So, how do we get rid of the post-Christmas doldrums?   We have to think of the beginning of the year as a fresh start.  What is bothering you about your home?  Where are the “bare spots” in your interior design plan?  Let’s start with the most basic element of interior design – your background.  By this, I mean your walls and floors.  Are they in good shape?  Does your hardwood gleam?  Is your carpet stain-free?  What about the condition of your paint?  Are there nicks?  Has the dog eaten the corners of your cabinets?  Not having your background in good shape is like wearing a fabulous dress and not brushing your hair!  Handle this first and then go on to the next paragraph.

Okay, now we’re in business.  Let’s talk about filling the bare spots!  I know what you’re thinking.  Lisa!  I have a stack of unpaid Christmas bills that I still have to pay.  Not to worry.  I always tell my clients that we are going to look around and see what we can repurpose before we buy anything.  I like to assess what they have.  Do the pieces have good lines?  If the upholstered pieces need to be freshened up, are they sturdy?  Recovering is a wonderful option, but it is futile to spend the money on pieces that aren’t worthy.  Don’t be afraid to move pieces from room to room. I have a pair of antique settees that I used for years together, but when split up, recovered, and moved into separate rooms, they have much more impact. 

Once you’ve assessed what you have, decide what you really need.  As you create a new plan for a room, be sure to create good seating areas.  No one chair or area should be isolated from others.  It looks like a time-out chair! Create groupings that are comfortable and close enough together that no one has to speak loudly to talk to another person.  Make sure that everyone has a surface for a glass or an appetizer plate.  Above all, please promise me that you will NOT line the walls with your furniture!  You should not be able to rollerblade through your living room!   Even if your sofa is in front of a wall, pull it out 6 inches.

When purchasing furniture, be very conscious of scale.  There is a tendency of furniture companies to manufacture furniture that looks like giants should buy it.  Now if you have 20 foot ceilings and enormous rooms that may work, but most homes just look odd with sofas and chairs with huge arms and seats!  Please also be aware of the style of your house.  I think it is lovely if the furniture reflects the basic style of your home.  I went to a house once that was a very pleasing traditional home, but when you walked in the furniture and interiors were very contemporary.  I am a fan of contemporary, but it was jarring to walk into a traditional Georgian home that was decorated like the Jetsons lived there!  A wonderful interior design teacher taught me a long time ago that interiors were the most pleasing and rhythmic when the adage “same with same” was applied.  Go for a pleasing flow of colors and ideas.  Not identical, just in the same family. 

Finally, here are some of my favorite quick fixes:

• Fill in the sad spots of your house with plants.  I love bromeliads this time of the year as they are colorful and low maintenance.  Large palms in containers are wonderful and inexpensive.
• Paint or wallpaper the back of your bookshelves.  You’ll be amazed at how your books, photos, etc. look much more impressive.  
• Pull out any collections that you have and display them.  Even wedding silver massed in a glass cabinet looks lovely and reflects light.  Line the shelves with Pacific cloth and they will stay polished.  One of my favorite collections is wine corks.  When you are finished with a bottle of wine, write when you drank it, with whom, and if it was a special occasion. Placed in a bowl or container, these are a fun, quick way to have a collection. 

I wish you well in spicing up your home!  Happy New Year!