PRESS & MEDIA

Happy New Year

Indulge me on this for a moment, but I think there is a lot to be said for being in the right frame of mind to undertake a home improvement project. I know that when you are keen to get going on answering the ‘what is it going to look like?’ and ‘how much is it all going to cost?’ questions, the last thing you want is advice on a positive attitude, but actually making sure that your reasons for your decisions are solid will help to get a better outcome, and hopefully in a less stressful way. So as we start 2026, here are a few of my top tips for getting in that good state of mind when it comes to your home.

 

1. What makes your home comfortable for you?  – A comfortable home isn’t the same for everyone and it is as much about functionality as it is about how it looks. Be honest with yourself about how you really live, what you like and don’t, and what you want your home to be like. Remember that online and printed photographs of the interior of peoples’ houses are rarely an honest representation of what daily life in a home really involves, and attempting to live as if you are in a magazine feature is not for many of us.  

 

2. Rules really are there to be broken. It is both a blessing and a curse but if you encounter a rule (a principle, a guideline, a standard, call it what you will) about the way that you should live in your home, you will very shortly afterwards walk into a home, see the rule being broken and marvel at how well it works. This is true of both aesthetics and functionality. So I would say that before you accept what is the norm, or what others are doing or say you should do, check that it is right for you. That is not to say that ignoring all rules is sensible, just don’t be afraid to go against the rule if the rule doesn’t do it for you.
 

3. A house is never finished – just as our lives change and evolve, so inevitably will our homes. I don’t say this lightly and obviously I wouldn’t suggest that an interiors project shouldn’t have both a start and an end point (I can’t think of a situation where a half finished bathroom is a desirable thing) but viewing a home as work in progress does take some pressure off and allows you to appreciate what has been achieved, rather than looking at what is not yet done. I know this is easier for those of us who view home improvements as a treat, rather than a chore, but letting go of a self-imposed deadline can make things much more manageable and enjoyable.

4. What you see are the things that aren’t quite right, what others see is something quite different. It is amazing how quickly the things that are great about a home become less obvious to those that are living in the home and the things that are not done become glaringly obvious. Remind yourself to embrace the attractive qualities of your home, enjoy the things that are done, the things that look good because that is what most people who visit you will see first. If you manage to do this, it will also give you a much more positive outlook when addressing the next piece of work in your home.

5. Don’t look like you have used an interior designer, unless this the look you want. The reason I say this is that your house should be about you – for you and to express you – not about the interior designer you employ or an interior design style you emulate. A good interior designer, should you chose to use one and as you can guess, I am in full support of that, will want to create something that is personal to you, that makes you feel happy, comfortable, and safe and that makes you feel that your home is your place, for you and for whoever you choose to invite to your home.
    
6. Following trends or not – it’s not unhelpful to look at what is current. What is fashionable now reflects modern life and it may be important to you to be on trend. But it also may not bother you, indeed it may please you enormously to do things differently and swimming against the conventional tide can be gloriously liberating, as well as a little bit tiring.

7. Agreeing what to do if you don’t want the same thing – Not everyone in the household will want the same thing – we are all different and you are very lucky if you and other householders are in complete agreement. It is an obvious thing to say (and I am no relationship counsellor) but a point of agreement has to be reached because stalemate will result in no one getting what they want. Work out what you feel most strongly about, and acknowledge what the other person feels most strongly about, and agree what you can live with and what is too much to bear. Also remember that sometimes, a blend of styles can give a very good result, and possibly not one that you would have achieved on your own.
   
   
8. Making low cost changes can be highly impactful. I have a theory which I believe in absolutely which is that 80% of the impact of how a space looks takes only about 20% of the budget and the effort involved in a project (there is no empirical evidence on this, I just made up the numbers but I am pretty sure I am right). This is down to the final ‘top layer’ on the space which is about the accessories, the soft furnishings, the lamps, the artwork, the books, the good clutter, (if you like that sort of thing). Of course, doing only this work doesn’t do the job on its own, you need the initial investment of hard labour and finances but this is why so often when much of a project is done, it is easy to feel a bit dejected about how a space is looking. Try to bear this in mind when you are towards the end of a project, or are simply feeling a bit financially stretched, because there are still great improvements that can be made without spending loads of money.

So once the Christmas decorations are well and truly packed away for another year, take a good, long, loving look at your home, be honest with yourself, and kind to yourself, and make a plan. There are improvements to be made in every home, and every home has potential, and the first step, indeed sometimes the most useful step you can take, is to be in the right frame of mind.

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