5 Simple Ways to Refresh Your Home for the New Year!

Feb 7

Image of a seating area. Large, branchy greenery sits on a coffee table with other accessories. Behind is a fuzzy, white chair arranged under a rug with side tables and other seating.

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5 Simple Ways to Refresh Your Home for the New Year!

A new year, a new look, a new mindset … most of us are eager for a “fresh start” in more ways than one. And it seems we’re especially ready for 2021! The winter months are prime time for updating our spaces. Usually it’s a pretty quiet time in our lives, so it’s the perfect opportunity to tackle some home projects. Are we rIght?

Our New Year home mantra: Clean. Organize. Edit. Refresh.

Here it is in a nutshell: Before you bring in anything new, clean your space really well. A deep clean (we mean the “move your furniture around and get all the dust bunnies” kind of clean) will feel so good for you and for your home. Don’t skip this step! Then, organize and take inventory of everything you have. Edit the pieces that are “tired.” And finally, refresh with a few things that will bring some new life to your space. We use these simple tips in our own homes, and it really does the trick.

Here are five simple ways to breathe some fresh air into your home:

#1 PILLOWS AND THROWS

We think pillows are one of the easiest and sexiest ways to refresh a room. Whether it’s your living room sofa, your bed or an entryway bench, bringing in some new pillows and throws can enhance features you want to highlight in that space.

Our pillows of choice these days seem to be anything in a boucle, or as we lovingly refer to it, a “poodle” fabric. Shearlings and boucle fabrics are very popular, and for good reason -- they bring texture and coziness to a sofa, banquette or chair. Another fave is beautifully patterned pillows in muted shades of mustard, olive or indigo for an accent on your bed -- maybe it’s two or three square pillows, or one large lumbar pillow with simple all-white bedding. Comfy and inviting, you can’t go wrong with this look!

Here’s a favorite trick to freshen a room: drape a beautiful throw, either a furry sheepskin or an alpaca wool, at the foot of your bed or over the arm or back of a sofa. This can totally transform those particular pieces of furniture as well. Check out the image above -- big, furry throws make us swoon! Even if you keep everything monochromatic, it makes for a super luxurious and cozy vibe.

#2 A GORGEOUS CONTAINER WITH A PLANT

When we style a space, we always bring containers with simple plants (i.e. cactus or Fiddle Fig trees), or even just beautifully brilliant green moss and olive leaves.. Low, round containers are ideal for a dining table (allows for easy conversation without obstructing the line of sight), whereas a big beautiful vase with cut branches, in natural wood or recycled glass, can be soooo good on a kitchen island or an entryway table.

#3 AMBIENT LIGHTING

Ok, if you know us well, you know that we are constantly suggesting ambient lighting! Overhead lighting just doesn’t do the trick for setting the mood. We like to add a contemporary floor lamp to a traditional space for a somewhat ”unexpected” look, or maybe an organic wood table lamp to bring warmth to a more cooler, modern space. Lamp lighting is very important for creating an inviting vibe to your home -- no matter the style.

#4 A BEAUTIFUL SCENTED CANDLE

Candles make us happy. The “Friday Happy Hour” kinda’ happy! Call us crazy, but it’s true -- after all, it’s the little things. Check these lovely ones out -- these scents just bring on all the good vibes to your space. And of course, we have our signature DB Wildwood Trail Candle! Everyone loves this scent, as it represents all that we love about the Pacific Northwest. It’s so amazingly good.

#5 LAYER WITH A RUG

Rugs can be incredibly transformative for a space. They really do set the tone! Choose a big shaggy bohemian wool rug for your bedroom to create cozy vibes ... it makes getting out of bed that much easier on cold mornings. A natural jute rug is our choice for layering under other rugs (like a cowhide), or even as a stand alone. People mistakenly think jute is impractical, but we actually think the opposite -- they're great for high traffic areas. We use them in kitchens and entryways … and they’re reasonably priced too!

One key tip: go as big as you can in your space, as it will make the room feel bigger. A postage stamp sized rug in a room is a big no-no!