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New Years Interiors Resolutions by the Experts

Now I’m not necessarily one for New Year’s Resolutions – mainly because I don’t like being told what to do. Or perhaps telling myself what to do but there’s no doubt that I like to take a few minutes on New Year’s Eve to get things in order mentally and think about how to start of the New Year as I mean to do on. So this year, with that in mind, I have asked a few of our favourite interioristas (I made that word up) for their thoughts and plans when it comes to 2018 interiors resolutions.

Jane Rockett, co-founder of Rockett St George and co-author of their gorgeous book Extraordinary Interiors.

Jane's Home as featured in her book Extraordinary Interiors, image by Debi Treloar
Jane’s Home as featured in her book Extraordinary Interiors, image by Debi Treloar

This year, my resolution is to stop being a colourphobe and focus on including a little more colour in my home interiors! I am already embracing colour on my Instagram account which must mean it is bubbling away in my subconscious somewhere! I’ve also rediscovered my love of nude pink and I love the muted feminine tones of the Dulux Colour of The Year: Heart Wood. I think that adding a pop of colour throughout my home will be a brilliant way to spruce up my interiors without diluting my personal style.

Lucy St George, co-founder of Rockett St George and co-author of their gorgeous book Extraordinary Interiors:

zebo by alternative flooring
zebo by alternative flooring

This year I’m going to stick to what I love and try not be influenced by trends. My main area of restoration and redecoration is the hall – I’m going to rip up the old stair carpet and repaint and I’m going for a totally new look. The hall is the entrance to your house and it should be the most welcoming. I’m going to stick to my dark palette, metallics and mirrors but will also seek out some knockout lighting and clever storage. The wow factor will come from the flooring and I’ve also been looking at some fabulous stair carpet options. I’ve found an amazing Zebra print that I’m very tempted by. I can only imagine how fabulous it will look with dark walls.

Emily Mathieson, founder of Aerende:

Aerende, Emily Mathieson
Aerende, Emily Mathieson image by Annaandtam.com

Ethical interiors don’t have to mean dull and unlovely. My resolution for 2018 is to find more ways to enthuse people about the topic, by celebrating and showcasing the things that we can all do to make more of a difference in our homes. For me, that means less shopping (unless it’s an eBay/charity shop win) and more questions when I do decide to splash out on something new. It’s so lovely to know where and how things were made, so you really appreciate the product every time you see or use it. And, although there won’t be any major upgrades at Aerende HQ, it’s always nice to have a colour refresh, which I’ll be doing with environmentally friendly paint from Bauwerk Colour or Earthborn

 

Sophie Robinson, interior stylist and television presenter

Sophie bringing a dash of spring to her living room image by Alun Callender

Mine is to decorate my bloody house!!!! In a nut shell 2018’s resolution is to just do it. Procrastinate less. Take on less, learn to say no. Continue to do what I love.

 

Lucy Dunn, deputy editor of The Pool:

I wish I could say this was the year I was going to spend a lot of money on the set of velvet lounge chairs that I’ve had my eye on for months but actually I really need to sort out the hole in my kitchen ceiling. Hole has been part of the family for a year; the result of a leaky tap in the bathroom above. He is one of a long list of things I need to do which always seem to get put on the back burner when life gets in the way. I also intend to finally get the plans for the kitchen extension off the ground. Spending that much cash is scary and grown-up but if I keep putting it off I will never get round to it. Rather like Hole.

 

Ciara Elliott, editor of EKBB magazine:

blue kitchen with plasterwork ceiling by paul craig
blue kitchen with plasterwork ceiling by paul craig

I am ALL about ceilings at the moment and I have a shot I took of some mouldings at Beaverbrook house when I visited a few weeks ago.  I want to re-create the Georgian ceiling in the new extension and am commissioning a mouldings specialist to make us a custom one. So my new years interiors resolution would be to look up and notice the detail, as its all in the details.

Kat Burroughs, of Sunday Times Home

fresh flowers in the Mad House

My resolution is not to declutter. I like my stuff. My other one is to always have fresh flowers. We’ve been subscribing to one of those flower services this year and it’s so cheering to see them on the kitchen table.

Claudia Baillie, freelance journalist writing mostly for Elle Decoration and Sunday Times Style

Claudia Baillie's new year resolution to to hang her pictures
Claudia Baillie’s new year resolution is to hang her pictures

Whenever anyone asks me my top interiors tip my answer is always the same: Hang some art. Simple as that. It odesn’t have to be flash, maybe just a few postcards taped to a wall, or something fancier if you’ve got a few quid to spare. Do I take my own advice though? OF COURSE I DON’T. I’ve got a few pieces that have made it up (see Pink Knickers by Lucie Bennett – the first and only piece of proper art I have ever bought) but the rest are still propped around the house or slid under the bed as they have been for ever. I’ve boxes heaving with postcards still not taped, frames bought and still not filled, and I know the moment I get round to picking up a hammer I’ll wonder why I didn’t do it a million years ago. So that is my resolution for 2018 – out with the drill. Or maybe I’ll just get hold of some of those clever strip things to negate the need for temperamental power tools, a fresh packet of Blu Tak and a new roll of Washi Tape. How hard can it be? Pictures of my house looking like Tate Modern to follow and please do badger me on social media to make sure I keep this resolution. I thank you.

And Me?

my loft studio image by Megan Taylor
my loft studio image by Megan Taylor

Well mine is to spend more time in the office in the loft and less time perching at the kitchen table. I shall be better at filing my receipts and, to that end, have bought gorgeous stationery and folders. I also plan to buy carefully and pay attention to where things come from and how they are made.

 

 

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

7 Comments

  1. Oh I also have a love for stationary and “organising”. That usually means buying diaries and notebooks with the intention of using them but never following through. Actually I lie, I filled in three weeks of my diary already, notebooks have been filed away though… that’s a start right?

    Curious to see what you brought if you don’t mind sharing. I love stationary, must to my husbands bemusement. 😳

  2. Have a lovely day! Thank you for a continuation of some of the most interesting articles I read online. Happy New Year, too!

  3. HNY! One of my resolutions is to replace the chair at my desk – please could you let me know who makes the fabulous one at your desk?

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