There’s no greater impetus for home improvements than the start of a brand-new year. There is something magical about new beginnings that breathes life into the old and the tired. Our homes are our havens, our place of sanity in the chaos and a welcome sanctuary after a busy day.

The great thing is that home improvement projects don’t have to be disruptive events. With a little planning and the right assistance, even subtle improvements are a great New Year kick-off for our families and guests alike.

A fresh coat of paint has transformative power on the home improvement front. 2020 promises to say goodbye to the 2019 craze for pink. Apricot is the new preference, which blends well with wood and earthy tones. Red is said to be one of the strongest of the 2020 colour palette; a warm rusty-red really that also blends with wood to develop natural hues. Burnt rose and terracotta complete the warm tones for 2020.

If 2018 through 2019 brought us fifty shades of grey, 2020 is going for fifty shades of white if you’re looking for trending home improvement ideas. Tonal whites are therefore the new neutrals for the year. Pistachio green and a warm, golden yellow are offset by a deep, dark emerald and a saturated deep blue feature strongly for interior colours.

Staircases and passage walls lend themselves to murals. If you seek true talent in murals, old cupboards, bathrooms, dressings rooms, libraries and ceilings can be treated with mural work for a total facelift in areas you may not be able to change.

A home theatre media room is a home improvement project that will have the buy-in of family and friends alike. The trick is to get the professionals in on the job. Not only will they assist you to purchase the correct equipment for your needs but it’s the setting up that is critical.

The decor ideas for the room make or break the project so, take a look at trending media room options and your audio-visual specialist will accommodate your requests. It would be a good idea to call in an interior designer who understands how to blend home theatres with existing home decor.

All things suffer wear and tear. Prized artefacts in a home may come into a state of disrepair unless well maintained. Despite the best of intentions, our porcelain, glass and crystal ware may pick up cracks or even break. All our speciality pieces benefit from regular care and repair to restore them to their original glory.

Photo by Ian Jones

It may very well be that your home is up to date, pristine and perfect in every way. That doesn’t mean it won’t benefit from subtle improvements. One of the most rewarding ways to generate subliminally effective home enhancement is to use fresh flower arrangements as features and focal points.

The effect of flowers on the human psyche is well documented. To be sure, stunning flowers strategically placed around the home will have a more beneficial impact on yourself, your family and your guests than any other home improvement put together. Here’s why:

The great thing about remembering that flowers contribute so powerfully to everyone’s well-being is that it is a home improvement we can apply regularly by arranging weekly or semi-monthly home deliveries of new arrangements. Samantha Davis, a highly recommended professional florist, specializes in a bespoke contract service in which she designs according to the surroundings and delivers them in one of an array of unusual vases and containers.

Visit our “New In” – products or services to see what I have found to enrich your life as 2020 kicks in. No doubt the new year will find us all busier than ever.

Join Michelle’s ‘Inner Circle” for a small monthly fee to avail yourself of my help in a more up-close-and-personal way.