The start of a new year is a fantastic time to have a spring clean. From de-cluttering your cupboards to re-decorating your living room, there are a host of fantastic ways to give your property a new lease of life; read on for some of our top ideas.
Clear out the clutter
While there are endless possibilities for making home improvements by redecorating, simply clearing out last year’s accumulated clutter can have a big impact on how your interior looks and feels. What’s more, as any significant change – such as painting the walls or installing a new floor – will mean you need to have a clear out anyway, this is a logical starting point.
The first thing to remember when having a serious spring clean is that sorting through all your clutter, and deciding what to keep and what to part with, can take a long time. So, it is often a good idea to tackle one room at a time, leaving several hours for each.
Of course, it can be difficult to throw things away, so remember to look at each item as objectively as possible. Now is the time to create a dedicated space for bits and bobs with sentimental value that you don’t look at very often – such as old letters – as well as implement a filing system (or revamp your existing one) for financial and other official documents.
Once you’ve finished, you should have a much less cluttered interior. On its own, this should go some way to refreshing your property’s look, but it also gives you a great base for making further changes – such as those suggested below.
Install a new floor
Changing your floor can be a big commitment; first of all, you need to find something that will suit your home – and your lifestyle as a whole – for the foreseeable future. Secondly, you will have to clear out each affected room in order to lay it. It is, however, a commitment well worth making, as it can dramatically change the look and atmosphere of any space.
What’s more, the start of a new year is a great time to make this kind of change. The busy party season has come to a close and you have plenty of time to get the floor down and do any further redecorating before summer arrives.
One of the predicted trends for 2025 is the use of raw wooden surfaces in the home – furniture that has a natural and unpainted look. You can take inspiration from this by kitting out your property with new wooden flooring. Rustic oak options – such as those available at the Solid Wood Flooring Company – are ideal, as they include knots and even cracks (though not ones that compromise the integrity of the structure) that give a truly natural appearance.
Add contemporary design twists
If you want to alter the look of your home but would rather stick to smaller changes, it is worth familiarising yourself with some of this year’s top design trends. You can use these to get ideas for colour schemes, new accessories and different lighting options.
For example, cut glass is tipped to make a comeback this year. You could get onboard with this trend by investing in some cut glass candle holders, or by purchasing some pretty new light fittings.
Retro botanical prints are also expected to be popular. Cushions, curtains and throws with these kinds of designs are a simple way to give a room a new look, brightening it up in the process.