Cash-strapped Brits should avoid costly buys for their home in 2019 and instead opt for simple hacks to give their rooms a new lease of life. Changing a photo in a frame or moving a lamp could indeed be the key to making an Englishman’s home his castle.
Ritz etiquette coach and BBC royal wedding commentator William Hanson says:
Rearrange your furniture
If you’re a little cash-strapped and you can’t get that new piece of furniture you wanted then try a little move around of the existing furniture you have to give your sitting room a new feel. Move a chair here, put a lamp there. There are known psychological benefits to rearranging household wares and you’ll be surprised how this simple fix can improve your mood.
Light up your home
Fairy lights are not just for Christmas. Keep them out! Repurpose them to decorate a bannister, doorway, beam or window. Prolong the sparkle to help combat the darker nights and mornings to help make Winter feel less bleak. Then take them into the garden to brighten your BBQs in the Summer.
Declutter
Before you buy something new, clear something away and donate it to charity or offer it to a friend or relative so it goes to good use. Having piles of disorganised gubbins around you can bring down the mental mood.
Photo recall
Switch some of the photos in your frames for new ones to give subtle changes to your day-to-day decor. Keep the previous photos at the back of the frames to start a rotation.
Change your breakfast
As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it sets your mood. Introduce a fresh set of bowls or plates, or set up new storage option for your morning fuel, to give bleary mornings a touch of variety. Or simply swap your breakfast to something new, such as Lizi’s Granola, for slow release energy to keep you going throughout the day.
At home
Many of us get used to the relative ease of catching up with and entertaining friends in restaurants, but having people for some home-cooking in your own house is often cheaper per head and much more enjoyable - especially if you are a creature of the a la carte. Don’t panic, the food needn’t be haute cuisine - just wholesome and tasty.
Be thankful
Nothing is nicer for someone than receiving a handwritten thank you letter or card in the post. A text or email that you may have written slumped on the sofa is not the same thing. Use 2019 to set up a writing station in your home and write short missives to those who gave you gifts or hospitality over the last year. Spread the joy to your address book, too with a revamp or new cover!
Surprise your partner
If you and your partner have set habits and chores, then surprise them by helping out with something that you wouldn’t normally do or be seen doing. Give them the enjoyment of a ‘free pass’ on their regular chore and hopefully they may do the same with one of yours. Good manners are all about looking after others - they are self-less not selfish.
Clean queens
Socially, Winter is usually quiet, so if you find yourself with a spare half day then pick a room and turn it inside out with a thorough deep clean. Give the things that usually get missed some special attention. You’ll soon be able to actually see the fruits of your labours, giving you that rush of excitement and achievement.
Best feet forward
Similarly, spend an hour giving all your shoes a really decent clean. Remove the laces, wipe away any stubborn dirt from soles and crevices, and polish like there’s no tomorrow. You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, so be the envy of your friends and colleagues without spending a penny.
New hairstyle
When visiting your hairdresser, ask for something different. There’s no need to shave it all off, or turn it a different colour, but for the same price as your regular cut they can style it a bit differently at the end in order to give you a fresh new look for January. (Remember, it takes three days for the brain to work out if you like a new style, so don’t love or loathe it immediately and swap mirror for a picture in your home so you see it more often).
William Hanson has partnered with Lizi’s Granola, to help the nation on their way by providing advice and decorum for refreshing your home and lifestyle to reap the change when it comes to our pockets.
