it on to a friend or donate to charity so it makes its way to someone who will truly appreciate it.
[Image ] Opting for a feature wall when adding in dark tones to your home can be a good option if you’re not totally colour-confident, or want to add some interest without potentially putting off buyers if you’re hoping to sell. As seen in Wragby Road.
7. Add cheer with bright colour: Many New Year’s resolutions are based around the themes of being bolder or braver within your life – so why not consider applying the same approach to your walls? The pandemic has seen a real shift in interiors towards decorating with vibrant hues and patterns in the home – and long gone are the days of ‘house doctoring’, where a sea of depersonalised beige was the only way to decorate a property going up for sale. Homeowners are increasingly moving towards decorating in warm pink and putty tones in place of safer neutrals (such as Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink or Little Greene’s Julie’s Dream) alongside rich, creamy colours like Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin.
Strong dark tones are remaining ever-popular, too, with deep inky hues like Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue actually acting as a USP when selling a property, thanks to the characterful sophistication it can bring to a period home.
8. Dream big: If you feel like you’re struggling for space but aren’t sure you want to move, now’s a great time to consider looking into the feasibility of extending. If you’re not sure you’ve got the funds but are keen to explore, try chatting to some local builders or even some neighbours who have extended a house like yours, just to get an idea of the possibilities, potential costs and timescales involved. Even if it’s not something you’re able to do imminently, it’s always beneficial to have a clear idea of a potential way forward – and, if on reflection you think a move might be the better bet after all, then try talking to your local estate agent to get a sense of what other options might be available, too.
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