The new year is always a time to reflect and renew.
And this year, more than most - now the festivities are over and the Christmas decorations are safely packed away - all thoughts are returning to our homes.
While our horizons may have been temporarily reduced again, there’s much to love about the weeks to come as the days lengthen, the first, green, hopeful shoots of snowdrops poke through underfoot and we set out afresh with new goals for the year ahead.
That spirit of renewal is extended to our homes, too - refreshing a garden room for sunnier days ahead, creating a home office to focus the mind, cosying up a sitting room or snug with a beautiful sofa for cosy nights in or making sense of your storage to declutter.
A few simple changes can transform your home, making it a more serene and calming place to be as we navigate the days and weeks ahead.
Many of the pieces featured are in our Winter Sales. Call 01886 884665 to take advantage of savings of between 5% and 10%. Sale prices not listed on our website.
Garden rooms and conservatories
One of the joys of the first few weeks of the new year is the tentative signs of life in the garden. While blue skies and frosty mornings are perfect for blowing away the cobwebs on a walk, the best place to enjoy the first green shoots of spring is surely from your garden room.
Contemporary or traditional, choose furniture that will stand the test of time - and the light.
While cane has always been the historic choice for conservatories, wooden furniture bridges the gap between the outside and in, creating a natural, modern feel, while innovative new materials like banana leaf and seagrass add a contemporary edge.
Place a recliner next to a nest of metal tables for the perfect afternoon snooze spot, or choose a rattan sofa in a bold design with stain and fade-resistant fabrics for longevity.
Traditional Lloyd Loom brightens up breakfast time, while a matching footstool gives you space to put your feet up or plonk a well-earned tea tray.
Yoga studio, craft workshop or simply a place to read the Sunday papers, your garden room is the perfect place to welcome the first signs of spring.
Discover our conservatory and garden room collections here.
Window shopping
Cosy evenings in front of the fire aren’t quite ready to step aside yet.
But if packing away the Christmas cushions and changing the rug doesn’t feel like enough of a refresh, consider a new set of curtains to segue from winter into spring.
With thousands of fabrics from established design houses like Clarke & Clarke, Sanderson, Jane Churchill, Colefax & Fowler and Romo, our interior designers are on hand to talk you through your project over apps like Zoom and FaceTime.
They’ll take time to understand your style and send fabric samples direct to your home before commissioning your handmade curtains or blinds.
Discover our FREE interior design service here.
Sofa, so good
Spending more time at home means more nights in - and a comfortable sofa or two is always the focus of a welcoming sitting room.
From generous corner sofas, perfect for modern spaces, to snugglers and chaises, elegant three-seaters to show-stopping velvet sofas, our showrooms are full of stunning designs.
And while we can’t welcome you in person just yet, our experienced designers will walk you through our showrooms virtually, showing you fabrics, talking through detailing and explaining cushion fillings and frame types so you can create your perfect sofa.
Buy a second set of sofa covers
Consider commissioning an extra set of sofa covers, one for autumn and winter and a lighter set for spring and summer.
Have you a favourite armchair which needs a facelift, or is your conservatory furniture in need of a revamp? Our experienced interior design team will help you select the right fabric, commission new covers for you and can help replace tired cushion inners with plump new ones. We can reupholster chairs and footstools integral to your scheme, too.
Discover our fabrics and upholstery service here.
Storage
When all around are losing their heads with home-working, home-schooling and household bubbles, keep yours with smart storage systems.
Decluttering your home is one way to kick-start the new year as you mean to go on, clearing the mind and de-stressing the body.
And children’s rooms - groaning under the weight of the Christmas toys and home-school books - are a great place to start.
From upholstered ottomans to hide spare linen to elegant chests of drawers, clever office storage systems to bespoke pieces like the Ardingly - at once a kitchen pantry, home office desk and bathroom cabinet - (pictured in Neptune Olive) there are myriad solutions to keep you and your home organised and clutter-free this new year.
Shop storage here.
Make your hall a home
Hallways are often forgotten areas in our homes, but this spring, turn yours into a useable room. With statement pieces like the Dorset tall coat stand and bench, pictured, it’s possible to keep hats, coats, dog leads and boots handy, but tidy, and there’s a comfortable seat to pull on your wellies as you head out for a lockdown walk.
A shoe storage bench is a must for keeping the floor clear, and has plenty of space for everything from rugby boots to running shoes.
The Edinburgh boot room bench, pictured, with its generous wicker basket and turned legs is the epitome of country style.
Shop hallway furniture here.
Take a seat
Formal dining rooms can often be the quieter cousin to the kitchen table.
Make yours more inviting for everyday suppers with a new set of chairs in bold woollen or leather fabrics. Chairs like the Monnow, with its stunning River table, Thames, Tresco and Oxford are available in a wide choice of bright and breezy shades, from ocean blue to pistachio.
Chairs like the Long Island, pictured below, come with loose covers, which can be changed each season to refresh your dining room and make it the focus of family mealtimes.
View all dining chairs.
Love what you’ve got
Rearranging favourite pieces and creating vignettes in your home - a beautiful vase next to a pile of books on an occasional table, a mirror hung over a console with pillar candles and greenery from the garden - can give your spaces a fresh new feel for the new year.
Hanging mirrors will brighten up dull areas and make your space seem larger.
Careful placing near windows with garden views will bring the outside in and open up your rooms, and faux flowers continue the spring-like theme.
View mirrors here.
Many of the pieces featured in this Journal feature are in our Winter Sale.
Call 01886 884665 Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm to take advantage of savings of between 5% and 10%. Sale prices not listed on our website.
