Interiors
Update your home for 2020
1 By Katherine Sorrell Breathe new life into your home with a few quick and inexpensive changes. Dazzle with great lighting Why not upgrade a lampshade or two, or even replace some table or floor lamps? It’s quick and easy, and a great opportunity to introduce some on-trend shapes, textures and colours. Fitting a dimmer switch, another simple upgrade, adds flexibility to your lighting scheme. While you’re at it, check that your light bulbs are the right wattage – there’s nothing worse than poorly lit rooms, or ones that are so dazzling they look like a lamp shop. LED bulbs, although expensive initially, use less energy, so are both kind to the planet and will save you money in the long run. You might even consider smart lighting, which can be controlled with a remote
control, an app, or a voice command. Some can use a timer to wake you up naturally, while others will change colour in time to your music. Ring the changes with colour Nothing says new look like a colour makeover, whether it’s a lick of paint (and you simply can’t beat the spick and span look of a freshly painted room) or just a change of accessories – perhaps a row of vases on a shelf, a pile of fluffy towels, storage canisters in the kitchen or files in your home office. When moving from winter into spring and summer, it’s nice to go lighter and brighter, considering ‘fashion’ colours if you wish, too. Pantone’s colour of the year, for example, is ‘Classic Blue’, a vibrant mid blue that coordinates beautifully with saffron yellow, soft pink or rich green. Add plenty of bright white for a
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clean, fresh update. Create great style with cushions and throws It’s ridiculously easy to disguise and uplift a tired sofa with a pretty throw and a selection of new cushions, choosing on-trend colours and patterns, complemented by a few inexpensive plains. Try varying the textures, and look for interesting trims and fastenings, too. If you are at all handy, making simple square or rectangular cushion covers really is a piece of cake. A square metre of fabric should stretch to four cushion fronts, so you could push the boat out with something quite eye-catching and extravagant. A fresh look for flooring If you are feeling up to some fairly strenuous DIY, a great way to completely alter the look of
