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An anti-climax to the excess and excitement of the festive period, it can feel as though there is little to look forward to in January. Grey, cold weather makes us feel utterly uninspired, and we end up spending a sizeable chunk of our time at home. But it’s not all bad – after all, there’s nothing wrong with being at home if you love the space you’re in.
There’s plenty you can do to improve your interior and make it feel like a comforting escape from the rest of the world–- much of it is fuss-free or easy to achieve. Interested? You’re in luck. Amy Wilson, an interior designer for 247 Curtains, has shared her favourite ways to make your home a cosy, January-proof sanctuary.
Don’t pack up your festive lights just yet
If there’s one thing we don’t get enough of in winter, it’s light. A warming glow is sure to soothe the senses, whether it’s from lamps, candles, or overhead lights. To make things as easy as possible, you can even utilise your festive set-up to make it perfect for January.
‘I’d advise you to keep the fairy lights in place for the remainder of these dark, cold winter months,’ Amy suggests. ‘That special, twinkly glow does not need to be kept exclusively for the festive season. Instead, let them continue to cosy up your home.’
Curtains don’t only block light, they also provide a physical barrier from the outside world which makes us feel sheltered and safe. Not to mention, protecting us from chilly drafts.
‘Possibly the most effective way to instantly cosy up a space and create a sense of calm is to add an additional window dressing,’ explains Amy. ‘If your home currently has blinds at the windows, try adding some full-length curtains that will help to frame the window, as well as provide a further layer for warmth.’
When the weather is cold opt for curtains in rich fabrics, such as wool or velvet. A voile panel or frosted glass behind will maintain your privacy when the curtains are pulled back. As spring creeps in, you can switch heavier styles out for more lightweight options – cotton is a popular choice and it will keep your space feeling airy.
Ensure you have ample texture
Layering texture is key to bringing a space together and adding depth. Not only will this prevent the room from looking too flat, but it will also help you to feel cocooned and settled. The tactile aspect invites touch and maintains a laidback atmosphere in your space.
Amy explains: ‘Think thick blankets, sheepskin rugs, and shaggy cushions to give you something to snuggle into as you get cosy on the sofa. Not only does this look great from an interior perspective, but it also has practical benefits whilst the weather remains crisp and cold.’
Steer clear of stark or austere shades and boost your mood by incorporating rich, warming hues to your interior. Deep shades have a cosy, inviting appeal and are the perfect choice when your aim is to create a snug space to relax in.
Amy predicts: ‘A big interior trend for 2023 will be playing around with much warmer, richer shades such as terracotta and burnt orange hues. This could be the perfect way to create a more inviting, warm atmosphere, particularly in the main hubs of the home such as the living room.
‘Warm tones are often said to be a great method for boosting spirits too, helping to emulate a sense of sunlight in these darker months. These tones can feel quite daring, so I advise using them sparingly, focusing on areas of interest such as alcoves or ceilings – which will help create a cocooning effect.’
Greenery is always a welcome addition to any home, particularly when the weather outside is less than appealing. Whether you choose houseplants or give your walls a fresh lick of paint, green shades help us to feel both calm and grounded.
Amy says: ‘Whether that be through paint, plants or accessories, green is a must when looking for ways to give your home an extra touch of positivity. Botanical prints are also a good option and bring a sense of tranquillity, whilst also giving the illusion of added texture to the walls.
‘Green also works beautifully in all corners of the home and is a very versatile interior choice, making it a good long-lasting option if you’re looking to make some larger design changes this year.’
If tucking yourself up with a good book is your idea of a good time, an inviting corner is a must-have in your home. Big or small – it doesn’t matter – you just need to find a peaceful area that can be dedicated to all-important downtime. The aim is to find tranquillity and comfort, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Pick Reading Lamp, Pooky
Pooky
Amy suggests dedicating a specific area of your home to wellbeing: ‘This space could be a corner in your bedroom, a window seat or, if you are lucky enough to have a spare bedroom, this would work well too. Keep this quiet nook for those moments where you require a little time out away from screens or other distractions.’
Fill your calming corner with plenty of soft furnishings and gentle lighting, and most important of all, a really (really) comfy chair.
Scent plays a powerful part in dictating our emotions, especially within the home. Whether you love candles or choose to use diffusers, opt for fragrances that elicit positive reactions, whether it’s a sense of relaxation or one of energy.
Amy explains: ‘With scent being commonly associated with mood, adding a new fragrance candle or room diffuser is a great, and cost-efficient way to elevate the space. Opt for fresh and clean smells such as eucalyptus, basil or lavender which will work to instantly calm the senses as you enter the room.
‘A good tip is to ensure you have a different scent in your relaxing areas to your home working areas if you work at home. This will help to separate the two and encourage true rest in your living spaces.’
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If your home is due for a design update but you have a limited budget and even less time, you’re in the right place. We came up with more than 50 home decor ideas to get you started. With something as simple as an accent wall, colorful light bulb, or new throw pillow, you can make an entire space can feel fresh, on-trend but timeless, and refined. The best part? You can tackle each of these decorating ideas in one day, even though the results will look like they took way longer to pull off.
If you constantly keep a vase of flowers in your kitchen or living room, extend that love for fresh blooms throughout the house. It’s the perfect excuse to invest in a new vase for your bedroom or bathroom. In this New York apartment designed by Katie Ridder, a globe-shaped vase adds a nice bubble detail. Or if the upkeep for real flowers is too much, go for faux alternatives.
Whether you have a few tiny frames—like in this bedroom designed by Jae Joo—or medium-sized ones on a gallery wall, you can easily swap them out with fresh finds. Tear our pages from a coffee table book, or stop by a flea market for new works.
Place a large mirror above your mantel as HGTV star Alison Victoria did in her Atlanta loft, or dedicate another empty wall space—whether it’s in your hallway, entryway, or bedroom. Not only will it look good, but it’ll make the room feel bigger and brighter.
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Refresh Coffee Table Books
If you can’t resist a good coffee table book, bring a new one into your collection. Or if you keep them in various parts of your home, simply rearrange your stacks for a new look. Here, in a living room designed by Barrie Benson, the four stacks could easily be given a new layout and order using only the books on the table.
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Attach Decor to a Shelving Unit
Don’t have any more room on your walls for art? No problem. Hang anything from paintings and sconces to plants and bookmarks on a shelving unit. Here’s a tutorial for how to hang art on bookshelves to guide you through the process—which includes tips from designer Marissa Bero, who has pulled this move in plenty of home libraries, including the one seen here.
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Set Up a Cozy Reading Spot
No designated reading nook? No problem. If your home doesn’t have any leftover real estate to convert into a reading nook, design your formal living room to serve double duty as a cozy lounge area. Here, Heidi Caillier strategically chose furniture with fabrics and shapes that are both sophisticated and homey, perfect for entertaining or unwinding alone.
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Don’t Be Afraid of Black Paint
The soft black paint color in this bedroom makes it feel special and intimate in ways you’d never be able to achieve with a lighter hue (this specific shade is Farrow & Ball Railings). The eclectic furniture lends itself nicely to the darkness, too, adding a more lived-in and homey vibe.
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Style an Empty Fireplace
Rethink how you style an empty fireplace. In this texture-rich environment, interior designer Leanne Ford turned an empty fireplace into a little gallery to display pottery and artwork.
Adding the right window treatment can make all the difference. We’re especially into Roman shades with a fun pattern. “It goes against decorating 101, but using small patterns together can be easier on the eye,” says interior decorator Kristin Panitch, who designed this dreamy pink cloud of a bedroom.
From the inky stained wood to the modern side chair and clean-lined ladder, this home library designed by Fiona Lynch is a gorgeous contemporary take on traditional design. You could fill it with books—or you could add in decor accents and accessories like vases and sculptures to break up the monotony of a wall of books. Or, color-coordinate your books. Not only will it feel more cohesive, but if you’ve got a lot of bright colors in your collection, they’ll stand out even more.
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Set up a Breakfast Nook
Breakfast with a view? We’re in. This one is country-chic and just a touch rustic but still polished. It also proves you don’t need to have an actual built-in nook to achieve the right vibe.
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Spruce up Your Entryway
If you don’t have a grand foyer—or you do but it needs some love–introduce a small console table. For a formal yet modern aesthetic, opt for a traditional table and then hang modern abstract art above it. Then lean some portraits against the wall for a laid-back take on the gallery wall.
If any area in your home is feeling austere, sheepskin throws are the easiest solution. They bring in warmth, texture, and comfort while also being super affordable and easy to move throughout your space as your needs and moods shift.
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Swap Out Your Throw Pillows
Throw pillows are the easiest way to freshen up in the bedroom or living room. Introducing a new color, print, or shape with a throw pillow can make the whole space feel new again.
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Bring a Stool Into the Bathroom
Slide a stool next to the bathtub. Not only will the extra surface space help with organization, but it’s also a great way to make the whole space feel more luxe.
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Show Your Powder Room Some Love
It’s easy to overlook a room when it’s super tiny, especially because there simply isn’t enough useable space for décor. But it’s definitely possible—and well worth it—to show these nooks some love. Take this powder room, for example. With a light blush pink wall color and a surrounding gallery of eclectic artwork, the small room packs a lot of punch.
If you want to transform your bedroom into a palace fit for royalty, add a canopy. This white gauze fabric hangs so beautifully and brings an ethereal look to the minimalist bedroom.
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Swap Accents Seasonally
Plaid? For winter? Not even close to groundbreaking, but we’re still here for it. Swapping out accents seasonally will also get you excited for what’s to come.
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Get Inspired by Nature
This space is rich with texture, which creates warmth and dimension. There’s also plenty of character even though it’s sticking to a strict color palette. For a similarly inviting and grounded environment, get inspired by nature. Think seagrass, rattan, jute, wood, brushed concrete, and marble.
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Reupholster Your Furinture
Reupholstering your furniture will automatically freshen up an entire space. And if you love eclectic decorating, take notes from this impeccable living room. All the juxtaposition in this room is working so well—the angular mirror, vivid orange art, marble fireplace, rustic stool, and geometric pottery are all unexpectedly complemented by the softness of the blush pink chairs.
This probably isn’t what you want to hear since we don’t think of cleaning up as fun, but adding a few pieces that ease organization can make a huge difference. Consider installing coat hooks or bringing in a stylish coat rack coat by the front door. Then place a small folding chair underneath it to sit on when you take off your shoes. This will prevent those dreaded (and previously inevitable) clothing pileups.
For a graphic statement, color-block your wall. Paint half of it a bold color or opt for two neutral tones. Here, black creeps up about a quarter of the way while the rest is a nice shade of steel gray, creating an understated-yet-unique statement.
Freshen up a bathroom by giving the walls a fresh coat of white paint. If that sounds like too much of a commitment, use a magic eraser to touch up smudges. It’s bright, refreshing, and the perfect blank backdrop for a fun gallery, as seen in this bathroom designed by Alexander M. Reid.
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Apply Accent Wallpaper
You don’t have to wallpaper your entire room—just pick a wall and accent with it. It’s fast, easy, and makes a big difference.
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Layer Rugs and Patterns
This eclectic home designed by Sean Scherer is a treasure trove of antiques, whimsical fabrics, and fearless decorating. It’s also a masterclass in layering. Why use just one rug when you could have three? Layer rugs in varying colors, prints, and textures to add visual interest to your floor.
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Rethink Your Gallery Wall
If the walls in a hallway are feeling tired or lackluster, add a gallery wall. Bring in antique frames, or hit up a thrift store or flea market, and arrange a ton of hand mirrors into a gallery wall.
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Introduce a New Throw Blanket
Putting a colorful throw blanket at the end of your bed or flung over the sofa is an easy but transformative design trick. It’s also a great way to experiment with colors and prints before fully committing to them.
Make a simple wall a little more exciting with oversized artwork. Choose large-scale photography or something abstract and vibrant to really make a statement.
If there’s anything that can single-handedly polish off a room, it’s a light fixture. Case in point? That brass pendant light. It feels much more refined and sophisticated than a table lamp would and contrasts with the more traditional elements throughout the bedroom.
Can you imagine how simple this bathroom looked before it had a bright blue floor? The quick change allows the tub to take center stage. We’d want to soak in there all day long.
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Put a Bold Floor Lamp in the Corner
This little corner is sleek, stylish, and perfectly handsome as is, thanks to the modern leather lounger and graphic rug. But that floor-to-ceiling lamp is an architectural stunner that really brings in that added wow factor. Look for a floor lamp that doubles as artwork for a similar vibe.
To create an interesting contrast, replace one thing in an otherwise totally traditional room with something super modern, like this geometric coffee table and abstract-painted floor.
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Add a Bench at the End of Your Bed
You don’t need a footboard. A bench will get the same job done. It’ll help anchor your bed, act as a spot to sit and put shoes on, and serve as storage for extra pillows and blankets.
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Rearrange Your Furniture
Symmetry, who? Your chairs and couches don’t have to line up—in fact, you don’t even have to have chairs. Put your side table in the corner flanked by two sofas, and if you don’t have enough armchairs for a classic living room setup, just place floor cushions by the coffee table.
Pare your stuff way down and your room will look totally different. This doubles as a makeover and spring cleaning all in one.
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Add a Statement Tablecloth
A bold, patterned tablecloth can instantly make a traditional space a little more eclectic. This one picks up the blues in the wallpaper.
This exquisite living room is playing with shape and scale in so many ways—each design detail offers a universe of inspiration. For extra impact and proportional intrigue, hang an oversized mirror. Keep it simple and sleek, opt for a cool shape or color, or keep it classic with an antique.
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Put Your Collectables on Display
If you’ve been collecting something for a long time and aren’t sure where to put your knick-knacks, install a floating shelf in your room of choice and then line them up. We love the sense of nostalgia these vintage glass bottles add to the bedroom.
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Screw in a Colorful Light Bulb
For an unexpected (and easy) pop of color, trade in your classic bulb for a bright one. It adds the same vibe as a neon sign without taking up any space on the wall. Try it in a hallway or entryway, where décor moments are precious and square footage is limited.
Adding a nice floral arrangement can beautify a whole room on its own. The shapely vase, accompanying artwork, and unique rose gold faucet in this bathroom don’t hurt either.
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Add Seating to Your Floor
You could sit on your couch—or you could sit on the comfiest floor pillows ever. We’ll take the latter.
You’ve been there and done that with fabric drapery and Roman shades, so swap your window treatment for an alternative texture, like bamboo. We’re swooning over this wild bathroom.
Does anything make a statement like something shiny and gold? Add a metallic light fixture, sculpture, or vase to instantly upgrade your room.
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Update Bedding Seasonally
Jonathan Scott, home design expert and brand ambassador for Stearns & Foster, recommends owning two sheet and comforter sets, so you can swap them out by the season. “In winter, you want warm and inviting bedding, like faux fur and bulky blankets,” he says.
Wallpapering a small room or closet will give it a surprising edge. Do the whole room, or just use scraps to line drawers, cabinets, and backsplashes. You could also opt for a statement ceiling.
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Create a Statement Wall
Designer Zim Loy discovered Harkerware on eBay: “There’s tons of it, and it’s so cheap!” She started collecting it for her dining room, then covered the whole wall with plates to create the same effect as one big piece of art. (Here’s how to hang your own plate wall).
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Move Furniture Away From the Walls
Floating furniture away from the walls creates more intimate seating. That means all you have to do is shift your furnishings a few inches to totally transform the vibe in a room.
Printed, colorful textiles add so much personality. And as if the bright-colored rug and sleek mounted lights weren’t enough, this bedroom has also got a seriously swoon-worthy pendant. The Moroccan-inspired fixture adds eclectic appeal and helps anchor the space.
Swap out your formal chairs (in this case, bright blue and green ones) for a few rustic metal ones. This creates a more casual atmosphere in the dining room.
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Hang a Colorful Curtain
For the entrance hall of this Pennsylvania farmhouse, designer Jeffrey Bilhuber opted for a curtain instead of a door. The deep yellow fabric pops against the regal blue wall color and adds rich texture to the space.
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Add Color on Open Shelves
Open shelving allows for fast and easy decor changes. Blue accents stand out against a neutral palette.
Hadley Mendelsohn Senior Editor Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful’s senior design editor and the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House.