DISCLAIMER: This blog post is brought to you in collaboration with Addis.
The best part of Christmas and new year 2020 will be spending time with family and this year, we will be welcoming a number of guests into our home to stay. Find out here how we keep up with 2020 interior trends on a budget. However we don’t have any guest rooms prepared yet because as a busy new mum over 40, I haven’t had much time for home decor in 2019. Just staying on top of the chores is a challenge with my dream team of three!
If you’re a follower of the blog, you may remember that our previous fixer-upper nightmare took many years to complete. We spent around seven years gutting the house, taking down ceilings, ripping out radiators, replacing the 10 old frames and panes with discounted windows, doing plumbing, heating and electrical systems and showering at the gym.
We then moved home when little C was just two weeks old, which is not for the faint-hearted. Three years later and we have sanded down walls, given all the rooms a fresh lick of paint, installed a new boiler, replaced plug sockets, planted an oak tree and have new carpets.
However there is still much to do in the kitchen and utility area, albeit we are now on an even tighter budget! Despite our limited funds, H and I have made an early new year’s resolution that in 2020 we’ll be more ‘on trend’ to give our home a chic and contemporary makeover. Below are some of the homewares we’ll be investing in.
STEP 1 – Clean, crisp and white Our guest room is currently a white empty shell and we know that buying a comfy bed and lots of pillows is the first step to transforming this space in 2020. Once the bed is in and because I find it hard to step away from Christmas, I’ll be draping our fairy-lights across the headboard for warmth and ambience. Of course, every bed needs a bedside table with inspirational books to get through those long winter nights, a good light and a small tumbler for water. We love Nöa & Nani’s new Otto furniture collection with its retro-inspired storage solutions because it’s an affordable option for families like us on a budget. Each piece can be teamed with different furniture for an eclectic mix, or paired with additional pieces from the Otto collection for a seamless, minimalistic interior. Prices range from £59 for an Otto bedside table in white. As we are short of space in the guest room, in order to create additional storage space, we will be looking to buy a space-friendly valet stand to accommodate the essentials.
STEP 2 – Get back to nature Our bathroom always needs to be prepped for visitors and as a result, we have become hoarders of miniature hotel toiletries. We always leave essentials out such as Olivia shampoo, conditioner and body wash and products from the Organic Babies range by Green People to satisfy our guests’ thirst for sustainability because the growing concern for environmental responsibility shows no sign of slowing down. These small succulent plants from IKEA, pictured below, are also an easy way to get back to nature in the home. At £2 each, they are easy-care and can survive a long time without water, so they are perfect if you’re not a natural gardener like me. Plants always make me feel better and make our home feel more vibrant. Finally, since our bath/shower mat and towels have seen better days, we’ll also be sprucing up our bathrooms with non-slip microfibre mats that are on trend, colourful, plush and soft and investing in some fresh, fluffy towels too for 2020.
STEP 3 – Getting crafty with interior style It’s hard when you have young children, but important to de-clutter when guests come to stay. Most personal items such as messy toiletries and half-bottles of bubble bath need to be behind closed doors. Although some items, like my heart-shaped plate designed by little C at Canny Crafty will generally stay on show. I predict a resurgence of creative pursuits in the home in 2020 as families take work-life balance more seriously and crafting becomes the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
STEP 4 – Cosy nights in for 2020 I love fragrant candles in the home, so in 2020, I aim to create a chic display of candles in rooms with homemade potpourri using pinecones, cinnamon and sprigs of rosemary from the garden, all complimented by a dash of vanilla. Beautiful blooms (artificial of course) will also be necessary to add that finishing touch.
STEP 5 – Smart storage With homes getting smaller, smart storage solutions will continue to be a priority for 2020. We’ll be investing in kitchen caddies from Addis (pictured below) which come in a range of cool colours. The caddies are ideal for storing everything, from bin liners to dishwasher tablets. They come with handy carry handles and neatly stack one on top of the other to easily store away discreetly. They also look stylish on the worktop too with the addition of compartment labels.
Saffron and Cyrus is a Newcastle-based family lifestyle blog, covering health, wellness, days out, travel, reviews, recipes and more from our family life.
The blog is written by new mum over 40, Aranda, with input from hubby H and son, Little C.
