Don’t let dark and dreary January get the better of you this year – and most importantly says Clare Jobson – don’t blitz that glitz. GONE are the twinkling fairy lights, the glittering baubles and the lush green foliage with its bright berries … It all passes so quickly. No wonder January is considered to be one of the most depressing months of the year. But just because the Christmas festivities and the New Year celebrations have been and gone, there’s no reason not to continue with this glamorous look that has made your home so shiny and bright into the new season. So before you completely pack up all of your decorations for another year, take a second to hold back those tear-shaped, crystal-like baubles which will look perfect hung from your more sturdy foliage. If you are a lover of hydrangeas then these plants look really beautiful adorned with glass decorations strung on silver thread. If you’re a lover of all things luscious and outdoorsy then it will break your heart having to pull down all that Christmas greenery. Your tree will most likely have turned to compost as we speak, or if not, then it’s probably in the garden looking forlorn … If so then do the green thing and start your New Year off on a good foot – recycle it. Contact your local council for more details on this. A home can look really bleak without the greenery of flowers, so there’s no time like now to get them involved in your interior. Bring colour back with a huge vase of foliage on your windowsill to make up for the severe lack of greenery outside, or try trailing ivy and eucalyptus around banisters – after all, foliage isn’t just for Christmas. We mustn’t forget the wonderful little things which are fairy lights. These are such a versatile way of introducing light and glitz into the home, and while once used solely on the Christmas tree these ethereal lights now transcend all seasons. Hang them around plants or if you have a wrought iron bedstead, around the frame. They also look great used in outdoor areas to brighten up the cold, dark season. To inject a real shimmer of glamour and colour into your home, then how about revamping your walls? January is the start of the new year after all, so there’s no better time to give your home a new look. Metallic has been hot on the catwalk and also with interiors for the last year or so now – I suggest looking at collections from the likes of Cole & Son who have a fantastic range, sure to add that ‘wow’ factor to any room (www.cole-and-son.com). Alternatively, if you are more of a simplistic soul at heart then look to stencilling to add a bit of quirkiness into a room. If you have plain white walls that need a bit of the twinkle factor adding then the Stencil Library incorporates designs with a bit of glimmer and glaze, along with the odd Swarovski crystal thrown in to boot. So hopefully by now I’ve convinced you that just because the festive season has been and gone, it doesn’t mean you have to forgo any of its glitz and glamour. | 
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