This year, it started with a rechargeable lamp – a small square marble base, topped with a gathered, tessellated fabric shade. I’d never thought of moving it from its permanent spot atop a bookshelf to the kitchen counter. But that one tweak was enough to offset winter’s gloam as well as cast my less-than-perfect kitchen cabinetry in a more flattering light.
These little shifts are an annual tradition. When the New Year arrives (and sometimes sooner if I’m ready to retire the decorations during twixmas), I find myself itching to undertake the usual declutter, but also to cast a fresh eye across my existing interiors, wondering what can be reworked, repositioned or simply lifted into the foreground to create a new vignette. Sometimes, a piece of art gets moved from the hallway to the bedroom; sometimes glassware gets pulled out of the cupboard and other pieces put away (I’m a firm believer in rotating ‘stock’). Other times, I completely re-work the furniture arrangement of a key space. It all goes back to the principle, expounded in the nineties by the late Sir Terence Conran, that whatever type of home you have, small or large, period or new, revisiting the often-overlooked basics can transform the way you live - without always necessitating a big spend.
Of course, our homes reflect different sensibilities; what is uplifting and airy to one may feel spartan and unappealing to another. But, as Conran said, ‘What we do share, despite all our differences, is a vocabulary of proportion, arrangement and decorative practice.’ It’s a theory that still holds true, as evidenced by the fact that his The Essential House Book is a near perennial sight on my coffee table (much referenced and therefore a little battered). Reappraising the bones - from furniture arrangement to lighting and focal points – honing where possible, is what makes a scheme truly sing.
‘A reset like that always makes me think of my grandma,’ says interior designer Pandora Taylor. ‘She had a large, open-plan room that comprised a seating zone, dining table and desk area. One end had lots of windows and a view of the garden, while the other featured a fireplace. In winter, she would have the seating area focused around the mantel, where it felt cosy. When the clocks went forward, she would haul everything around so the dining area was at the fireplace end and the seating area enjoyed light from the large windows all day. As a result, building flexibility into a scheme is definitely something I have learnt. Making even small changes to a room gives it a sense of new life.’
Subtle shifts in layout, proportion and texture can have an impact on how we feel in a space, and in turn, how we show up in the world. ‘For me, balance in decoration is about creating a space that feels joyful rather than chaotic,’ suggests interior designer Nicola Holden. ‘It’s finding that sweet spot between complexity and order, so our homes feel engaging and information-rich without tipping into either boredom or overwhelm.’
Of course, it can be hard to reappraise our own homes, because the pieces that surround us every day can evolve into what Home & Found’s Tamsin Saunders refers to as ‘white noise’; in other words, we become immune to them. It takes some training to re-observe what’s around us in the way that we may see something afresh in our home after an extended absence, such as a holiday. ‘It comes down to reviewing how you want to live,’ offers Tamsin. ‘I believe that you don’t have to compromise between beauty and comfort. If you are prepared to edit, you’ll end up seeing the joy in what you already have. You might have a fantastic side table obscured in the corner by a slightly knackered sofa. Just moving it out of captivity can elevate a scheme. And it can be simple: my mother always had flowers or foliage on the kitchen table - an instant dose of colour and scent. After all, as architect and designer Josef Frank once said, “To create something that feels alive, one must always begin with something that is living.”’
But aside from playful tweaks, it’s also about reappraising the interior architecture of your home. How easy is it to transition from one space to another? Are there elements of visual continuity that can be introduced, from materiality to colour? Sightlines are important too, not just from a practical perspective, but for atmosphere. What you see when walking into a room or from where you are sitting affects how a space is experienced. If you’re feeling brave, even removing a door can have a transformative effect, given that many homes suffer from a surplus of exits and entrances. Rationalising these access points can bring clarity and purpose to a layout.
Inspired by her grandmother, Pandora’s sitting room is also prone to a switch round. ‘We have a large curved sofa in two parts,’ she says. ‘In summer, it’s in one piece, allowing access to the garden doors. But when the days get cold, it blocks a lot of heat, so we split the sofa to frame the radiator instead, moving some of the tables around too. It’s amazing how sitting with a different perspective in a room can make you see it anew.’
Finally, don’t forget the power of symmetry – and conversely – throwing things off a little. ‘The architect in me always starts with a degree of balance in a room; that’s why I love furniture in pairs,’ says Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s Philip Hooper. ‘A pair of tables either side of a fireplace with matching mirrors above, a couple of chairs flanking the hearth, sofas opposite one another feels practical. However, the designer in me knows that by overturning the balance you can produce an interesting dynamic, whether that’s hanging paintings off-centre or swapping one sofa for a pair of armchairs to avoid the feel of a railway carriage.’
For my part, I always find that an unexpected hit of deepest burgundy never fails – this January, I’ve re-hung a vintage film poster in a claret frame; opposite sits a leaf-shaped brass holder whose short dark red candle echoes its tone. It’s shaken things up for the year ahead, while gently retaining a sense of warmth. A balance that, as Conran would no doubt say, does the trick in every home.
