It is the one year anniversary of being at home 24/7 and how we view our homes has changed dramatically.
Heyworth Gordon recently featured in a Daily Telegraph article....
"Olivia mentions that in having to make our homes take on multiple roles – school room, office, fitness studio – we may well have lost sight of its true purpose, which is “a place of peace, love, creativity and relaxation.”
Our "new-normal" has made us all have to re think how we use and love our homes. So how do we fall in love with our homes again?
When I work in clients homes, I tend to start with a life-coaching model I was once taught
G.R.O.W - Goal. Reality. Opportunity. Way forward.
Goal - what do you want your home to look like, to feel like, how do you want your days to start and end?
Reality - Where are you now? Make a list of all that you love and hate
Opportunity - What can you do to change it? Do you have a budget or can you get creative with some chalk paint and upcycle? Can you swap rooms around or have a good declutter?
Way Forward - What will you do? Do you need a professional home organiser because you have no time. Do you write a plan and save for a project with a clear goal, or do you create a mood board to bring colour into your home furnishings with some upcycling as a weekend project?
Re-defining your home is something we all have to do, but it is worth spending some time thinking about it, as “home is where one starts from” T.S.Eliot.
So start with one small positive thought at the beginning of your day about your home and it will change how you move in your home for the whole day. Most people don’t have productive time to make home changes, so you have to make time for productive change.
We spend an average 21 hours at home, so reclaiming your living room is a great way to see beneficial changes immediately and bring spring light and life back into this communal space. Even a small change can make a drastic difference. Adding some colour or re-thinking the space the way you want, not how you are told to have it so you can live, work and play better.
Some top tips for immediate change:
1. Declutter the lounge of DVDs and CDs – if you still have these items in your lounge gathering dust, now is the time to sort them out. For most of us Netflix and Spotify are now our daily life, so we rarely use these beauties from the past! And most of us don’t even have the equipment needed to play them on!
But I have found that for many getting rid of our past is a difficult decision. They hold so many memories.
So take 1 hour on a week day evening and get them all out. Grab a glass of something or a cuppa and spend time remembering. Have a giggle and then move them into a box for clearance. Make sure you have the tunes or movies from your past in new-format ( which of course you will have) and then get rid of them. With charity shops closed, below are some other options for getting rid of them.
· Selling
· Pavement box – help yourself for free!
A good rule of thumb to remember is that you can get the item or the space, but not both!
Other areas to declutter in the living room:
· Old magazines, book shelves, old cushions and throws.
I try at the end of each day to turn-around at the living room door and look back. Remove coffee cups, school bags, wfh items and re distribute them. When you come down in the morning it starts the day on a much better footing.
Add in plants – Adding a plant ( or several) to a room can really up the good vibes. Plants bring many different requirements to a room, from interior structure to air fresheners. Click on the link for some fresh and manageable ideas:
Changing colours in your living room can add an immediate change without having to spend a fortune. Spring is a lovely time to come out of the hibernation of Winter and refresh accessories or wall colours to make way for the spring and summer light.
Farrow & Ball have an amazing new colour range, bringing California colours into our UK homes!
These are strong colours, so maybe try ways of introducing them without going crazy:
1. Paint your dining room chairs in new colours
2. Add a colour block shape, behind a mirror, or paint the inside recess of your window sills in a pop of your favourite colour.
3. Update cushion covers in the new minimalist trend - Japandi - Abstract Cushion
4. Paint the inside of your alcove cupboards
As always Heyworth Gordon can work with you on your interior design projects or home organisation.