Cool decor tips if your home is feeling the January blues too

It feels like only yesterday I was wobbling about at the top the ladders trying to stretch my fairy lights to the top of the Christmas tree.
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T/C

A happy day with MTV’s festive tunes on as the soundtrack to my efforts yet here we are in the bleak mid-January and the decorations are all back in the shed already.

Of all the trinkets and accessories that adorn my home throughout the year, one of my favourite additions to the ambience of Chez Welsh is my Christmas tree. I could look at it all day long and over the years I have added new pieces to it, and it is now a magnificent looking big thing.

However, when I take it down – along with all the other festive frippery, the house always looks so bare and bleak. Do you feel the same? I mean - as if January isn’t bad enough without having to look at a dull living room.

Bloomin' lovely...a spray of fresh or artificial flowers can really brighten a dull room.Bloomin' lovely...a spray of fresh or artificial flowers can really brighten a dull room.
Bloomin' lovely...a spray of fresh or artificial flowers can really brighten a dull room.

A new year is a good opportunity to make changes in lots of areas but it’s the ideal time to spruce up our homes or at least make some wee tweaks to give it a mini facelift. A few new bits and bobs dotted here and there will sort out that stark, empty look once all the tinsel has been packed away.

Here are some easy ways to brighten your home and chase away the post-Christmas blues.

Small touches here and there will give your living room a fresh new look and browsing the shops and websites to pick out some new bits and bobs is always a joy.

I love looking for stuff for my house – probably more than I enjoy shopping for clothes but any retail therapy is always a winner, right? Plus, the good thing about shopping at this time of year is the brilliant January sales – you’re bound to pick up a bargain.

Something that seems to feature a lot these days in home interior trends is ways to bring the outside indoors and nature inspired décor themes. Adding some new greenery to the space is an easy and effective way to give your room an instant facelift. Pick up some indoor plants from your local garden centre or if you don’t want the real thing, there’s loads of cracking looking artificial ones that will have the same effect. You just don’t need to worry about watering the things. And never underestimate the impact a simple vase of fresh flowers can have on your room. These days you can pick up fabulous blooms from the supermarket for under a tenner yet they’re so effective. Again, if you want something more permanent, fake ones will do the job. Have a look at Dunelm – they have a nice selection, particularly artificial palm plants, hydrangeas and eucalyptus.

Another hot prediction for this year’s home style is bold and experimental. Has minimalism had its day? Post lockdown, many of us were changing our colour schemes and décor to more adventurous looks – perhaps after being confined to our homes for so long last year, we’re ready to revamp with more flair and imagination than ever before. Perhaps our inner Laurence Llewelyn-Bowens have come to the surface. However, If you don’t want anything too dramatic, you can always just revamp your neutral colour scheme with a few brightly coloured cushions, throws or even a new lamp or two. These can easily be changed back if you get sick of them.

Candles are another great way to bring some ambience into a dull room. You don’t need to spend a fortune either as there are loads of great budget versions around. Look out for nice, scented candles in the likes of Aldi or B&M stores. You’ll find lovely fragrances similar to those in the high-end luxury bracket.

However, if you want to spend a little more (although they’re actually pretty reasonable), try my favourites from The White Company. Seychelles Signature Candle is more of a summery scent, but it smells gorgeous all year round and I love it regardless of season. Flowers is another beauty from The White Company range which brings uplifting notes of jasmine, rose, neroli, lavender and geranium. Not only will these candles look great, but your home will smell beautiful too.

Or if none of these ideas appeal to you and you just can’t bear to say goodbye to your garlands and twinkly lights, you don’t have to. Not on the High Street have some stylish, non-festive home decorations that will bring that wee touch of magic sparkle. Who says you can’t have fairy lights up all year-round?

Whether you spruce up your living space with a simple coat of paint, new curtains, jazzy, little accessories or a full makeover, it’s your home and should reflect your personality.

Essentially, it’s all about the ‘feel-good factor’ and our homes should be the one place where we’re at our happiest and most content.

Time is whizzing by so quickly these days and it won’t be long before the Christmas decorations are back up again anyway.