INTERIORS

Interiors ideas to brighten up your home this January, from £11

Cheer up your space — and yourself — with these post-Christmas pick-me-ups

Sae Rima x edit58 one-of-a-kind remnant cushions; £195, edit58.com

Friday January 06 2023, 12.01am, The Times

Forget Mole’s Breath and French Grey — January is the best time of year to embrace a bit of zing. Spruce-ups needn’t be expensive or complicated — quick fixes can include moving a stack of colourful coffee table books into your eyeline, a zesty throw draped over your bed or sofa. Or, nothing transforms a space as speedily as a colourful rug — have a scroll on the pre-loved home marketplace Narchie for second-hand pieces, or Etsy is a great option for authentic Berber and Moroccan wool rugs. The Etsy seller Morekesh offers a gorgeous selection, starting from £180.

Easy tips include using up paint dregs to repaint an old chair or stool in a bright shade. If you haven’t any leftovers, Annie Sloan does a great range of Chalk Paint for swift furniture makeovers, in shades including Capri Pink, a vivid magenta, or Giverny, a bright blue (anniesloan.com). Don’t stop at the stool. The interior designer Kathryn M Ireland has just repainted a vintage bathtub in a 17th-century farmhouse using Heritage Red by Benjamin Moore (benjaminmoore.com), one of her favourite colours to bring into a scheme. “We’ve made it a real focal point which brightens this room beautifully and brings in colourful joy.” For more tips like this, Ireland has launched her first online course, Artfully Edited Interiors, with Create Academy. So treat yourself to a bunch of blooms to plonk in a vase and avoid falling prey to the winter blues this month. Here are our best buys for instant interiors cheer.