I think it’s a combination of shorter days and the loss of sparkle that Christmas brings, but every year in January, after the Christmas decorations all come down, my home feels a bit flat. What I tend to do is give my spaces a little bit of a shakeup so they feel fresh again and it just puts me in a better mood to face the year ahead.

I’ve spoken a lot on this blog about the power of ‘shopping your home’ and what I mean by that is giving your space a shake-up simply by rearranging items you already have. So you might want to swap the art from one room to another or move your plants around from darker corners and radiators to brighter rooms. You might consider swapping the rug in your bedroom with the one in your dining room or changing up the cushions on your bed or sofa. Or maybe just giving the surfaces in your home – coffee tables, sideboards, the fireplace mantle – a bit of a shakeup with a new vignette or fresh flowers.

In early December when I set up my tree, I decided to move some furniture around in my living room. The fiddle leaf fig was getting far too big for the corner we’d initially placed it and so I decided to swap it around with the vintage cabinet I’d had in that spot. I also moved my bar cart from the alcove to the same wall as my sofa. Just doing that opened up the room and the flow just felt a lot better. Even after the tree has come down, I decided I’d keep this new layout as it works so much better.

So when I talk about refreshing a room with ‘something old’, I’m not necessarily talking about vintage pieces (although those are always good too!), I’m simply talking about the stuff you already own. Changing the context in which a piece sits can make a world of difference in terms of the feel of a space and while I am not a practicer of feng shui, I can get behind the concept of improving the way a room affects us by where items are placed in the space.

Plus, it’s free! No need to spend money if you don’t have to, right?

So essentially, this is what I’ve done. I have been meaning to hang a mirror over the fireplace for some time and I finally got around to it last week. As much as I’d love a new mirror for this spot, I decided to try my ornate Rococo style one that used to hang in my old bedroom. I’m not 100% convinced the scale is quite right (I feel it could be wider) but I do love how it reflects more light into the room and how I can see the light fixture in its reflection so it’s staying for the time being.

Moving on to ‘something new’, I did get a few lovely things recently as Christmas presents and I also couldn’t help but take advantage of some of the sales going on. The new items were all things I’d intended on buying anyway (or things I’d asked for!) so these weren’t necessarily impulse-purchases, I was just waiting for the right pieces and right prices to turn up. And happily, because so many retailers are letting go of their stock to make way for new lines, I was able to land on a few bargains.

I added a few pink faux hydrangeas around the room (half price from Cox & Cox) which combined quite nicely with ones I already owned and so while I haven’t changed the coffee table too much, that added burst of colour makes me happy.

On the mantle, I received a gorgeous Neom 3-wick candle from Wayne for Christmas (it smells glorious!) as well as that cute River Island vase I’d spied when they first launched their homewares line. I’ve never really been happy with the fireplace styling so the whole set up just feels better to me now and when the fire is on and the candles are lit, it all glows so warm and bright and makes winter definitely more palatable.

In the corner, I grabbed a basket that used to be in the kitchen to hold the fireplace logs and I also purchased a new basket from Workshop in Shrewsbury for my faux plant from Audenza that I’ve had for a couple of years now. There are a few prints there leaning against the wall that I have yet to find a home for but you can ignore those! ;)

My shelving was rejigged a bit as well although there’s nothing new, just pieces I already had but it feels a bit fresher now.

Over on the bar cart, I received that beautiful tray as a lovely gift from MADE. In time, I may put it to better use elsewhere in the house but I like how you can see the high sides and the glimmer of gold when you walk in the room.

And near the door where the white vintage cabinet is, I brightened the space again, with items I’ve had for years but mixed in a pretty gold wall sconce that I’d received as a Christmas present from my friend Carole. Excuse the fact that the candle on there is nearly spent! Need to pick up another ;)

In the dining room, the reshuffling continued but mostly just on the gold shelving. I actually quite love how this turned out and that’s saying something seeing as that I’m never entirely happy with my styling, forever moving things about if even the slightest detail feels ‘off’. But I like the quiet mix here of pinks, neutrals, marble and gold.

The book ends are new, purchased at a discounted price from River Island in their sales but everything else I’ve had for a while, some of it for years. Just that little reshuffle makes me happy though. I’m still working on the styling of the other areas of this room but given how much I love a good faff, no surface is really safe from a winter refresh.

So while these spaces may not, at first glance, look that much different from what I’ve shared before, they do feel different, at least to me. When I walk into these rooms now, the air feels a bit lifted, I’m appreciating items I’d neglected for a while and I’m enjoying a few new bits and pieces too. It’s amazing what a good reshuffle and few new bits can do to make your rooms feel nice to be in again.