ONE YEAR OF COVID; HOW TO REFRESH A SPACE YOU’VE LIVED IN FOR A YEAR
We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of the first shutdown, and whilst it seems like it’s been much, much, much longer, we’re also starting to think about the fact that we’ve been living in the same space for a whole year now, and the way we use those spaces has changed, perhaps permanently. If you’re anything like us, you’re also probably beginning to reflect on how much you’ve changed since lockdowns first begun, and thinking that perhaps your home should reflect who you are now. Here are some great ideas that might help your home to feel a little more pandemic-friendly.
Creating a Positive Workspace
Our homes aren’t just places we return to eat, sleep and relax in, they’re now also the places we work from. It doesn’t look like we’ll see a return to office environments soon, so maybe now is the time to start thinking about creating a workspace that works for you. If you find it difficult to concentrate whilst at home, try creating a space that will help you to keep focused- you can do this by maximising your hidden storage, so that you aren’t constantly distracted by things near to you, and by incorporating sunlight and foliage so that the space seems more lively and natural.
Prioritising Your Mental Health
It’s also important to think about creating a space that promotes positive mental health- it’s doubly hard to be locked down if your space is causing you anxiety or stress. Try installing mirrors to reflect and double the natural sunlight, and invest in good hidden storage so that you can avoid living in clutter. If you’re thinking of fully renovating, you could also try to add contrast between spaces, so that you feel that you’re moving around over the course of a day, rather than staying in the same or similar spaces.
Refresh The Spaces You Spend the Most Time In
We touched on this earlier, but if you’ve spent the past year ‘commuting’ from your bed to your workspace, and you don’t want to get stuck into redecorating your whole home, try just replacing the key objects- especially your bed and your desk. The average person spends approximately a third of their life in bed and a further third at work, so refreshing these spaces will make a world of difference. If you’re looking to replace your bed, we have some incredible deals available on our site, including giving you a mattress half price when you buy your bed from us.
Bringing the Outside In
This might seem obvious, but plants can completely change the way we view a space, especially subconsciously- there are real mental health benefits to bringing nature indoors. On a physical level, green plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which is good for both you and the planet.
Lots of these things seem small, but small changes can sometimes make a world of difference, especially when you’ve been stuck at home for a while. With any luck, you’ll also be renovating so that your home feels fresh and new for when life opens back up again. Even if that isn’t the case, it will still feel great to have a home that reflects who you are now.
