by Shaheen Darr

Created on: October 22, 2008   Last Updated: January 01, 2011

Spring is the time of the year when renewal and re growth is celebrated. Winter is behind us for another year and life looks fresh, invigorating and alive. The joy of spring should reflect not only in the clothes that we wear but also in our homes, so using some simple and easy tips here’s how to give a fresh spring look to your home.

As the key words for spring are ‘refresh' and ‘renew', use this time to give your home a good spring clean including the curtains, carpets and furniture items. Moreover, while you are in the spirit of spring do not forget to give the walls a coat of fresh paint if they seem to need it. Stick to lighter shades of pastel or magnolia rather than very dark colours as they help to make a room appear bigger and more spacious.

Invite the freshness of the outdoors into the home by adding a floral touch to furnishings like curtains and bedding. Touches of yellow and orange create a sunny look and if you have a tight budget, accessorise using a few cushions or a tablecloth. They will not break the budget but help enhance the overall look of a room. Most furnishing stores have the latest trends for the season and you can easily find something that appeals to your taste. Cushions with bold prints and floral motifs add decorative effect to white or pastel bedding and photographs placed strategically can transform the look of a plain wall.

This spring, greys and blues have added a new dimension to the pastel palette and for those who love a splash of colour, there is no shortage of red and black prints available. It is a matter of using colours tastefully to create a home that looks fresh, modern, vibrant, and inviting at the same time.

Animal or bird print materials are always popular and you can vary these by adding silks or chiffon to dress a window or for cushion covers. Ethnic prints have beautiful beadwork or mirror work and they add a classy touch to a room as they stand out to attention against a plain background. Bedspreads and matching furnishings with delicate embroidery are attractive in any season, and if these are in crisp white cotton or linen, the final effect will be even more fresh and spring like.

Spring is a time to acknowledge the power of mother earth and all that it does in preparation for spring. It is time to bring the beauty of nature indoors by using green coloured materials for furnishings or by just adding indoor plants into your home. They help to change the look of a room and with lights placed strategically amongst the plants; you can create a beautiful green corner in the house. Browns and greens coordinate beautifully and should be included in flower arrangements around the home.

If you can afford to change the furniture of your house, go for the modern wooden designs, which are lighter and easy to move and clean around. Wooden photographs, carvings and mirror frames are an interesting addition to any room. Japanese lampshades and Indian and Moroccan handmade rugs add an interesting element to spring decor to any household.

Use ideas from home furnishing catalogues and magazines to keep up with changes in seasonal looks and combine these with your own creativity and artistic flair to give your home its own unique individual style

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