Its that time of year again – not just the point where we look back at the highs and lows of the last 12 months, marvel at how quickly it all went by and madly scrabble to get organised for the big day – but also when most of us start to plan for what lies ahead.
While it is not necessarily healthy to compile a mile-long list of all the things you want to change about your life in the New Year, one or two manageable tweaks can often be useful – particularly if they involve house design ideas that could make spending time in your home even better.
With that in mind, I began to think about the New Year's resolutions my home would share with me if it could – certainly these are the upgrades I'd like it to magically make.
1. To be warmer
This is the number one resolution my home should have – while it is particularly bitter during the winter months, I even find myself having to layer up in summer at times.
"Beyond adding heating, my clients are also embracing energy-efficient upgrades and tactile comforts to make spaces cosy and welcoming," reveals Miriam Prada, director at Miriam Prada Interiors. "Soft furnishings, layered curtains, rugs and underfloor heating are all popular ways to achieve this.
"One client installed underfloor heating in the kitchen and bathrooms and then layered window coverings in living areas, turning once-cold spaces into year-round cosy hubs.
Another added thermal-lined curtains and soft rugs to retain warmth in their drafty London flat. Game changer."
I plan on following Miriam's clients' lead and adding more in the way of draught proofing around my gappy front door, laying a thick rug in the dining space and investing in thermal curtains and blinds in more rooms.
Miriam specialises in prime and super prime residential projects. With over 15 years of experience in the design industry, she has collaborated with a diverse range of clients, and one of her most notable achievements was holding the position of Head of Interiors for a record-breaking penthouse sale in the history of Westminster.
Essential kit to warm up a house
Available in a choice of six colours, this cosy blind comes fitted with a thermal lining to keep out the cold as well as all the fixings needed for installation.
A few well-fitting draught excluders are on my shopping list in order to keep the house warmer, including this one which slides under the door to block out breezes.
While I have draught proofed the majority of the windows, the one in the master bedroom and our front door are still majorly ill-fitting. This easy-to-fit tape will help.
2. To offer a better bathroom experience
Right now we only have one bathroom upstairs (there is a shower room on the ground floor), and with two teenagers in the house this is a leading cause of arguments. While we plan on building an extension onto the house next year in order to add another two bathrooms upstairs, in the interim I really want to implement a few small bathroom upgrades to make what we have a little more luxurious.
It seems I am not alone in this wish for 2026. Bathroom expert Andrea Clewett, co-founder of award-winning Showerscape, has some bathroom plans of her own.
"If my home had a New Year’s resolution, the bathroom would be first in line – and its goal would be simple: to be more me," she says. "We underestimate the importance of our bathrooms, and in 2026, this should change. It's the one room where we can really escape, whether it's lazing in a hot bath or taking a shower. We switch off and the demands of the modern world can be put on hold. So this year, I’d resolve to bring far more personality into the space."
For me that will mean changing the chilly grey shade of paint we currently have on the walls (I'm currently loving warm pinks), regrouting the tiles and having a good old declutter of the shelves which are currently overrun with toiletries well past their best.
Andrea and Ian Clewett are the creative duo behind Showerscape, a UK-based luxury design brand transforming bathrooms from overlooked utility spaces into a personalised canvas with made-to-measure, floor-to-ceiling bespoke photographic panels.
With a combined 25 years’ design experience under their belts, and winners in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, the couple are on a mission to prove bathrooms can be more than functional.
Bathroom upgrade wish-list
I love this dusky warm pink shade – so much so that I am also considering for my front door. The Intelligent Matt Emulsion is perfect for bathrooms as it is completely washable.
I am drawn by the fact that this ready-mixed grout can be applied straight from the cartridge as it reduces mess. It is also ultra mould-resistant which is perfect for us.
These will look perfect on our bathroom shelves where they can house all manner of lotions and potions. The three different sizes will also work well.
3. To be better lit after dark
While there is something to be said for taking a less-is-more approach to lighting in some instances (such as not overdoing it with a ceiling-full of glaring recessed downlighters), I often feel that the majority of the rooms in my house are underlit.
The bedroom lighting in particular could do with some more wall fittings, while the single overhead light over the dining table does nothing for the ambience of the space, particularly as we have recently acquired a longer table. Three pendants would be far better suited to this set-up.
I have actually already begun to address this issue, investing in some new side lamps for the gloomy corners of the kitchen and living room, but there is still more to do to get the lighting design spot on.
4. To be more aligned with our lifestyle
In the 10 years since we last renovated and extended our home, our lifestyle has changed. Obviously the toddlers are now teenagers, but we have also accumulated pets, both now work from home and generally need space for more 'stuff', partly due to hobbies that have been picked up, but also because of bits and pieces we have inherited. What all this means is that the layout of our house no longer quite fits our needs.
"Renovations are increasingly about layouts that match real-life routines, not just style," points out Miriam Prada. "Kitchens and bathrooms in particular should support daily habits seamlessly. For example, for a client of mine I recently reconfigured their kitchen island into an L-shape, creating a breakfast bar and prep area – this instantly became the home’s social hub. Another client added a second bathroom to ease morning routines, dramatically improving day-to-day convenience."
For us, rerouting the hallway to enter the house more seamlessly is a job on the to-do list for 2026, as is adding an oak framed porch to take care of all the sports equipment and outerwear that is currently jumbling up the hallway. We'll also be adding a much-needed utility room extension.
5. To be less open plan
A little bit controversial this one. Having opened up the centre of the house during round one of the renovation and extension, to create an open plan kitchen, dining room and snug, I am now thinking about closing this space off a little to create more division. I plan on doing this by adding metal framed glass double doors between the snug and dining space. This will make the dining area feel more intimate and open up the possibility of using the snug as a home office or spare bedroom when needed.
In fact, when I spoke to interior designer Fiona Duke of Fiona Duke Interiors recently about her own plans for her home next year, along with dreaming of a swimming pool and stairs into her loft space, she too wanted a cosier dining space.
"If my home had a New Year's resolution it would be to magically produce a separate dining room," shares Fiona. "Open plan living works perfectly for busy families in terms of day-to-day living, but the dream for the festive period would be to have a separate dining space that you could lavishly decorate, ready for those special family occasions."
Fiona Duke is creative director at Fiona Duke Interiors and, having initially graduated with a French degree, went back to her local university to study Interior Design before setting up the design studio in 2014.
If you too live in a chilly old property, it isn't too late to look into the best ways to make a house warmer – not only will it make life more comfortable but it should also slash your energy bills.
