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New Year Home Refresh Styling Guide: New Projects to Start in January 2026

As the evenings slowly get brighter and we start to scrutinise our interiors, the urge to make changes kicks in.

While gym bunnies are flexing their muscles, flushed with the enthusiasm of New Year’s resolve, us interior types will be getting our workouts ripping our homes apart as the nesting instinct takes hold and we start spring cleaning and decluttering. 

Not that we need to stress ourselves out in pursuit of the perfect home where weekends are spent maintaining that perfection. Afterall, the queen of neat and tidy, Marie Kondo, admits that after the birth of her third child two years ago she gave up on having an immaculately ordered home. The principles of her approach, though, remain a solid way to get rid of excess belongings which in turn allows a clear assessment of available space and how best to use it, especially if you’re dealing with a family of growing children or if they’ve already moved out.

The Attic: Making Better Use of Overhead Space

Perpetually the dumping ground for domestic detritus, attic space quickly fills up, but it’s not necessarily good use of this prime real estate that’s largely out of sight and out of mind. 

Maybe 2026 is the year it finally undergoes a conversion to create a bedroom and study space for a teenager objecting to having to share a room with a younger sibling. 

As attic spaces with their sloped roofs won’t typically accommodate freestanding wardrobes, the teen-friendly white Amelia bedframe (from £269) has attic-friendly storage pieces to match, including a blanket box (£179) which doubles up as a seat at the foot of the bed. Bedside lockers with drawers (£129) can house personal treasures, and a five-drawer tall boy (£349) is space-saving by using less width and capitalising on vertical space available.

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Amelia White Wooden 5ft King Bedframe

Dining Room Styling Guide: Updating Your Space for Entertaining

Dining room shortcomings are never so obvious as they are at the start of the year, after limitations showed up during Christmas entertaining. 

Now is the time to indulge in the purchase of a new table and even additional chairs. Extending tables work their magic even in the smallest spaces where they can transform from a compact four-seater to a six- or eight-seater to allow entertaining you didn’t think possible. 

For a pared back Scandi look, the Kona dining table is finished in a light wood and is one for space-limited apartment life (£499). To make a stronger design statement where available space is not so compact, the Camden weathered oak is a contemporary option with an industrial finish (£1249), with style and robustness for family life. 

Dining rooms tend to be high traffic areas and hard floors can be noisy with the drag of chairs. Installing a rug beneath the table and chairs resolves the problem and even helps to absorb the din of chatter around the table. The Zola Scandi Aura Cream rug (from £53) is a neutral option, lightly patterned, or for a touch of tradition, take a look at the Renuu Vintage Zoe (from £95).

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Kona Natural Light Oak Wooden 1.4m Extending Dining Table

Guest Bedroom Styling Guide: Creating a Boutique Hotel Feel at Home

You know that spare room, part home office, part storage for suitcases, and boxes of decluttered stuff that haven’t yet made their way to the charity shop? How about getting it into shape and making it the perfect guest room? 

Or maybe you already have a guest room furnished with random pieces that didn’t work in other bedrooms but want to add some luxe touches to give it a boutique hotel feel. Unless you have a particularly large home with multiple bedrooms this is more likely a project for where children have left home, freeing up a bedroom or two for friends coming to stay. 

Bring in a king-sized bed. Something like the super-comfortable Malmo (£549) with its mid-century inspired design and parquet-style finish makes an impact. If your taste runs to antiques, avoid the possibility of woodworm and wobbly legs in an original piece and opt for a brand new Georgian-inspired Clementine in stained oak (£799). 

The Florence ottoman bedframe (£999) is all about comfort and luxury with its buttoned upholstered headboard. Bonus storage beneath the mattress gives space for spare linens and out of season clothes. Add bedside lamps, charging ports, a blackout blind and contemporary all-white crispy cotton bed linen accessorised with the Terracotta or the Toffee striped throw. 

Land a curated pile of magazines on the night stand to finish as a personal touch.

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Florence Cream Fabric 5ft Ottoman Bed

New Year Home Styling Guide FAQs

What are the best home projects to start in January? 

January is ideal for decluttering, reassessing storage and tackling longer-term projects such as attic conversions, dining room upgrades or refreshing underused guest bedrooms.

 

How can I make better use of attic space? 

Attic spaces work best with furniture that maximises vertical storage and fits beneath sloped ceilings, such as tall boys, beds with integrated storage and compact bedside units. 

 

Why upgrade a dining room at the start of the year? 

Post-Christmas entertaining often highlights dining room limitations. January is a natural time to invest in extending tables, additional seating and rugs that improve comfort and functionality. 

 

How can I make a guest bedroom feel more luxurious? 

A king-sized bed, high-quality bedding, bedside lighting, blackout blinds and thoughtful styling details such as throws and magazines help create a boutique hotel-style guest room. 

 

Is it worth investing in furniture with built-in storage? 

Yes. Storage beds, ottomans and multifunctional furniture are particularly valuable in family homes, attic rooms and guest bedrooms, helping maintain order while maximising space.