New Year, time for a new home project? Not necessarily…

As we’re coming towards the end of January and some (if not all) of our New Year’s resolutions may have not made it to the end of the month, I would encourage you not to worry about that or put any additional pressure on yourself. Yes, the start of a new year can be a good time to take stock and look at the things we’d like to change in our lives, but it doesn’t have to be done in January. And I would also say that if you aren’t physically or emotionally ready, then it doesn’t have to be done at all. It’s okay to just ‘be’, and carry on with things the way they are. Life can be difficult, and we all need to be kinder to ourselves.

The reason those ads and posts are being shown to us is simple - they are a money making exercise for the companies trying to sell you the ideal of a better version of you. The business of change is a huge industry, and it works by telling us there must be something wrong with us or our lives. If we feel content with ourselves and are happy just being, then we are less likely to sign up for the latest dieting app, or the current fad wellness coach’s newsletter, or to insist that redecorating our homes will solve all our problems

Now, I do understand as a professional working in the home industry, that what we do at Louise Misell Interiors could be seen as adding to this pressure. Every week we show you beautiful and finished homes we have made happen, with the suggestion that you could have this too if only you would get in touch. I’m sure people do find our projects aspirational and inspirational, but we aren’t sharing our work in order to shame anyone into taking action. We are sharing because we are proud of what we’ve achieved and the differences we have made to our client’s lives through working with them. We want to show you how we have solved practical problems which change the functionality of their homes, and how those changes have made our client’s lives that little bit easier. We are not here to talk about the latest trends, paint colours or fabrics, or encourage you to buy into those things thinking that they will make you happy. We are here for those people who have decided that they truly want to improve their lives by improving their environment. 

Are you really ready to have your home turned upside down?

We all know the feeling of wanting to rip everything up and start again - turning over a new leaf or making a fresh start, but I would encourage you to only change the things that you really think aren’t working in your home. Think about the ways your life could be improved by tweaking the layout or replacing some items. Are your whole family constantly queuing for the bathroom? Does your kitchen not have enough workspace so you don’t enjoy cooking? Is the light coming through your bedroom curtains waking you up too early? Do you need more quiet areas in your home? Would you like a space to entertain? Have you always dreamt of having somewhere to practise yoga peacefully? Making these kinds of changes can have a very positive impact on our lives, but what those things are will vary very much from person to person. It’s a good idea to sit down and think about what will actually make your life better, and focus on those things in order of your own priorities.

If you’ve thought about what would improve your home and know that you are ready for change, the next thing to consider is the timeframe. Again, don’t put any extra pressure on yourself here. Is it the right time to improve your home? Are you prepared for the upheaval and stress of having your house turned upside down? Do you have any big upcoming life events which would mean you aren’t able to focus on a renovation? Don’t rush into having any work done - take your time and allow time for the process to make sure the work is done properly and with as little stress as possible. Don’t aim to get the work finished just before your daughter’s wedding for example, or for Christmas. Understandably, lots of our clients would like their work done by Christmas so that all the messy parts are over and they can enjoy their new spaces with family and friends, but in our experience, aiming for a Christmas deadline just puts unnecessary pressure on everyone, including you.

The other thing to consider when planning work is the availability of the people you will need to help you get it done. The main builder we work with books projects starting 18 months in advance, and he is worth waiting for. Our decorator needs 3 - 4 month’s notice to start work, and we are usually booked up 6 months in advance ourselves. At the moment, we are currently booking new projects to start in October, so anyone coming to us with a Christmas deadline would be disappointed. Whilst we never want to disappoint anyone, my feeling is that it’s always worth waiting for the right professionals - the ones who have the skills to get the job done properly and who take the time to understand what you need. Our clients come to us because they like the calibre and the style of the work we produce (we don’t get many clients asking us for the minimalist white look for example), so if we are all on the same page when it comes to form, function and style but we aren’t free for a few months, isn’t it better to wait rather than look for another designer whose work doesn’t light you up in the same way?

We have even had a few clients say they are unable to wait for us to help them, but when we check back in with them a few months later they haven’t been able to get any further along with their home projects because they lead busy lives and don’t have the time, energy or expertise to make a start. Deadlines aren’t always everything, and sometimes it's better to delay the start of your project to make sure the end result is what you were hoping for.

If you follow my advice and have planned your renovation, and have the right professionals lined up ready to help, how can you make sure the process runs smoothly and causes you as little stress as possible? One really helpful thing you can do is to try to shift your mindset from one of attaining perfection to one where you will do the best you can. See the work being done as an exciting opportunity to create the home and life you want, but don’t think that everything has to be perfect as this will stop you from being able to make any decisions. Again, it’s all about taking the pressure off.

And if you are really struggling to decide what you want, I would encourage listening to your gut. Take some time to think about your project and just let your mind wander around what you are trying to do. Gather photos and images which express how you’d like to feel in your home, or ones that you are drawn to, and I’ll bet you will start to see a common thread running through them. Put your favourites together, be that either digitally or physically, and you’ll start to see a vision for your living space. Think about your home’s function first, and leave the pretty stuff like paint colours and fabrics until later, as they are the final layer in the making of your home.