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Photo credit: with permission from Kathryn @kos.home via Instagram
This is the first post in a 12-part series: 'A Year of Interiors' (you find all the posts on Instagram: #ayearofinteriors). Scroll to the very bottom to find links to the bloggers taking part in this series.
2017 was a big year for me. After a couple of years of saving up while living with my parents, I bought my first house. Together with my boyfriend, I wrapped my head around mortgage calculations and credit scores, conveyancers and survey results, estate agents and offers, negotiations and more... and finally in late July, I picked up the keys to my very first home and unlocked the door. What a huge milestone!
6 months later, I'm now finding myself thinking about the year ahead and all the work there is to do in the house. It's purely decorative (and the structural work we've done has been out of preference rather than a necessity, like the chimney breast for example), but every single inch of every single wall needs painting. Our furniture is a collection of hand-me-downs, IKEA cheapies and a few things we're saving up for, and of course, I'm still figuring out my interior design style.
But, I've started slowly but strongly, transforming bland magnolia walls into those that evoke a certain 'something': Deep, dark crocodile green in my bedroom, a fresh bright white in my office, and a crisp pale grey in my living room.
Photo credit: with permission from Helen @thenewsaintly via Instagram. I love her dark bedroom wall!
So what's my interior design resolution for 2018? Well, I've decided it's this: to take a risk.
There are scarier things in life than an interior design 'risk', I know, but few of us are ever brave enough to paint our front doors hot pink, buy that massive piece of art or hang a chandelier in the downstairs loo... after all, what will the neighbours think?!
But this year, I've decided that it's precisely the kind of attitude I'm going to adopt when it comes to decorating my home. Painting my bedroom crocodile green was the first 'risk', and I absolutely love how it's worked out... it's dark, cosy and crisp, grown-up and relaxing, cocooning and comforting; everything a bedroom should be.
Photo credit: @projecthomedesign via Instagram. See her home tour here.
Yet, when I tried something similar with my living room, it didn't work out. I spent the week before Christmas painting my living room a sumptuous sapphire blue, and it looked incredible in the evening lit by the glow of a Christmas tree and the gold baubles. But by day? It felt oppressive, grungy and a bit like a drug den... I'm not sure why it didn't work in my house (I love dark living rooms in other people's homes), but it just didn't seem to work for me.
So should I not have bothered trying? Absolutely not! I'm so glad I 'took the risk' and found out what it's like to have a dark, dramatic living room, if only for a week or two. And sure - covering over it with two base coats of white and two coats of grey was not I envisaged spending my Christmas holiday, but it was worth it if only to confirm that I'm happier with a light interior in this room.
So, in 2018? I'll continue taking a risk. What about you? What's your interior design resolution this year? (p.s here's the best interior design advice I've heard if you want inspiration).
A Year of Interiors Series
Every month in 2018, 10 other interior design bloggers and I will be taking on the same subject and putting our own spin on it. Check out what everyone had to say about their new year's resolutions and goals:
Becky Goddard Hill (A Beautiful Space) | Becky Rouncefield: (BKYRouncefield) | Catherine McCourt: (Hey Mama Blog) | Evija Roberts: (From Evija With Love) | Fiona Duffy: (Fifi McGee) | Malcolm Begg: (Design Sixty Nine) | Medina Grillo: (Grillo Designs) | Rachel Newcombe: (Fresh Design Blog) | Rachel Southern: (The Ordinary Lovely) | Sarah Mailer: (Girl About House)
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