Breathe new life into your home this spring
How small changes create a big impact for you in your home!
Spring has sprung, the weather is warming up, and we’re seeing new little buds from plants! Now that it is here, we see all of that natural beauty that we see outdoors that we want to bring inside. I love incorporating new colors during new seasons as it just gives our environment that extra little spark, anyone else feel this?
But what if you only have a few days or weeks & still want this feeling of a fresh change & also don’t want to break the bank? Easy, there are a few simple things you can do:
Accessorize - I always start with moving around items that we already have to different spaces, you never know how a new layout change your perspective! This would also be the perfect time to purge, ask yourself: Do you really think you’ll ever reference that old college book on science, now with so much online info there is just not as much need for it. However, if you are like my 13 year old, he prefers paper books, so take advantage of that & make it part of your bookshelf styling or maybe it means it’s time to update/upgrade that bookcase with better storage & style that bookcase! if you need tips, there are plenty of examples on Pinterest, even look up my page; & I have some easy to access ones that I liked. And if you still want more change, next you can go shopping! Easy items that create a huge impact include new lamps, throw pillows, bookends, baskets, even tabletop accessories all count.
Faux florals-I love shopping these when we change seasons & while prices vary greatly between suppliers or stores, I know which ones I can shop for more budget conscious clients, you just have to find the right store. Have fun here too, pull some colors you would like to begin incorporating into your space & don’t forget to add greenery too! I even bought a green rug online last year that resembled grass for my living room from one of the online sources & I love it (but I also prayed my pups didn’t think it REALLY was grass). Extra tip: if those florals are fairly new, use a blow dryer on a cool shot function to clean florals rather than dust & if you feel yours has been very loved (ahem: dusty), pull out the bigger guns: amazon sells a great faux floral spray too that I was pleasantly surprised with that removed all the old dust that was on an arrangement I bought before I learned the blow dryer technique.
Art- Now this can be much like the car analogy, don’t go to a gallery like I did & see the most beautiful painting & fall in love with it to then see the $24K tag on it (totally worth it but I didn’t buy it because I have kids that will need to have cars & college educations soon, lol). Sometimes the best gems are in your local stores, you never know where you’ll find the ones you love that speak to your personality and budget. I had one client who loved to garden & had more garden magazines then she could ever use so I went through those with her & we found her favorites & shopped a frame store & framed them, simple & completely affordable. And because we were able to use what we had on hand, she was able to PURGE all those old magazines & now has a gorgeous accent wall to remind her of why she loved the picture. If she ever wants to change it, she can & won’t feel guilty!
Bedding The bed is the focal point of any bedroom & as you can see from above, we chose this bedding for this client to introduce pattern & color to a neutral palate. I am even doing this now for our own master, I am donating ALL our old bedding to a charity & have purchased new sheets, duvet covers (being part German, I love the responsibly sourced down with duvet covers) & pillow shams. Another good place to donate is to quilters, they cut up old fabrics of any kind & turn them into pieces of art. Have fun with pattern play here & color, even pick up some cute script throw pillows that add texture & interest. Don’t and I repeat DON’T be afraid to mix up, design is about fun & creativity, use yours or test it out!
Hint: Much like I tell my clients, design is not a race to the finish line. View this as an emotional break, so make it fun along the way. Remember, great design is curated over time, much like a piece of art, it is not an assembly line so please don’t make it one!!!
While the list above sounds like a lot, it’s like the saying, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Please take my advice & enjoy the journey, don’t make it a mad dash to target; grab some design magazines & play around with the patterns & color combinations you see, you can even make a vision board with all the items you’ve found then make your list or use Pinterest.