When the warm weather moves in, it’s a great time to spring forward with an easy home makeover.
Put away the heavy blankets and dark colors. Bring in breezy fabrics and lighten everything up. Go room to room and see where you can make small updates – or big ones – to welcome in the new season. Here are just a few of our favorite easy home makeover ideas:
Living Room
Begin where you and your family spend the most time: your living room. You’ll find a lot of small changes you can make here, and it will set the tone for the rest of your house.
For a simple project that has a lot of impact, add a new slipcover to your couch in a lightweight fabric like twill or linen. You can easily match your home’s overall style while choosing complementary colors that are sunnier and lighter than what you had out during the colder months.
In addition, you can quickly update the look and feel of the room with new accent pillows. Switch out heavy or dark pillows for a selection in varying sizes with vibrant colors and lighter fabrics. Another option is to replace just the covers of your pillows; if you’re the crafty type, you can make them yourself with minimal effort—many of these types of projects don’t even require sewing.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, get ready for spring by doing a thorough cleaning of all countertops and appliances. Next, go through your pantry, setting aside items that your family doesn’t need so that you can donate them while discarding anything that has expired. Then reorganize what’s left so that it’s more accessible and visible, and make a list of what needs to be replaced the next time you go grocery shopping.
Dining Room
In the dining room, change out a heavy draped tablecloth for one in a lighter weight and color. Sweep or vacuum the entire room and dust all knickknacks and windowsills. You may also want to swap out dark-toned dishware or placemats for a set in springtime shades.
Closets
The new season also provides a great opportunity to reevaluate your wardrobe. Pull out your heavy clothing and store it in decorative baskets or underbed boxes. Sort through and donate or discard anything you haven’t worn and don’t plan to wear again. And bring all of your spring and summer clothes – your linens and cottons, shorts and sundresses – to the front of your closet so that you have easy access to them every time you open the door.
The rest of the house
Changing out a rug or two can be a great seasonal update for any room of your house. Put any heavy, dark-colored wool rugs in storage. Choose a replacement rug that is the right size for the room , and consider one with a natural weave in a neutral shade or a geometric design. The color and texture of your new rug will brighten up the entire room – and will feel great on bare feet. Reversible rugs can give you even more versatility.
Because the days are longer, take down curtains that kept the heat and light in for the winter and replace them with free-flowing fabrics in pastels or neutral tones that let the air and light move. If you want to give the room an entirely fresh new look, change out the curtain rods as well, bringing in lighter colors and designs.
Bring a bit of nature indoors by introducing spring plants to your décor throughout the house. Group a few small plants together on a bookshelf or on top of a mantel—or choose one large plant as a centerpiece for your table. Pick flowerpots or planters that work well with the rest of your accessories, and place them where your plants can receive the right amount of light. If you’re already thinking ahead to the summertime and lazy days spent at the beach, accent your displays with pieces of sea glass or large shells.
Finally, change out any framed photos or artwork that you have around the house. If you have children’s drawings hanging up, request new pieces from your budding artists. If you have pictures of friends and family, give them an update with more current snapshots. Mix in some spring and summertime scenes. For inspiration, clip ideas for your next springtime vacation – an itinerary, plane tickets, or just a picture of where you’d love to go. These new images will help you shake off the winter blues and get ready to enjoy some well-deserved sunshine.
Have any easy home makeover ideas you’re trying out this spring? Let us know in the comments below.
