Spring Makeover for Your Home
The start of a new season often provides inspiration for wardrobe updates and interior design plans. If the prospect of longer, warmer, brighter days has got you thinking about sprucing up or freshening up your home, here are some suggestions for a chic spring makeover.
6 Helpful Spring Makeover for Your Home Tips
Spring Makeover Step #1 – Decluttering and Spring Cleaning
Spring is synonymous with cleaning and decluttering. Before you embark upon a redecorating mission, or you start buying paint or ordering new wall or floor tiles, it’s a great idea to embrace the tradition of spring cleaning and have a clear out. Decluttering can be cathartic, but it can also make an incredible difference to the aesthetic of your home. Removing clutter frees up space, making rooms look larger and brighter.
Photo by DarthZuzanka – CC0 Licence
There are two key steps involved in decluttering.
Step One: The first is to go through all of your stuff and decide what you want to keep, sell, donate or throw away. Create separate piles. Once you’ve got rid of any rubbish or items you don’t want to keep or sell, bag up everything you want to donate to charity, list items for sale online and then move onto step two.
Step Two: This involves finding a home for the possessions you do want to keep. At this point, you may need to think about investing in additional storage or renting a storage unit if you have large items, such as pieces of furniture. There are myriad solutions when it comes to storage for small, tight spaces, as well as chic pieces that can create fabulous focal points in living and dining rooms. Examples include open shelving, wall-mounted units and display cabinets. Once your home is clutter-free and clean, you can turn your attention to interior design.
Further Reading: 5 Top Tips for Creating the Perfect Bedroom Space
Spring Makeover Step #2 – Colours
When spring arrives and summer is around the corner, it’s common to think about changing colourways or introducing new tones and shades. In the winter, we like our homes to feel warm and cosy and we often opt for darker, richer colours, such as navy blue, charcoal, burgundy and bottle green. When the skies are blue and the sun is shining, it’s tempting to swap bold tones for flashes of brighter colours, pastels and crisp, fresh tones.
Many people like to stick to neutral tones in spring or inject accents of vibrant colours like yellow and green. If you are changing the colourway, there are various options. You can paint your walls, you can use coloured or patterned wallpaper, you can create a statement wall or you can lift neutral walls and flooring with pops of colour using accessories and details. If you have small rooms that are dark, even in the spring and summer, it’s best to stick to light colours, which will make the space look bigger and brighter.
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Spring Makeover Step #3 – Fabrics and Textures
When it’s miserable and grey outside, we enjoy curling up on sofas with chunky blankets and resting our toes on decadent, cosy rugs. As the mercury rises, it’s a great idea to embrace lighter fabrics and to mix and match textures. Popular choices for the spring and summer months include cotton and linen. Jute and bamboo have also become incredibly popular in the last few years and they are ideal for rugs and floor coverings in conservatories, kitchens, garden and sunrooms and covered patios. These materials work brilliantly for channelling natural trends, which are designed to bring the outside in and celebrate al fresco living.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich – CC0 Licence
Spring Makeover Step #4 – Statement Pieces
One of the best ways to transform a room without changing everything about the decor is investing in a statement piece that draws the eye the moment you walk into the room. Choose pieces or features that complement the style and theme of the room and create the vibe you’re looking for. From opulent four-poster beds and chandeliers for a vintage-style romantic boudoir and an oversized antique bathtub for a retro bathroom to abstract wall art for a chic, contemporary living room, you can create a brand new look with a single piece.
Photo by Max Vakhtbovych – CC0 Licence
As well as investing in a piece of furniture, wall art or unique decorative accessory, you could also use patterned or printed wallpaper to alter the look of the room. Keep your eye out when you’re browsing stores or shopping online, take inspiration from places you’ve visited or hotels, bars, shops or showrooms you’ve seen on TV and look for ideas on social media feeds. If you see something that is perfect for your vision, but it’s too expensive, use the Internet to try and find a cheaper alternative. It’s often possible to source similar items that are much more affordable than designer or high-end pieces.
Spring Makeover Step #5 – Natural Light
In the spring, the days are longer – and there’s nothing better than being able to enjoy the evening sunshine and to sit in the living room or kitchen without needing to switch the lights on in the middle of the day. As the days get longer, aim to maximise natural light and let sunlight flood your living spaces.
You can increase light without adding lamps or extra light fittings by choosing neutral colours for your walls (if you’ve decided to paint or paper them), hanging mirrors, replacing dark rugs with lighter coloured ones, and angling furniture towards windows and doors.
There are also innovative ways to bring light into dark, cramped spaces, including adding windows, lantern roof lights or skylights. It’s also beneficial to swap heavy curtains for lighter fabrics in the spring and summer.
Photo by Naim Benjelloun – CC0 Licence
Spring Makeover Step #6 – Greenery
Many of us love to spend time out in the garden when it’s warm outside, but you don’t have to be outdoors to appreciate greenery. Houseplants add vibrancy and freshness, they provide colour to lift neutral spaces and they also have benefits for health and wellbeing. You can choose from a vast array of plants in all shapes and sizes and you can also use accessories, such as planters and pots, to channel themes and colourways.
Further Reading: Six House Plants that Clean the Air we Breathe in Our Home
Photo by Carlos Montelara – CC0 Licence
Spring is a time when many of us think about making changes. If the warmer weather and longer days have you got dreaming of fresh, new interiors, why not treat your home to a mini-makeover? You don’t have to break the bank or spend hours decorating to achieve incredible results. Simple steps like changing the colour scheme, creating new focal points, maximising natural light, swapping heavy fabrics for lighter materials and adding greenery can all make a difference.
For more home style tips and guides visit our Home Style page.
PIN: Is Your Home Crying Out For A Spring Makeover ?
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