Having taken all the decorations down (ahead of time, oops) on the 1st January, it’s time to re-calibrate and re-organise my surroundings

Leap into spring with a few sprigs of greenery lined up down the centre of the dining table. Pull back the curtains to let lots of light in … maintain privacy with this gorgeous printed film, Fioritura, see it here, from The Window Film Company.

Although I love being cluttered up with festive frivolities, I also love the feeling of space and tidiness that descends once all the decs are down and packed away. The news that Pantone’s colour of the year for 2017 is Greenery, a wonderful vivid, jungly green that manages to be refreshing and relaxing at the same time, is a welcome diversion from all the festive sparkles. You don’t have to completely re-decorate to embrace the ‘greenery’ theme. A few plants, a rug, a lampshade, especially if teamed with neutrals, can transform a room.

The latest Artika kitchen from Pedini uses HI-MACS® by LG Hausys solid surface material for the counter-tops; see the possibilities here.

This kitchen showcases the HI-MACS Babylon Beige colourway; the combination of minerals, acrylics and natural pigments result in a non-porous, hygienic, easy to maintain work surface that can be thermos-formed into endless shapes and curves. It’s also highly resistant to stains, scratches, moisture, heat and is consequently suitable for use in a endless range of settings. So, if you fancy a new kitchen this year, have a little look at the silky-smooth finishes and amazing colours in the HI-MACS range.

Nara wallpaper in Summer – a less strident colour option if ‘Greenery’ may be a little bit too bold. From the new Imperial Gardens collection, £75 per roll, from Fired Earth.

I’m a big fan of ‘quick make-overs’ for all rooms in the home, and love the idea that a single roll of wallpaper or a 2.5 litre can of paint can make a massive difference to the look and feel of a room. Consider papering just one wall, or even just an alcove for a speedy spring update. You don’t have to do the entire room, that would be too much of a commitment!

Re-organise for 2017

If, like me, you’re on a seemingly never-ended quest to get tidy, get organised, de-clutter and streamline your home, I think it’s worth remembering a few ground rules. Firstly, I think it’s practically impossible to get the whole house ‘done’ in one go. It’s best to approach one room, or even one wardrobe or cupboard at a time, and do a small victory dance when that task is completed. Set yourself a few New Year 2017 ground rules. One of my favourites is the old ‘one in, one out’ rule. Which means that if you bring a new item into the house, then an old item must be recycled, taken to the charity shop, or put in the bin. Harsh but fair. My current bugbear is carrier bags. We’re all getting very good at popping a sturdy plastic bag or cotton tote into our handbags. But I always seem to end up needing another bag at the check-out. So, being sensible, I buy yet another ‘bag for life’ and now have a massive collection of ‘bags for life’ that are too good to use as rubbish bags, but just won’t get used. And because they’re bags for life, they are going to hang around forever … Another goal I’ve set myself for 2017 is to become as ‘paper-free’ as possible, switching everything on-line and getting rid of all those piles of bills and bank statements from years ago. It’s necessary to keep any tax info for at least five years, and of course any legal, pension, savings info has to be kept as well. However, I’m trying to keep as much as possible on-line (double-checking all my security settings first, of course), in the hope that when the new built-in shelves are finished I’ll have condensed everything down to the point where I actually have the shelf-space for it. For some brilliant advice on what you need to keep, what can be discarded, and how to maintain a soothing level of organisation, take a look at the February edition of Good Housekeeping magazine.

Add a touch of Greenery to your stone or wooden floors with some vibrant rugs from Modern Rugs. Left, Manila Green rug, right, Esprit Graphic Jungle rug, see their collection here. Keep the kitchen (or bathroom) warm with the Triarc radiator in Patina Green (centre) from Iconic Radiators … see the amazing range of colours here.

Left, the Floriss Suspension pendant light in Lime Green would completely transform a dreary dining room. See the range, from Christopher Wray, here. For an exceedingly fabulous and totally ‘on-trend’ bin, (centre) see the Simplehuman CW2035 Dual Compartment recycling pedal bin from Binopolis. See it here. Oh, and it comes in ROSE GOLD! Be still my beating heart … I’m getting to be a tiny bit obsessed with cactus (cactuses, cacti … who knows) at the moment. I found some gorgeous tiny ones in Paperchase, but this one, the Cactus Marquee Light, is something to aim for, at £125, from Debenhams.

Next time … Pancakes and Valentines ideas …