22/11/2017 | 3 Mins read

A Home Should Evolve


Social media has become ‘the’ source for inspiration for anyone doing a home renovation project. From creating ideabooks and connecting with design professionals and suppliers on Houzz, to curating moodboards on Pinterest, and even collecting ideas on Instagram, there is a wealth of resources available today that didn’t exist 10 years ago.


Your needs and tastes may change over time

Very often when undergoing a home renovation project compromises will need to be made. Budget restrictions, for example, mean it’s not possible to achieve everything on your wish list. This can be a blessing in disguise because over time you might find your needs or even tastes will change.

Trends will date

The other thing to be careful with on social media is trends. Interiors trends move almost as quickly pay as fashion trends nowadays. What’s ‘in’ now may be outdated next season. The photos posted on social media sites will tend to be very trend-led – so you could find yourself being taken in a particular direction you won’t necessarily like in a few years time. The best way to work with trends is to introduce them in a way that can easily be changed. Things like paint and accessories can easily be updated, so I’d advise experimenting with these before committing to more expensive or permanent fixtures. I remember my first home in London had brass taps, door handles and light switches, even the kitchen sink was brass and the first thing I did was take them all out. Now brass is back but chrome is timeless.

Rushing your decisions can lead to costly mistakes

Rushing to have everything perfect can also mean you make hasty purchases you may regret, often spending too much money and then being stuck with something you feel you can’t get rid of because of how much it originally cost. Sometimes it isn’t possible to find the perfect mirror for your hall or the right lamp for your sitting room, but it’s far better to wait until you stumble upon it than simply buying something to fill the gap.

Try to do everything at once and you may end up with a showhouse rather than a home

The other problem with rushing into buying everything is the danger your house ends up feeling staged and more like a showhouse than a home. A home is for living in and should evolve over time. Try to enjoy the process of finishing each room, accumulate things you love that represent something special to you.

Empty spaces don’t need to be filled straight away

Don’t  worry about having empty shelves. we as humans accumulate stuff so over time I promise you will fill the space! When it comes to filling space less is more. Be fussy about the things you surround yourself with. Do they spark memories of tell a story or were they simply a panic buy because you had friends coming over for dinner that evening? Take things at your own pace and don’t put yourself under undue pressure.

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