Spring is not too far away; at least that is what I keep telling myself. We often see spring as a sign of renewal in many areas of our lives, and our homes are no different! There is something energizing and refreshing about bringing that bright, airy feeling of spring into your home.
Here are 10 great ways to spruce up, revitalize and bring spring into your homes, on a dime!
1. Add white! White with your present color scheme will both cool and brighten, adding the freshness that only white can! If your room colors tend toward the warm side, such as yellows, browns, or reds…then choose creamier white such as ecru or ivory. If you have cooler colors in your room, such as greens and blues, go with the brighter, cleaner whites.
2. Try painting your focal wall, (that is, the one most seen) in a sunnier, brighter, or lighter shade of your current wall color. It will add lightness to the room without drastically changing the whole scheme. Don’t worry you can always go back to that rich red in the fall, but how about a little petal pink, or sky blue? Remember, its only paint, its cheap!
3. Add a floral print fabric to your room. Using the primary colors already in your room, visit your fabric store and pick out a floral fabric you love with at least one of those primary colors in it. (The more, the better, but don’t feel you must have every color in the room also in the fabric!) Use that floral fabric to make table scarves, placemats, pillow covers, and simple seat cushion covers. Pair it with a solid fabric color already in the room, and you have a custom coordinated look, for just a few dollars and some simple straight sewing!
4. Pick up some pretty colored glassware from the dollar store, and display it where the sun will light it up! You could even use clear glassware, and fill it with colored water to coordinate with the room. Use your glassware as vases, pencil holders, or candy dishes, but make sure it is seen! Glass sparkles and adds a bit of sunshine to a room.
5. Take down your curtains, and just leave your mini blinds underneath. Don’t leave it bare, though, we don’t want boring! Swag some dried or silk flowers over the top of the blinds, or use some muslin to twist around a curtain rod for an informal but airy valance (you won’t need to sew)
6. Make your windows sparkling clean. Dirty windows cut down on a surprising amount of light, and make a room look dull. As a bonus, clean windows mean more sparkling glass, and that makes room feel larger and brighter!
7. Pick up some pansies or daffodils from the garden center and use them indoors as houseplants. They are cheap, easy, and add flowers to a room without the cost of replacing floral arrangements every week! You can even coordinate the flower color to the color scheme of the room. Don’t match the colors, just pick something complementary.
8. De-clutter your rooms, and just keep a few things, the simpler pieces. This helps to put the focus on the freshness of a room. Consider picking up a white lattice from the garden center, and hang it on the wall as a focal point. Place a potted plant in front of it, or hang small framed garden catalog prints from it. Let it be a reminder of the outdoors all season long!
9. Use a floral or nature motif in your room like a floral wreath or dried floral arrangement. Use them by windows or over doorways with seasonal sayings, or a floral bouquet on your kitchen or bathroom counter. They keep well so you can use them again next year. (Or you might love them so much, they stay year round!)
10. Finally, don’t forget your entry area when you are creating that spring glow all around your home. Remember, your entries are a visitor’s first impression of your home! Add a pot of pansies on the porch, paint your entry a fresh spring color, and hang a handmade wreath or a basket of flowers on the front door.
All these ideas take very little time, little or no money, and do wonders for your spirit and the spirit of those who you love. Take a little time to brighten your lives!
Our bathroom sure needs to be brightened.
thanks for the advice
Left by Kreg on February 28th, 2009