64 Feature


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017


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Improve your living space now


vibrant hues or integrate a bold Scandinavian print into your living room floor that will lift your mood and brighten the room?


DECLUTTER Make decluttering your space


your New Year’s Resolution this year and you’ll be thankful for it. A minimalist, clear interior will help clear your mind and make your home a pleasant place to be. Prepare for that big spring clean


and declutter your home. Getting a head start will mean when spring comes around you’ll have more time to spend outside in the fresh air.


January is ‘Get Organised


Month’ and winter is the perfect time to sift through your cupboards and decide what to keep. Why not donate any discarded


WHEN it comes to January,


like most people, you’ve probably been spending a lot of time indoors lately. Cold winter weather and depleting post- Christmas funds can also mean low moods and, unfortunately, there are a few more months of winter to get through before we start seeing signs of spring. Why not break the monotony of


winter blues by working on a few home improvements this January? After all, you’re stuck inside anyway, and you’re probably searching for something to do. Many home improvement projects will also increase your property value, save money on your utility bills, and potentially prevent larger, more expensive issues from developing in the future. A few cheap and easy DIYs could also immensely improve your quality of life. Here is a collection of easy


winter projects you might want to tackle before spring hits.


REPAINT Neutral coloured walls can


the dark winter months. If you’re looking to brighten your mood, why not try repainting? Choose bright colourful shades to perk up your mood. A few hews that will make you


smile are: Lavender - this colour reflects


light well which is why you see it all over Scandinavia in the depths of winter. With its depth and richness, it’s also a cheerful colour that will brighten your mood. Turquoise - the saturation


of turquoise makes it cheerful. Its intensity and depth is transformative and can take you to a much brighter place. Soft green - this colour mimics


nature and has a soothing effect. Warm and cool tones can be brought out of green depending on the lighting so in the day your room will have a warm yellowish tone and in the night a relaxing blue. Painting your walls in the


winter can give you a much-needed boost of visual stimulation. A new coat of paint can dramatically lift your mood and the mood of the entire room. Make sure you open the


quickly become drab and dull in windows to let in fresh air while


you’re painting. Or, consider going with an eco-friendly, low-VOC paint so you don’t have to worry about breathing in toxic fumes.


TRANSFORM YOUR FLOORS If your hardwood floors are


freezing your feet or your carpets are lacking inspiration, why not revamp your floors this January? Putting in carpet is a great


winter project because it can increase the comfort of your home dramatically. Whether you do it yourself or


have it installed, remember: the off-gassing from new carpet is tremendous. Make sure you open windows to allow those toxic fumes to escape. You can also ask your carpet retailer to air out the carpet several days before they install it in your home. If you don’t like carpeting,


there are plenty of other home flooring ideas to consider such as tiling or laminate that can be both affordable and durable. A bright and patterned rug


could also dramatically improve a cold, dull floor - why not invest in an eclectic rag rug in bold and


goods to your local charity shop or sell them on local for sale groups for a bit of extra cash? Start small and go slow when


it comes to decluttering; devote yourself to one room a week and focus on each shelf or corner at a time and work on it until you’ve got that space looking exactly how you want it. Once you’ve been able to see


the progress you’re making, the rest will be easy and you’ll be able to look at the clean space you’ve created and relax.


SPRUCE UP YOUR BATHROOM


In the winter, mildew can often


appear on your bathroom walls and your grout can grow black unsightly marks. Why not use this as an opportunity to revamp your bathroom with a fresh coat of paint or new tiles? Bathrooms make great winter


home improvement projects as they can be improved cheaply and quickly with little outsourcing or mess. Small updates such as replacing faucets, re-grouting tiles, or


repainting are relatively easy DIYs. But more ambitious projects like replacing flooring or a toilet are better off outsourced. Use anti-mould or mildew paint


and grout on your bathroom walls to prevent more unsightly mildew in the future. This can be purchased in bottom coat tones that you can then cover in any colour you wish. Introducing plants to your


bathroom can also help reduce the moisture. Reed Palm, English Ivy, Boston Ferns, Tillandsias and Baby Rubber Plant are all great choices as they are easy to maintain and will help to keep your bathroom dry.


Why not then invest in a


matching shower curtain or bath mat to coordinate with your new colour scheme to revamp your bathroom on a budget?


ADD INSULATION Adding insulation can be


costly but it will lower your utility bills and help make your home a warmer, more comfortable and eco-friendly place to live. Have a look in your attic and


if you can see the floor joists, then you need more insulation up there. Since heat rises, you could save quite a bit by adding another layer of insulation to your ceiling. You can also add insulation to


your crawl space or basement for added warmth and savings. In January, you can often find


great offers on insulation that will make it more cost effective than later in the year.


It’s easy to get run down during


this time of year but working on home improvement projects can be a great way to keep yourself active and enhance your day-to-day life whilst adding value to your home. Making a start on home


improvements now means you can sit back and enjoy your handiwork for the rest of the year, meaning that 2017 can be the year you really enjoy your home.


Herald


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