As the dull, grey weather outside makes way for sunlight, chirping birds and blossoming flowers it is also nice to bring your home into line with the spirit of spring. You want to think light, bright and airy! However, going into debt making changes won't make you feel light and bright so think simple when it comes to alterations. You don't need to do massive renovations and spend a lot of money. There are numerous easy changes which can give your home the spirit of spring.
The top 10 simple ways to give a spring look to your home are as follows:
1. Spring clean-it might sound corny, but the easiest way to freshen up your home for spring is to put away all the mess and clutter. During winter it can feel a bit homier to have more possessions on display, but spring has a tendency to make us feel like a cleaner, fresher approach. Take on a more minimalist design, by putting away all but key decorative pieces.
2. Remove all the heaviness of winter-move the thick throw rugs, heavy floor mats and layers of winter bedding into storage. In keeping with the minimalistic look you could simply leave floors and sofa's bare of extras or choose light open weaves and natural looking options such as linen throws or bamboo mats.
3. Change all of your linens to lighter or brighter colors-citrus colors, white and natural colors really compliment a spring look. Change your bed linen, towels, tablecloths, cushion and sofa covers over to these shades for an instant injection of spring color.
4. Use nature as part of your decor-spring time often makes people think about the renewal of life. Injecting a little nature into your home can be a very effective way to make your home feel spring like. Twigs, stones, shells, green shrubbery or fresh fruit all look great in clear glass bowls. Fresh flowers are always a classic approach to spring decorating. If you don't have fresh flowers on hand or it is outside the budget to buy them regularly then you can buy annual flowering plants in boxes, which will live for many weeks inside. These only cost a few more dollars than a single bunch of flowers.
5. Simply let more sunlight and fresh air into your home-firstly clean your windows so that you can really see out of them again, then open up your windows for several hours each day, finally consider your window treatments. If you have very heavy drapes either replace them with some sheer, lightweight curtains until next winter or at least tie them back.
6. Move the furniture around-changing the layout of your furniture can make a room feel like new again. In addition you may need to move your furniture around if the focus of the room has changed. For example, if your life centered around a fireplace in winter you will want to change this focus. Shift the furniture so that the focus is directed to the outside world. You may even be able to screen off your fireplace and decorate the screen in a spring theme.
7. Use a touch of paint-you don't have to repaint the whole house, but lightening up just your living area or providing a touch of color on one feature wall can really change the feel of a room. You could even just repaint your front door to make it look new and shiny again.
8. Think brighter and airier with all ornamentation-put away dark heavy frames and china. Instead bring out the artwork with a light tone, crystal, glass and floral china. You could also consider changing lampshades to a lighter feel. Mirrors look great on the wall because they make a room seem airier, light colored candles are an affordable new addition and displaying a water feature can make a room feel fresh and natural.
9. Get planting-spring is the time of year to plant many types of plants so why not feature a few inside the home or around the window areas. Indoor plants help to neutralize and freshen stale inside air. Herbs on the kitchen window sill can look great and are very practical.
10. Reawaken your outdoor areas-with the weather heating up again you'll be able to use your outdoor areas. Clean them up so that they feel appealing to be in once again. You could give outdoor furniture a new coat of paint or varnish or add some cushions or decoration to the area.
Spring is a beautiful time of year and changing the look of your home to suit can really be very uplifting on the mood. Hopefully some of these suggestions have given you some great ideas to try in your home!