Giving your home a refresh after the holidays is an incredible way to conquer those winter blues! You know the ones I’m talking about… the holiday decor has disappeared, your interiors are looking a little naked, and our white and gray NY landscape (though pretty!) can get old fast.

On the flipside, it’s a new year, new decade, and we’re feeling inspired to make this the BEST. YEAR. YET! You with me?!

If you said, “I’m in, Jennifer!” then today’s post is for you, my friend. 🙂

But before we dive in, I want to ask you for your help… because I’ve been nominated for the Designhounds Influencer Awards 2020! I’m currently sitting in second and would be HONORED if you’d help rock the vote!

1) Click the link HERE
2) Scroll down and find my picture. 
3) Vote for us. 
4) That’s it, you’re finished and we are SO SO grateful!

Okay, now let’s get to it…

 

The Power of a New Year’s Refresh at Home

When I decided to leave my teaching career and become an interior designer, it wasn’t the pretty spaces that attracted me. It was the idea that our environments impact how we think and live…

…and if we can actively create these environments, we can create the lives that feel most precious and fulfilling to each of us! Refreshing your home sounds like a simple thing, but it can clear your mind, motivate you to tackle your biggest life goals, and yes, even CHANGE your life in the long-run. How powerful is that?!

Here are my top 7 tips for refreshing your space this year…

1. Try out existing decor in new rooms

Refreshing your home doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy all new decor unless you really want to. Sometimes, you just need to play “musical chairs” with your decor and rotate existing items to new rooms in the house.

This could include:

• accessories on tables and shelves

• art or photos on walls

• furniture (more on that next!)

• sofa pillows or bedding

• and whatever else you’ve got!

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my many years as a designer, it’s that our perception of an object or color is largely influenced by what’s around it. Move some items around and you just might see your home through new eyes!

2. Rearrange furniture into new configurations

Like the first suggestion, my second tip will also help you work with what you already have — furniture. Take a look at your existing configurations and come up with some ideas for moving items around.

Some ideas:

• Create reading or coffee nooks with a chair and side table from the living room

• Rearrange living room furniture around a new focal point

• Move seating options closer to windows with a view

• In bedrooms, shift the bed to a new wall and fill in with furnishings

• Etc. — you can get creative!

3. Smooth on a fresh coat of paint

Never underestimate a fresh coat of paint! Seriously. There are two ways you could do it…

• A fresh coat of paint in your existing hue = a space that looks new and squeaky clean

• A fresh coat of paint in a new color = HUGE transformation!

You get to choose. 😉

If you need help selecting a shade that will work well with your existing furnishings and color palette, we’d be happy to help. Invite us for an in-home consultation and we’ll share oodles of fabulous advice to get you the space you want.

4. Add flowers and greenery

I once read that hospital patients who had windows with a view of nature recovered faster than patients who didn’t. Not sure if that was a scientific study, but I believe it!

At home, greenery can…

• create feelings of growth and life

• give our eyes something interesting and colorful to look at

• subconsciously remind us to breathe

• take a space from visually chilly to bright and rejuvenating in a millisecond!

If you don’t have a green thumb, no sweat. There are many great faux plants on the market these days, and they’ll refresh your space just as well!

5. Create a new energy with color

When you walk into a room, whether you actively notice or not, you’re feeling that room’s energy and color plays a BIG part in it. A neutral space in gray, white and black, might feel cool and distant. A bright, colorful space might feel warm and cheerful.

Change the energy of your home and you change your life. 

How can you add color to your home?

• Add in a new accent color using pillows and throws

• Invest in a gorgeous and colorful area rug or runner

• Add wallpaper or wall coverings for exciting color and texture

• Use oversized, colorful artwork to add major energy and life to the space

The new color trend is focused on stability (classic colors representing heritage and tradition) mixed with creativity (bold, youthful, modern colors), but I also think we’re entering an age when the rules are being thrown out the window.

If you love it and it brings you joy, trust me, it’s in style. 🙂

6. Introduce new lighting

Don’t get me started on lighting! It is E-SSENTIAL to our well-being and a fresh feeling at home. The time of year, our nights are longer than our days and lighting is extra important for waking us up, helping us wind down, and keeping our spirits high.

There are a few ways lighting can be used to refresh your home:

• Statement lighting such as pendants or a chandelier can whisk a space from drab to fab in a second!

• Switch out your bulbs for softer light in the evenings and bluer light in the mornings (vintage light bulbs at bedtime are soooo soothing)

• Add lighting with table and floor lamps for those new reading nooks you created! 😉

7. Declutter your space and mind

Clutter makes your home look dated and dirty. By taking the time to refresh your home, you are naturally decluttering its spaces. So high five to you!

That said, you could also take a more active approach. You could…

• Go room by room to clear out closets and drawers

• Pare back overfilled shelves

• Remove items that dampen feelings of positivity

• Add items that boost your energy!

Feeling lifted in your space does more than creating a refreshed feeling — it also motivates you to tackle ALL your goals in life!

Can JLI Help Support You in 2020?

If this is the year you have dreams for your home and life, big or small, here are several ways in which we would be honored to support you!

Full Service Interior Design (Home or Room)

Full Service Interior Design is our concept-to-completion service. We work with you to fine-tune your goals, your desired aesthetic, and the project’s budget and timeline. Then we handle all the little details for you — any labor required, ordering products and materials, tracking them, receiving shipments, installing everything.

You get peace of mind, an advocate who has your back, and the Big Reveal!

Hourly Interior Design

With Hourly Interior Design, you can choose the hourly retainer option that makes the most sense for your project and desired level of involvement. Maybe you just want a design plan you can carry out yourself. Maybe you want someone to source, order, and install all furnishings and materials. Whatever your situation, we customize our service to you.

Room Refresh

A Room Refresh includes 10 hours of design time. We’ll consult with you on the space, create a layout and design plan, and bring it all to life!

EDesign (two levels)

Level 1 is email-based only and includes 3 hours of design time for one room. Using your photos, measurements, furniture, and goals, we’ll arrange a floor plan for best flow and function. This plan gets emailed back to you to implement on your own, and we’ll follow up with you to review it and answers questions if needed.  

Level 2 is in-person and email-based and includes 5 hours of design time for one room. We start with a 30-minute kickoff meeting via video chat, and then use 4 hours of design time to draw out a floor plan with our furniture ideas. You’ll receive this floor plan and a PDF that you can use to shop for furniture.  We’ll then schedule a 30-minute follow up meeting to review and clarify any questions.

Before I wrap this up, I just want to say that I am beyond grateful to have you here with us. It’s cliché but it’s true — I couldn’t do this without YOU. You have my gratitude, support, and best wishes for an incredible year!

And if you’re willing to share, I’d LOVE to hear your goals in the comments below!

Yours,
Jennifer