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New Year, New Home:
Interior Special
Words Sayo Akinlude
There’s no doubt that the new year brings a new level of excitement, energy, motivation and encouragement to make new goals and achieve them; including the spirit of renovation and decorating. Interior stylist Sayo Akinlude gives us a completely different perspective of the word new.
ShutterstockNew doesn’t always mean straight off the shelf, unboxed and never touched. For us, new can also mean taking something old and giving it a new purpose or changing its appearance to best suit a new function.
It also doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Don’t throw out old items because they are no longer trending and appear to be out of fashion. Reinvent them with a makeover, upcycle them, repaint them, even bedazzle them - the possibilities are endless. Whatever your outcome is, it will definitely be something ‘new.’
Before we can begin to renew our space, we must declutter it first. The new year is an amazing time for a clear out and decluttering can help you reclaim your home. There are many benefits to clearing out your home. It can reduce stress and anxiety, aid efficiency and creativity, discover lost goods and also save you time looking for items. Most importantly, decluttering can prepare a new canvas for your new home.
Have you ever noticed that moving around items can make a huge improvement to a space? This is what we call space planning. Have a go at creating a floor plan, and moving things around for a new layout. This alone can make any space look brand new! Don’t forget about your walls; these features also add to the creation of your new space.
The next thing to remember is just like fashion, we can use accessories in forms of soft furnishing, such as; cushions, throws, plants, lighting, rugs, drapes, centerpieces and much more. These can be easily and seamlessly used to renew your space, add colour, stay up to date with trends, and still achieve the ‘wow’ factor. Swapping out or adding new soft furnishing is an affordable and sustainable way to stay on trend, as well as creating that new space feel you are aspiring for.
I hope you're still on board. ‘New year, new home’, does not have to mean literally acquiring a new home or spending a fortune to renovate. You can bring your dream to life by simply rearranging your space, updating an existing piece of furniture, reusing your soft furniture or doing a clearing out.