It’s as easy as sparkling-clean windows and a coat of fresh paint! These little spruce-up projects you can do in a day and they will welcome spring home.
When it comes to home decor, it’s easy to get in a winter rut. You’ve spent the cold months indoors, but are starting to anticipate the signs of spring. After the long winter, are things at home looking a little worn and dreary? It’s time to look at your own space with fresh eyes!
Sprucing up for spring doesn’t require a lot of money. It simply requires a bit of work and a dose of imagination to brighten, lighten and freshen up your home, making it once again feel like your refuge. Small projects can have a huge impact!
Make some space
Clutter makes a space seem smaller. Are the walls starting to close in on you? Clear it out! Often less really is more — so empty the room and clean it thoroughly before bringing things back in. If you just have too much stuff, sort through and decide what stays and what can be sold, given away or donated. Invest in some smart storage solutions: a trunk or chest, shelves, pretty rattan baskets to corral the clutter. Make use of vertical space with a tall bookcase or shelves reaching up the wall. Contain tabletop clutter for clearer surfaces — they are more relaxing to the eye.
Fresh paint
Nothing changes the mood of a room faster at less expense than a fresh coat of paint. If you’re going with a new colour, test it out: paint a sample on a square of cardboard and hang it in the room for a few days to see the play of light on it — sunny mornings, dusk, and lamp-lit evenings. If you like it throughout the day and evening, you’re ready to go. Most rooms can be painted in a single day, and the project brings an entirely new feeling to the space. While you’re at it, get rid of the scuffed and scraped paint in the hall. Paint there, and keep a jar full of the paint handy for touch-ups that will keep this high-traffic area looking fresh throughout the year.
Lighting
Improved lighting changes a room immediately. Add a table or floor lamp, invest in a new dining-room chandelier, or switch out the covers on dated overhead fixtures. Replace standard bulbs with energy-efficient ones and try a soft pink incandescent bulb in your bedside lamp… the rosy glow flatters!
Hardware
Change out the handles on kitchen cabinets, a bathroom vanity or a bedroom dresser. Sleek brushed chrome or vintage glass knobs can make a dramatic difference.
Soft goods
Add a few comfy cushions in new colours and sumptuous fabrics to your couch for an instant update. New towels in a crisp complementary colour liven up a bathroom and don’t leave out bright new dishtowels in the kitchen, too. Lighten up the bedding — colourful sheet sets or a new coverlet for the bed to replace the cozy winter quilt will change the mood of the entire room.
Add some plants to bring spring inside. Try a row of fresh-herb pots in a sunny kitchen window or a glossy green plant in front of the fireplace. Force some spring bulbs: crocus, daffodils, or tulips to satisfy your spring fever! Wash the windows to let sunlight stream in — the satisfaction of squeaky clean is a spring spruce-up must.
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