Chinese New Year 2020: Last minute, zero-stress ways to prep your home

Text by Redzman Rahmat and Vanitha Pavapathi

With Chinese New Year 2020 just around the corner, it’s time to cue the mad scramble to get your home ready for friends, family and relatives. But readying your home doesn’t have to be a stressful endeavour! Here are some quick and easy ways to give your home a modern update for Chinese New Year.

#1 Do a clean sweep

Not only is it a tradition to sweep the floors and rid your home of the bad energy its collected over the last year, it’s also a sensible thing to do. Make sure you make an effort to clear out those hard-to-reach spots, such as the floor beneath the sofa and the tops of tall cupboards and air-conditioning units. Bear in mind that it’s also taboo to sweep the floors on New Year’s Day itself, so do yourself a favour and get the chore done before 25 February!
Design by Image Creative Design. See full home feature here.

#2 Clear out all the clutter

It might be obvious to most, but it’s still important to note that when spring cleaning your home, you should remove any unsightly clutter and donate items you don’t need or use. Items that might seem ordinary to you, like knick-knacks on the coffee table or ornaments on the sideboard, can be visual clutter that takes up unnecessary space.

You want to be able to accommodate plenty of guests and at the same time, keep the rooms clear and unobstructed. Hide away any unsightly clutter, even if it’s only for a couple of weeks. It’s amazing what a clean and clear home can do for your spirits!
Design by Third Avenue Studio. See full home feature here.

#3 Check your cooking tools

If you’re responsible for preparing the reunion dinner, it’s best to check that you have all your kitchen utensils and that your appliances are working well. Give them a test run or get them serviced. The last thing you need is for your rice cooker or hob to malfunction on the day itself. Also, if your hob is running on gas, place an order for an extra gas tank now!
Design by Sync Interior

#4 Rework the furniture flow

If you feel like your home is looking a little tired and bland, maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit. To really ring in Chinese New Year 2020, try something new by rearranging the furniture layout in your rooms. The simple act of moving your couch to face a different direction or re-orientating your dining table can also help you to control and adapt the flow of human traffic within the room. It’s simple and relatively effortless, and can make a large impact when you have guests over.
Design by Lim + Lu. See full home feature here.

#5 Add a touch of softness

A quick and stress-free way of making your home look and feel new is to swap out your soft furnishing. This includes the curtains, carpets and cushions. Simply replace them with a new set, or something that has been sitting around in storage, for an instant update.They don’t necessarily need to be red. Pastels and bright colours inject life to any space.
Design by Poetus. See full home feature here.

#6 Introduce touches of red

The colour red is regarded as a lucky and auspicious colour, but the bright and bold scarlet hue might not match fully with your interior design. If you want to balance prosperity with trendiness, try introducing the colour in small doses throughout the home. Another option is to use red as an accent colour that unifies the design of the room. For example, a red-upholstered sofa is a strong and bold choice that feels festive yet looks modern.
Design by Story of Us. See full home feature here.

#7 Blooming additions

It’s a tradition to bring in new plants into the home as you ring in the new lunar year. Visually, they can also bring a sense of cheer and festivity to your home. This year, try something a little different, with plants and floral arrangements that look less traditional and are more trendy. You can get this pretty arrangement from Floral Magic (left) and Ina.Shea (right).

#8 Bring out the all-important CNY decoration

Unless you want to get raised eyebrows, or worse, a stern scolding from your elders, be sure to bring out the mandatory CNY decorations that have been sitting in your storeroom for a year. We’re referring to the lanterns, door couplets, paintings and paper cuttings.

But if those garish looking ones don’t match your interior, there are modern decor up for grabs. IKEA has a great selection but we particularly love this FU Felt Trivet from SCENE SHANG. Hang it on your door to welcome blessings into your home or on your wall for a touch of red. Once Chinese New Year 2020 is over, you can use it as intended – as a trivet. Get it here.

#9 Lay out the goodies

New Year resolution of losing weight can be put on hold come Chinese New Year 2020. It’s the season of feasting and all visitors to your home – relatives or friends – are bound to get their hands into your cookie jar. So make sure you prepare enough snacks for your guests in pretty containers, like this Rat & Grapes Lacquer Candy Box from Shanghai Tang. Favourites include pineapple tarts, peanut cookies, love letters, shrimp rolls and mandarin oranges.

#10 Indulge the senses

In the rush to spring clean the home and stock up on delectable treats for your guests, don’t underestimate the power of scent in creating the perfect mood and ambience to welcome your nearest and dearest. While candles are great, we prefer diffuser for it constantly gives your home a scent-sational new boost. Especially with 15 days of ‘bai nian’ (house visits), your house has got to smell great. Oh, and don’t forget the bathroom too, where it’ll get plenty of use. Featured products are Thann Aroma Diffuser and Thann Eastern Orchard Essential Oil.

We think you may also like 10 of the best-looking CNY red packets you can get your hands on

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