We are all creatures of habit and tend to bumble along in the same rut for years without really realizing that our homes and even workplaces have become rather tired or simply fallen behind the times. Old fashioned is not the right description; it’s rather a case of unconscious neglect or unintentional lack of attention (I’m being kind here!). Whilst the furniture, carpets and soft furnishings might still be perfectly serviceable and in good condition, it is more likely that the walls and cupboard exteriors have faded, become damaged, scratched, or yellowed with time and general usage. This is a sign of an active living or working area, and let’s be honest here, nobody lives in a showhouse where everything is perfect and nothing is ever out of place.
Who hasn’t lived with patched walls which are hidden behind boring pictures?
On the contrary, a life fully experienced – whether at work or at home – brings about wear and tear, no matter how careful we might be. It seems that much of the business of living or working tends to show up on our walls. Pictures might have been moved or replaced, ornaments re-hung, chairs and furniture used or moved carelessly, scratching the walls and doors, and chipping the paint off doorframes. The walls record it all, with darker areas where large pictures have hung for years, chipped areas of paint where nails have been removed or repositioned. Much of the time, moving a nail or screw will also remove a portion of the plaster and paint with it, and not everyone is keen to patch and re-paint a small area, and will often simply hide it under another strategically placed picture. I very much doubt that any honest person will deny having been guilty of the crime of “small neglect’ and laziness.
It really shouldn’t be more than four years since you last painted your walls …
So, just as it is said that one should move house every five to seven years in order to clear out all the old possessions one has acquired through the years, it is also a good idea to update the look of your home every four years or so by repainting the walls, doors, cupboards and skirting boards. Not only will this give the house a whole new, fresh look, but will force you to get rid of furniture which has outlived its usefulness and is simply taking up space. Fashion trends are constantly changing, and our instinct is often to adopt new trends, especially when it comes to the home. Where once it was perfectly acceptable for each different room to be painted its own unique colour, the opening up of living / dining / kitchen / entertainment areas into one large space has necessitated the whole area to be tied together with one common colour on the walls, except, perhaps, for one statement wall which presents a stark accent within the general uniformity of the area. After all, who wants every wall to be the same? Not everyone likes accent walls in natural materials like wood, facebrick, bamboo, slate, marble or stone, which can tend to be rather overpowering and difficult to decorate. Wallpaper is also not a popular choice in many cases, as it is expensive to buy, difficult to hang, can be easily damaged and dates quickly.
Too uninspired or nervous to do it alone? Call in some paint-buddies!
So, what is the solution? Good old-fashioned paint will do the trick every time! If you are a DIY enthusiast, painting walls, doors, cupboards, window frames and skirting boards can be a very satisfying and fun activity, especially if you add some music or a good audiobook to keep your mind occupied whilst you work. And if you are not a ladder enthusiast (like me), rope in a friend or two with bribes of food and drink and get them up to the higher areas to finish from where you stop. Paint-parties can be a lot of fun and extremely productive, and get the job done in half the time.
Changing your wall colour does NOT mean having to buy new furnishings
Freshen up the whole area with a brand-new colour scheme, and if you are financially strapped, choose a colour which tones in with your existing furnishings whilst still offering a whole new colour dimension to the space. For example, instead of a peach-coloured wall, go for a cool grey which will freshen the space but not be out of place with almost any colour of soft accessories and furnishings. But a warning – unless you want to live in a cave, steer clear of painting your entire rooms in very dark colours as these can be very claustrophobic and rather depressing, especially during the miserable cloudy and rainy winter months. At least, with paint, you can always change your mind if you find that the colour you thought would look wonderful turns out to be anything but uplifting. Your home (and workspace, if possible) should be a place where you feel comfortable, motivated, secure and peaceful, and if it only takes a few hours and a couple of tins of paint, what is there to lose? Get out of your decorating rut, spruce up your interior and benefit from being able to move your pictures and wall ornaments to different areas without the worry of having to hide ugly cracks and holes in the walls which you just haven’t had the time (or inclination) to fix. It really WILL make all the difference in your life …
