Finally! We’ve seen the back of 2020 and are peeping into 2021 with a mixture of hope and trepidation, so what better time to look towards what’s hopefully a happier year ahead. Although further lockdowns are on the cards it feels like the end is in sight, so let’s hang in there for the final push and spend this time focusing on the positives.
Firstly, we’ve started to see the first snowdrops burst through in the garden. Notwithstanding this may well be another worrying indication of climate change, we're maintaining a positive mindset and seeing the joy in the garden slowly starting to come to life. That said, gardening in January doesn’t hold the same attraction as dead-heading your geraniums, G&T in hand on a warm summer’s evening so if you need someone to come in and give your plot a tidy up and put in some spring bulbs for an April/May show of colour let us take the strain.
Image credit: countryfile.com
We also took our own advice towards the end of last year and overhauled our kitchen, relying heavily on some of the tips in one of our earlier blogs Too soon.. Shortly after we bought our house planning permission was granted for a one and half storey extension, so we didn’t bother doing anything to the existing set-up as we didn’t want to spend money on something that we thought would be ripped out soon.
Fast forward three years and we still haven’t broken ground. When the kitchen worktop started coming away from the wall in early December we realised that we really couldn’t keep getting away with patching up wonky cupboards and if we were to stand any chance of saving Christmas we needed a quick refurb, so we ripped out the cabinets, pulled up the floor, replaced the counters with reclaimed scaffold boards and bought a new range. With a 5 day turnaround we’ve transformed the kitchen and if, we may say so ourselves, cooked up a storm over Christmas and New Year.
Image credit: Able Projects - Joinery and Carpentry
Thankfully Greenwich Council have automatically extended all granted applications due to expire in 2020 which has taken the pressure off a little. Is anyone else in the same boat with extended planning applications? Getting our Mystic Meg on we foresee a very busy few months ahead as people embark on delayed construction projects once the weather gets better.
Late last year Dulux revealed Brave Ground as their colour of 2021. Billed as ‘a bolstering shade that connects back to nature and the simple things. A warm, earthy tone, it creates a feeling of stability, growth and potential; and provides a firm foundation for change and creativity in your home.’ Sounds like just what we need and we look forward to getting our brushes wet.
Image credit: Able Projects - About Us
Pantone have gone for 2 COTY, with Ultimate Gray and Illuminating ‘A marriage of colour conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.’ God knows we need it. Interesting Able fact; when Nan moved into the first home she ever owned in the 1950s she decorated her kitchen in grey and yellow, so she’s delighted to be ahead of the curve once again.
Image credit: Dulux
Farrow and Ball wouldn’t be nearly so vulgar as to elevate one shade above others, so instead have shared their colour trends for the year ahead. 2021 Colour Trends with Joa Studholme is a great read and we love using F&B paints for the chalky finish, so we’re keen to hear what you have planned for your home decor.
Image credit: Pantone
We’re also very pleased to work with landlords, management companies and estate agents, from end of tenancy decorating through to refurbishing communal areas and general maintenance and upkeep, so it’s been great to be able to work safely with full social distancing measures in place. We underwent MSAFE COVID19 training back in March, and are CHAS Premium Plus accredited, because we understand what a privilege it is to be invited into your home and we want to ensure that we all remain safe and well.
Lastly and most importantly, thank you for your continued support. We’re grateful to have worked with some fantastic clients last year and see really exciting ideas come to life, but we’re even more excited to have put 2020 to bed and are looking forward to a healthy, happy new year.
Image credit: Farrow & Ball