5 Interior Projects To Embark On In 2021
Every home is made up of hundreds of tiny parts. Play around with just one of them, and our entire experience of space shifts. This idea sits at the heart of interior design — a practice which seeks to help us find new joy in familiar places. As we tiptoe cautiously into 2021, the desire to be surprised and delighted by our living spaces is very much at the top of our wish list. In pursuit of these ideals, we sat down with 5 of our experts to discover how we can get the most from our homes during 2021 and beyond…
Make First Impressions Count
For our Creative Director, Ludo, first impressions are everything.
“Hallways have a tendency to become harried, overlooked spaces, when what they really represent is our first and last contact with home. If you really want to change to the way people experience your space, start by cultivating a cosy and inviting entranceway.”
Of course, it’s hard to feel serene if you have to pick up after others on your way in. The first consideration when decorating this space is to therefore invest in some beautiful storage — be it a single Haller unit or a set of stylish coat hooks. The next step involves lighting.
“The beauty of light is that it doesn’t act alone. It interacts with everything it touches, expressing itself through the grains and textures of different surfaces. When illuminating a hallway, look for intriguing shades or diffusers that will shower a once gloomy space with intriguing light effects.”
Experiment With Broken Plan Living
For our fitted furniture expert, Ali, the big takeaway from 2020 was the importance of creating homes that are capable of responding to the demands of modern life.
“Broken-plan living is a concept we’ve been thinking about for some time now. While we all enjoy the sense of togetherness that comes from sharing communal spaces, there’s freedom to be found in having a couple of separate areas for work and play.”
Don’t have a spare room which you can call your own? Try cultivating a smaller nook instead. This could be a wind down space with a high-backed armchair or else a versatile wall unit that serves as both storage and workspace.
“You don’t necessarily have to have a spare room to get started. Glass doors, floating furniture and floor-to-ceiling bookcases are just some of the techniques we use to help clients divide and conquer their space.”
Get Serious About Sleep
Paul works in our designer bedroom department and knows a thing or two about creating a tranquil boudoir in which to retreat.
“I read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep during lockdown and it really resonated with the way we try to approach things at Chaplins. It’s easy to think of luxury in purely aesthetic terms — a beautiful walnut finish or the latest Italian sofa — and yet it tends to run much deeper than all that.”
“In his book, Walker reveals how vital it is that you aim for between 6-8 hours sleep each night. While life will inevitably get in the way of this now and then, we can use great design to help nudge our clients towards better habits. Think clocks instead of phones for alarms, noise absorbing panels, supportive mattresses and well thought out storage solutions that make getting ready that bit easier.”
Extend Your Residential Panorama
“I’ve helped design outdoor spaces for clients all over the globe but it’s only in the last 5 years or so that I’ve seen UK clients really starting to come around to the idea of beautiful garden rooms,” explains export specialist, Michelle.
What lies behind this shift in sentiment, we wonder?
“Advancement in fabric technology has obviously played a part but I actually think it’s the development in outdoor lighting that has made the biggest difference. In order to truly live the outdoors all year round in the northern hemisphere, you need to create a beautifully lit space. Indoor/outdoor pieces like Flos’ IC collection or even just a classic fire pit are great options in this regard.”
Make Space For What Matters (And Get Rid Of What Doesn’t)
Clutter can come in many forms. It’s something our bespoke furniture guru, Denis, knows all too well.
“I’m always surprised when I pay a visit to clients’ homes and I see how inefficiently they are using their current space. Traditional, off-the-shelf wardrobes require you to lump everything together, which means a lot of people ending up forgetting half of what they already own.”
“This can lead to a sense of frustration and the inevitable purchase of more and more stuff. With bespoke storage, you build a solution around the items you already have and those you’d like to acquire in the future. I think this helps people be more conscious and selective when it comes to investing in new items. Not to mention saving time getting ready or tidying up!”
TREAT YOURSELF TO A BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED SPACE THIS WINTER