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Spring Decorating Tips

By
Home Stager with Creative Home Expressions

spring 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming! On Thursday, March 20, 2008, to be exact!  Is your home still in Winter mode?  Use these tips from interior decorator, Kathy Passarette of Creative Home Expressions to freshen up your home for spring. 

To freshen up your living areas for spring, and while doing a good spring-cleaning, move some of your collectibles around to give you a fresh perspective and appreciation of your belongings.

Keeping your décor simple adds to the relaxed feeling of the season and readies you for the summer months.  Use colors a couple of shades lighter than the existing colors in your rooms.  This way you are not disrupting your color scheme, just giving it a lighter, more airy look.

Remove thick, and dark colored, area rugs.  If you must have an area rug, use a natural fiber rug in its place; sisal, sea grass and jute are just a few of the many options available.

sheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take down heavy drapes, and replace with sheers or unlined curtains.  They come in all colors and textures, so there is always something to match your décor.

Clean out your fireplace, but don't leave it bare.  Fill it with a display of varying heights of candles, a floral arrangement, or white birch logs stacked neatly.  Or you can display a decorative fire screen, one you've made or purchased to fill the space.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighten up your mantle by leaving it decorated simply; a vase or pot of spring flowers or flowering stems (like forsythia) will add some color and fragrance to the room.  A simple painting or mirror with a couple of votive candles is all you need.

Trade out dark colored throw pillows for light colored florals or stripes.  If you want to sew your own pillows, today's outdoor fabrics are being used indoors now for ease of cleaning and durability.  Slipcovers in denim or cotton duck fabrics look clean and crisp; they also wash up easily.

Finally, a fresh coat of paint, whether on your walls or to update some tired furniture is the least expensive thing you can do for the most impact.

 

Copyright 2008 Creative Home Expressions 

Kathy Passarette, and Creative Home Expressions, is based on Long Island, New York, and offers interior decorating, home staging, interior redesigns and color consultations.  Please visit our website at www.creativehomeexpressions.com for more information.

Comments(13)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Spring indeed.  I have daffodils with buds. 

Great ideas and great advice. 

I'm way ahead with the sisel rug ann light colors and stuff. 

But, when are decorators and stagers going to get around to getting someone to come in a clean this thing.

Mar 04, 2008 01:08 AM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating
Lenn ~ I just noticed the other day the green poking through the ground - my daffodils!  You're ahead of the game then, good for you!   I haven't even gotten the cleaning down in my home, so I can't help you there. ; )
Mar 04, 2008 05:03 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
Kathy, I couldn't believe it hit 50 today, Spring is certainly coming.  There are wonderful ideas for lightening up a home after a long winter.
Mar 04, 2008 12:59 PM
Kim Southern- "Sold" with Southern Hospitality
Century 21 In the Mountains - Ellijay, GA
Greetings from the North Georgia Mountains!
Great tips, Kathy!  I especially love your ideas about what to do with the fireplace when it is too warm to have a fire.  That space, warm and light-filled much of the cold winter months, sure loses its charm once the weather warms up.  It becomes a "black hole." 
Mar 04, 2008 02:28 PM
Jan Wood
None - Gallatin, TN
Kathy:  Couldn't I just get you to make a trip down here and do it for me.  Your clients are lucky people!!   Our temperature got to 72 on Sunday and then we got some snow last evening.  The buttercups love this time of year and will be springing up soon!!
Mar 05, 2008 12:57 AM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating

Carole ~ Thank you!  I am also noticing some greener spots on the lawns too.  Can't wait!

Kim ~ Thank you!  Exactly - the fireplace can become a black hole, and it doesn't have to. 

Mar 05, 2008 02:13 AM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating
Jan ~ Hmmm!  72 degrees sounds pretty nice, even though we have warmed up to about 50.  Thank you for your kind words.  I'm noticing "greening up" in our landscape here and can't wait for the nicer weather!
Mar 05, 2008 03:13 AM
Danny Thornton
R & D Art - Knoxville, TN
WordPress Guru
Kathy, I vote that you come in and Springerize my home for me. It would be easier that way.
Mar 10, 2008 12:29 PM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating
Danny ~ "Springerize"?  New word? ; )  These tips are so easy, I'll bet you could do it!
Mar 10, 2008 03:42 PM
Danny Thornton
R & D Art - Knoxville, TN
WordPress Guru
Kathy, I create new words every day. Would you like for me to make you some.
Mar 11, 2008 02:09 AM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating
Danny ~ Well, now, there you go!  That could be a whole post in itself!
Mar 11, 2008 03:01 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Kathy, what great ideas to get ready for Spring. Cannot believe it is here already even in the 80's. I love the thoughts though and will be looking around to see what springy things I can do. ;-)

Pepper

Mar 12, 2008 11:18 AM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating
Teri ~ Thanks! : )  As I went out this morning it was 32 degrees, but the signs are everywhere and it's just a week away (by the calendar anyway!). 
Mar 13, 2008 01:27 AM