I spent a morning on the radio last week, which was a brand new experience. Velux invited my to talk about interior trends as a part of Home improvement month.
Recent research by Velux showed some surprising results. With Brexit and reports of weakened consumer and business confidence, we all assumed that people were a little scared of spending, but what the research showed was actually the opposite. Nearly six in ten (59%) of the UK’s homeowners are planning to carry out home improvements worth £50.89bn over the next six months. We’re talking anything from a bit of painting and DIY to extensions and loft conversions. People in general don’t seem to want to move, but rather improve their current homes. The biggest factor here was actually emotional. People are attached to their homes and want to make it a better place to live. I guess it’s all about making the space work for you. Moving can be stressful, I know all about that, so I can relate to it. It’s sometimes easier to improve your home than actually moving. 26% of people asked want to improve their homes in order to add value to the property and 34% because they love their home and the area they live in and don’t want to move.
As times change I think it’s important to change the way we live too. I get why especially families want a more open plan solution for their homes. I love the space below and the way the light floods in. Notice also the storage. Don’t underestimate the amount of storage you need. Here you can quickly put away the toys and create a more grown up space in the evenings.
Andrew Lumsden from VELUX and myself in the Studio. (No roof lights here..!)
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that I talk a lot about natural light. I think it’s really important for your well being, so this felt really natural to me. You can also have a look at a blog post I wrote a few months ago here.
I would love to add roof lights to both the living room and my studio, as I think those rooms will be dark in the winter. We’ve only lived in our new home for a couple of weeks, but can already see a big difference in light, as we’re slowly coming into the summer months. Did you know that roof windows can give up to 2 times the amount of light that vertical windows can? If I was extending my home I would definitely be adding room lights to my extension. It would really brighten the space up.
Do you have any plans to improve your home? You can read more about Home Improvement Month here.