11 minute read
Lockdown Love it or List it
At the time of writing this, the UK will have been in week 6 of lockdown – an unprecedented scenario and one which everyone is trying to adapt to. It is looking likely that we will remain in some form of lockdown for a while longer …
Having been locked down inside our homes for such an extended period, the majority of us will have learnt something about them …. By the time you read this article two things may have happened: a) the UK is in week 8 of lockdown or b) the UK has started to come out of lockdown albeit slowly …
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Writing this article from the perspective of interiors, regardless of whether we’re in scenario a) or b) of lockdown, the majority of us will have learnt something about being inside our homes for such an extended period …. We either love it or want to list it (if you’ve not seen Phil & Kirsty’s Love or List It #LIOLI on C4 go take a look – it’s a fascinating watch).
Love it
So, what kind of things have we learnt?
Working from home is not at all easy - so we’ve tried to list out some helpful top tips for you to try. You love your home, but the lockdown is killing the love. You love the location, but you’ve discovered there isn’t enough space. 1. 2. 3.
You’ve suddenly started to appreciate and spend more time in the garden … 4.
WFH - Working from home or hell – making it work for you
The secret here is to create a defined space to work – even if it’s temporary (desk vs dining table, learning zone vs living room, boardroom vs bedroom). Some of us may be fortunate enough to have a dedicated room in the house or garden from which to work; others may have a nook which can be used for this purpose (has anyone spotted the journalist on the BBC using the top landing of their property); some of us might not have that luxury so it’s the kitchen table, part of the lounge or a space in a bedroom. Regardless of the physical space, here are some top tips for the place you have available ….
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Zoning – both physically and virtually. If you’re sharing the kitchen/dining table with your other half and/or kids, then you may need to allocate time zones for when each of you use the space. Equally, you may decide that you can work together at the same table but each of you has a dedicated space. Try to clear the table when everyone’s finished working – find a place to store everyone’s things so that the table can be multipurposed for eating, food preparation, play time etc. There are great temporary storage solutions available online – see Argos, Wayfair, Wilko, Amazon, Dunelm etc.
Zoning isn’t just for work – it’s for all the other aspects of our lives that are now centred around being in the house – home gym, school room, playroom, salon, bar etc … the list goes on so try to work out how you can either dedicate space to these separate activities, or whether you need to make your rooms multi-task throughout the day. This is where creating virtual zones will be key. Agree who, how and when different parts of the home will be used for which activities.
- love it or list it …
room to layout your tools/computer, your papers or whatever else you need to do your work? If you feel hemmed in physically, you will feel hemmed in mentally and you won’t do your best work that way.
Vista – what do we see when we look up from our workspace? – is it calming, inspiring, chaotic, cluttered … like our work surface, the more our vista inspires or calms us the more motivated we will be to do the work. Faced with chaos, clutter or mess makes it hard for us to start or stay working.
Lighting – Some of us are early birds whilst others are night owls – is your work well lit either by natural light or artificial light? – poor lighting can lead to squinting and give us wrinkles, deteriorating eyesight or crooked necks. So, make sure you either find a well-lit space or put more light into the space you’re using.
Comfort – do you sit at a chair or stool and is it the right height/supportive? How’s the desk or bench height and does this help or harm our posture? Is it warm or cold? Is the space noisy or too quiet? It’s generally thought that the more comfortable we are the less stress and worry we experience, so try to make the space as comfortable as possible.
Lockdown lunacy
Has being in lockdown driven us mad? If you say no, boy you’re lucky! The majority of us will have experienced an element of claustrophobia during lockdown – the concentration of people, sounds, and space in one home – something is likely to have made lunatics of us all at some point! Our homes are ideally our sanctuary from the rest of the world … the place we retreat to - but lockdown will have flipped that on its head and the chances are it’s no longer feeling like a sanctuary – more like a lockup! But don’t let lockdown ruin your love for your home – what you probably need to do is hit the “reset” button and give your home a refresh … start planning now: re-decorating; changing the styling or layout; introducing a new colour scheme/furniture. Get great inspiration from Instagram, Pinterest, online interiors magazines or interiors websites.
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When you want to start social distancing at home …
Some of us will discover that social distancing isn’t just something we want to practice outside the house! Haha – we love our family to a degree but it’s been testing our patience!! … here’s a quick list of options to consider in preparation for lockdown let-out (#lockdownletmeout) if this is you:
A garden room – have you got space/money to build a man/ woman-cave/kids’ den at the end of the garden? – a space to get away from the rest of the family
Extension/conservatory – consider building a new room or space to ease the squeeze
The fifth room …
Kitchen = the Hub, Bedroom = the Nest, Living Room= the Action, Dining Room = the Eatery. Each room provides a function to keep the family moving. But what if there was a "Fifth Room" for rest, relaxation, and recreation? Well there is … you just have to step outside!
Some homeowners are taking their living outside and creating spaces that almost resemble the interior of their homes. Shady pergolas or gazebos, beautiful furniture, fireplaces and outdoor cooking are just some of the elements that people are using to seamlessly transition life to the exterior of their home. In some cases, it’s a balcony whereas others have use of a garden. Creating a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors extends the entertaining space, maximises the space available in the property, and encourages a connection with nature which promotes well-being, health and emotional comfort.
for your 5th room: Top tips
Create an alfresco dining area
Add lighting and a heat source to keep using it after the sun goes down
Consider an extra room/storage area
If you have the room, zone your space into different areas – dining, lounging, play …
Decide whether you want low or high maintenance upkeep
So, there you have it! Do you love your home or are you ready to list it?!
List it
If the location is not right and the house is not working for you, then possibly it’s time to list it … But if you love the location, the chances are that a re-think of the space will help you fall in️ with it again. Don’t let lockdown-lunacy lose your love for your sanctuary! Have a friendly chat with a designer or architect to reinvigorate your thinking …
Vicky Tallon of Tallon Perry Interiors
helps design amazing interiors - if you’d like a guiding hand
feel free to contact Vicky at vicky. tallon@tallonperryinteriors.com or 07990 978611.
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Father’s Day 2020
For all the times the father figure in your life has been there for you
Sunday 21st June
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ARE YOU READY to make our new world a better place?
Let's Make COVID19 into #KIND20
What kindness means to you?
“A person shopping for me. I am elderly and neighbours have been so sweet to me. I didn’t know them before and they are so nice.”
The Plan
To inspire communities from all faiths, services, and cultures worldwide to be KIND to each other. Working together for the greater global good, with media campaigns as One Family, One Humanity.
#KIND20
This campaign will highlight all the wonderful Acts of Kindness people are already doing for each other, inspiring and furthering this momentum, moving from Covid19 to #KIND20. Millions of people from all backgrounds will showcase the very best of this planet. Inspiring all to spread kindness through social media and strengthen our society with the positive actions we need to beat this virus. This is no war on terror, nor climate change but it is a war on our very existence, right now!
All sectors must come together, in a way never seen before, to deliver a joint positive campaign. Just one small Act of Kindness can impact the lives of those around us.
The Action
Everyday Acts of Kindness will be sent by the public to TUFF's social media platforms and shared around the world (using #KIND20)
Media outlets would be encouraged to select and present various ‘acts’ on their news segments throughout the day.
The net outcome being a showcase to the world on how people everywhere are becoming kinder to each other, connecting with their communities and countries.
The key to the message is that we are evolving into ONE NEW WORLD.
