HOME ANEW
Seven Ways to Refresh Your Space in the New Year
The great thing about refreshing as opposed to redoing is that it just doesn’t feel like such an undertaking. Don’t make this a project to check-off your chore list—allow this to be something that lets you be inspired and, thus, excited to do. Remember, a refresh only requires a simple change. It can be as little as a single update or as complicated as full color story makeover. The point is to evolve with what you have rather than start from scratch. You’ll be amazed at how it doesn’t take much to make your space feel anew.
Swap One Rug
Few interior décor items are as subliminally impactful as rugs. It can take years to find a rug that really ties the room together, which is why this swap can completely transform any space. Switching out a rug can be a bit of a task depending on the furniture it’s anchoring, but this also affords you the opportunity to do some post-holiday deep cleaning. However, if this is just too much bother, layering on a new rug can also be a game changer from the ground up.
Move Lamps Around
Lamps offer some of the best light. Having multiple lighting points in any room adds dimension to functionality. It’s also amazing how light sources influence ambiance, which is why moving lamps around is an easy, costless, and painless way to make the house feel fresh and bright. Try placing a floor lamp next to a spot where a table lamp once stood. Shift a few lamps to and from another room. Once you like the new placement, remember to reassess the color and intensity of the bulbs.
Splurge on a Vase
And some stems! Or branches. Vases are one of those items we tend to reuse rather than buy again, making this purchase one that hits differently if you love having the outdoors inside. Pick a silhouette you can’t wait to keep refilling. Bringing in seasonal flowers effortlessly ushers in the seasons given all their variety. Plus, buying what’s currently blooming means the stems will last longer. If you’d rather go a more naturelle route, cutting some bare branches poetically symbolizes a clean slate.
Update Scents
Your home has probably smelled festive for three months—give or take—by the time New Year’s Eve hits. Smell is our strongest sense of memory, with an unparalleled ability to affect emotion. So, if you’re really looking to refresh your space post-holidays, it’s absolutely essential to update the scent of your home come January. Box-up Christmas candles, use a new air freshener, and change out the plug-ins. Crisp aromas will make the air in your home feel clean and fresh.
Invest in Artwork
Art is as expressive as it is transformative. Once all the holiday decorations are put away and you’ve reclaimed your space, the opportunity to really appreciate a new piece of artwork becomes apparent. If you’ve been eyeing a particular piece or waiting to invest in something you’ll love looking at for years, the New Year is the perfect time to pull the trigger. Think of this timing as a way to set a new, positive tone for your home in the upcoming year.
Throw Blankets & Pillows
This can be the act of adding to or removing throw blankets and pillows. Both can be found in all price ranges; so, getting rid of some or acquiring more shouldn’t trigger buyer’s remorse. And if it does, it’s easy to remedy because it’s just as easy to fix. Freshen the sofa you spend the most time on with a few new ornamental cushions or a different blanket. Alternatively, moving some from another room will also help your critical eye on its quest for fluid styling throughout your home.
Try a Tray
Accessories offer the finishing touch to any room, but too much of a good thing can also qualify as clutter. Trays are like pretty corals! Instead of packing away or getting rid of decorative objects, try grouping them on a tray. Trays are also a great place to keep remotes, coasters, and tissue boxes (i.e., the stuff you need easy access to daily). Even though the same number of items are out, visually, your eye sees them now as being “in their place” and not scattered about.
Editorial Director Lauren Barisic
Interiors Editor Erin Melkonian
Photographer Don Dizon
Artwork Kristine Vogt
Pillows, Throw & Diffuser Revival 23
Location The Rousseau
Don Dizon
Photographer
Don is a portrait and still-life photographer based on Fresno, California. He was a nursing major from Fresno City College, and while waiting to get in the nursing program, he continued to take photography classes. There he fell completely in love with photography. Capturing the right moment only takes one shot. But it is much more than that! You need to have the right lighting, angle, and expression to get the perfect photograph. Over the years, Don has mastered the art of capturing the moment.
Erin Melkonian
Interiors Editor
Erin runs a collaborative design firm, EMID Design Group, specializing in healthcare, hospitality, and residential interior design, in Fresno, California. Seeing the world through an artistic lens has allowed Erin to experiment in a number of different styles. Everything she does with a space is deliberate. Every piece has a purpose and has been thought about (from color, to position, to scale) in order to create the most unique and personal spaces for her clients.
