Does your home have the winter blues? Does it feel dark and dreary? Well, Spring is in the air so lets get going on turning your home back into a light, bright and cheery place to live. I have put together a list of things you can do that will surely turn your dark winter house from dull to fabulous with just a few simple changes that won't cost a ton of money.
Light: I am talking about natural light that comes in through the windows as well as the light that comes from the lamps that you have throughout the house. First of all you want to make sure that all of your windows are clean and sparkling. The cleaner your windows are, the nicer and brighter your home will look. Also, don't forget about the curtains. Are they open? Are they to heavy or dark? You can always tie back your curtains. Or if you need privacy, invest in some inexpensive sheers which can be found at Ikea or Target for a very reasonable price. You can use sheets for curtains to achieve a totally different look for a very low price. You will need to purchase the clip on curtain rings in order to hang them properly. During the spring and summer months the sun is out brighter and longer so you should take advantage of it and change out your light bulbs. You can either change your light bulbs to a 3 way which will allow you to switch from a softer feel to a brighter one depending on the mood, or you may want to look into florescent light bulbs. They not only last longer, but they will save you more money on your electric bill.
Accessories: Look around your house and see what kind of accessories you have. Are they all in the rich winter tones? If so it's time to put those items away. You can start by sprucing up your sofa with bright or light colored pillows and/or a throw blanket. Change artwork and other accessories which appear to have the darker tones with wall hangings that have the lighter colors. Change out the dark area rug with a lighter toned one, or if you have wood floors, remove the rug completely and give your room a whole new look. It's a good idea to have winter and spring colored items to rotate throughout the season, which will allow you to give your house an entire makeover every 6 months.
Bedding: Replace dark colored blankets, sheets, comforters and pillows that say "winter" with light colored bedding. If you don't have a summery comforter you can always buy a duvet cover which can be switched out for the seasons. You can purchase fun and light colored sheets to go on you bed. Then pull down your comforter and fold it towards the end of the bed allowing your sheets to show. Add some colorful accent pillows and you are set!
Freshen Up: Open up the windows and allow the spring air to come in. This will help get rid of the closed up smells that can often linger in a house when all the windows have been shut for a given length of time. If you use air fresheners throughout your home, now is the time to switch to fragrances that have a fresh spring smell to them.
Bring the Outdoors In: Fresh flowers in assorted vases located throughout the house are always pleasant. It not only adds color, but it also can add to a nice scent throughout the house. One of my favorite and easy things to do is to go to your local nursery and purchase daisies in a big pot and use it as a center piece on a table. Flowers definitely say spring!
Declutter: The most important thing you can do, which doesn't cost a dime, is to look at each room in your house and remove any unnecessary items. Remove furniture that lacks purpose or use. This will open up space and make the room feel airier and refreshed. In the kitchen you should remove any items that are not used daily from the counters. Take off all magnets, papers, and pictures that are on the fridge and designate a drawer for them or find a nice basket to store them in and use that as your catch all. Anytime a room is clean and declutterd it will always feel and look better.
Enjoy...
Reece
Simplicity Home Design
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