2020 started out as our best year to date. We had some amazing clients and projects on the go, as well as in our pipeline. We were really excited about the year ahead. Then along came Covid-19 and threw one mighty large spanner in the works! Yes, we had to postpone several consultations with new clients, and push out finishing dates of some existing projects, but we’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to continue working from our homes to some extent. Design work continues and Dael has been able to talk to clients and suppliers on the phone and via Zoom meetings. And one benefit of being at home and having a bit more time is that we finally started our IGTV channel, posting short videos with design tips to Instagram and Facebook. Something we’ve been meaning to do for a while now.

Living in Lockdown has been a massive adjustment for all of us, but it’s been so cool to see the innovative ways individuals and businesses have been coping. Our hearts go out to all those who have experienced heartbreak and stress, I can’t even imagine how tough that has been. As an eternal optimist I like to find a silver lining, and for me there have been a few…

Slowing down, literally smelling the roses, spending quality time as a family, regular exercise and creating new rituals, not to mention that the planet has been given the opportunity to ‘breathe’ and recalibrate. It kinda makes you wonder! It’s given us all time to realise what is most important in our lives, and one thing that Dael and I know, but we hope that you are all realising now too (if you hadn’t already), is how important your home is.

We’ve all been spending more time in our homes than we probably ever have before, and if you love your home, that will have made this time so much better. People who don’t value beautiful interiors may think it’s just superficial and shallow, but whether you realise it or not you are greatly affected by your surroundings. A good design not only transforms the interior, it transforms the lives of the people living there. If our designs are contributing to more happy, content people in this world, then how cool is that?!

There are a few simple things you can do right now to make your home more enjoyable. Start by decluttering and editing. Piles of clutter can cause you stress. Look to see if there are certain areas that are constantly being used as a dumping ground. Can you add a basket to collect the abandoned shoes, or a pretty box for mail and paperwork? Make sure that items on display that have a practical use look good too.

Create vignettes around your house made up of things you love, maybe they have a memory or story attached. It’s amazing how they’ll make you happy when you see them. Start with just one surface and have a play, when you feel more confident try another surface. Move pieces around regularly to keep your home feeling fresh. We give you lots of tips in our videos, so check them out if you haven’t already.

Add greenery. We talk about this a lot, but it’s a really simple way to inject life, texture and interest into your home. You don’t even need to go to a florist (although we’re all for supporting your local florist, especially now), you can just take you secateurs into your own garden and cut off a few branches.

Paint is one of the simplest ways to transform a room, it can literally change the mood of a space. We have an online colour course that you can download and do at home anytime. It teaches you how to choose a colour palette that will be just right for your home. Whilst in Level 3 (and 4 before) we’re offering a 20% discount, so go check it out.

As we head towards Alert Levels 2 and then 1, I hope that we will all adopt a new normal. Take whatever positives you found whilst in Lockdown - slow down, spend more time with loved ones, exercise more, get creative, whatever you discovered (or re-discovered) that is going to enhance your life. Travelling overseas won’t be happening in the near future, but why not see more of our own country, support local tourism, and support local businesses as much as possible.

At Bibby + Brady we work with some incredible local businesses and NZ furniture manufacturers (the sofa above is a great example of one of our NZ made creations). This means we will be able to continue to create beautiful spaces, no matter what. If you decide that you want to spend that money you had put aside for overseas travel on a new kitchen, or a complete house renovation, maybe even a new build, then get in touch with us so we can put you into our calendar, or you can fill in this form. We can work with you right from the planning stage, through to the install. We can project manage the entire reno if you want us to, we have some fantastic tradies and suppliers so you can rest assured that the job will be done to our high standards.

Wishing you all the best, and remember better times are yet to come. Stay safe, stay healthy, and for now, stay home. Vic + Dael x