Photo: Irissca / Adobe
7 New Year’s resolutions for your home
We all know the old adage, ‘New Year, New Me’, but what about ‘New Year, New Home’? And no, that doesn’t mean moving house! There are plenty of ways that you can not only improve the way your home looks, but also how it functions and its eco-credentials. These home New Year’s resolutions are actually pretty easy to stick to. From smarter décor choices to eco-alternatives for cleaning, check out these key ways to have a happier home in 2023…
1. Make sustainable swaps, big and small
Climate change is a hot topic, so if your New Year’s resolution is to be more sustainable, then try some small swaps that can add up to a big difference. Look out for retailers that offer green solutions, from zero waste shops where you can refill your own container, to swapping plastic bottles out for eco options or choosing a new mattress made from natural fibres. There’s plenty you can do to lower the environmental impact of your daily life.
When shopping for furniture and furnishings, it’s easier than ever to make smarter choices about the materials you choose. Wooden furniture, for example, should be FSC certified to ensure it is sustainable. Bamboo is a great sustainable alternative to plastic because it’s tough, fast-growing, self-renewing and doesn’t require loads of fertiliser to grow. There are plenty of eco-friendly options for wall and floor coverings now, too. If a brand has sustainability policies, you’ll be able to find that information on their website. Plus, more and more brands are choosing to lessen their impact by choosing low carbon and recyclable materials, or adopting a circular economy (where you can repair, return or recycle items with the retailer you bought them from).
Choose eco-friendly brands like Kinn, which offers chemical-free, vegan and cruelty-free laundry detergent, fabric conditioner and more in recycled plastic bottles
2. Shop with small businesses
Supporting small and local businesses is the best way to help new designers thrive and encourage a creative scene in your area. Plus, small designer-makers have a much lower impact on the planet, since mass production requires a huge amount of resources and often results in wasteful, unsold goods. Head out to your local furnishings shops, shop online via sites like Etsy and Not on the High Street, which support small businesses, or find endless interiors inspiration at the Ideal Home Show, running from 17 March-2 April 2023. And don’t forget the joy of scouting around vintage and charity shops for unique bargains.
Hand-painted cushions from Colorbloom by Fiona Pitkin on Etsy. Photo: Anisha Sisodia
3. Create sociable spaces
So you want to spend more quality time with your family and friends – but what exactly does that have to do with your home? Well, a poorly designed home may not be the most conducive to entertaining comfortably, meaning you’re less likely to enjoy the time you do spend together. Focus on creating one space in the home that works as a family hub – for a growing number of households, this is the kitchen, not the living room. Check out these brilliant tips for planning a new kitchen that can help you create a more sociable space, or read the story of the below family kitchen transformation.
Laura and Chris Deller transformed a 70s home in Bedfordshire into a bright, airy family home with a kitchen made for hanging out together. Photo: Katie Jane Watson
4. De-clutter consciously
Recent research from the British Heart Foundation found that 30% of people have thrown away furniture, electrical items and homewares in good enough condition to be re-used, sold or donated – a figure that rises to 45% in London. If de-cluttering is high on your home New Year’s resolutions for 2023, look into ways to reuse, recycle or rehome furniture or electrical goods that are in good nick. Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle and British Heart Foundation stores are all a great way to do that locally.
Bedroom makeover using second-hand furniture from the British Heart Foundation
5. Get organised
Your home may have plenty of storage, but it’s no good if there’s unorganised chaos behind every cupboard door! Look for storage systems that can fit within your cupboards and cabinets – whether that’s food storage in the kitchen, easy ways to keep your bathroom toiletries in order or simply cleverly arranged shelving to make the most of fitted wardrobes. Check out these 7 savvy decluttering tips, 5 Instagram kitchen storage hacks, home office tidy tips, and ways to keep kids rooms clutter-free.
Dunelm’s Smart Industrial collection includes a Kitchen Corner Storage unit (£25), Kitchen Storage System Starter Rail (£5), Hanging Utensil Holder (£5) and more
6. Collect decor & renovation ideas
When it comes to inspiration for your home, it can be easy to get tangled up in a maze of Pinterest Pins and saved Instagram posts. But there’s a whole world of interiors inspo out there, so once you’ve found a few ideas you like on social media or your favourite homes magazine, head out to the shops to get a proper look at what’s out there. Nothing beats picking things up for a closer inspection, sitting on sofas and stumbling across ideas that you weren’t really looking for. There are also plenty of interior design events showcasing the latest design trends.
7. Hinch your housework
The housework just never ends, does it? But you can get on top of it by adopting a few key tips from cleanfluencer Mrs Hinch. Try out her three killer cleaning routines, see which one works best for you, and stick to it. First up, there’s the ‘Hinch Half Hour’, where you clean in short, sharp bursts rather than endlessly putting off that one ‘big clean’. Or you could adopt ‘The Clockwise Clean’, where you start at the ‘midday’ point of the room and work your way around it, ending up where you began. And finally, there’s ‘Fresh’n Up Fridays’, where you write down what you want to get done in each room and tackle it on Friday, ticking off jobs as they’re done. The key to this one? Don’t put too much on the list!
To get your hands on all the latest cleaning gadgets at great prices, head for the Ideal Home Show, running from 17 March-2 April 2023.