A lick of paint and some new cushions are certainly ways to update a home, but to reap the rewards of decorating for years to come, you need to take it slowly.
According to the World Institute of Slowness in Norway, “the fastest way to a good life is to slow down”, and the same could be said for the most successful interiors.
“Decorating should be approached rather like gardening,” says John Sims-Hilditch, co-founder of leading interior design house, Neptune.
“It is a life-long quest and never quite finished. You should never think, ‘ok, I’ve done the house now’.
"For a start, there’s no joy in that. The essence of slow is that it’s never done, so don’t try to get it done. Not feeling the need to finish is important. And it relieves a lot of pressure.”
But slow does not mean moving at a snail’s pace and living in chaos for months on end; far from it: slow decorating is about planning, considering and refining.
The trick is to have a strategy, a direction of travel, which helps clarify those tricky decorating decisions. It is about enjoying the process as much as the results.
Exploring what you would do if you could wave a magic wand can be extremely revealing and influence decisions, whatever the existing budget with which you are working.
Take the time to look at a project objectively — this step is important and mining down to the basics will ultimately build a richer, more coherent scheme.
For John, there are three key elements to consider when you stop to take stock of your dream design — location, architecture and self.
Your location will provide context to your home, incorporating the architecture of the space is an opportunity to work in harmony with what you have and honouring the self is vital in creating a vision you love.
This slower method also supports the desire for sustainability and preservation. If you have an unhurried approach to furnishing your home, you will likely buy less but better and those pieces will have longevity.
Taking time to seek out those beautiful things, according to the slow decorating philosophy, reduces the demand for fast, throwaway products and rash purchasing mistakes.
And slow decorating does not just apply to major renovations. The process works just as well on the smaller details of a home, introducing colours or collections you build up, and even appreciating how the changing seasons work within your space.
That is the true charm of slow decorating: enjoying where you are in the moment and not feeling the need to rush.
