How to Refresh Your Home for Spring
Spring is days away and everything outside is showing signs of life. I love this time of year. The feeling of life coming back after the cold months of winter. The changing of the seasons is a perfect reason to refresh your home as well! Spring is all about life and elements that feel fresh and airy. If you are looking forward to an opportunity for a refresh, these things will make a huge difference and breath new life into the inside of your home!
Spring Clean
Before any good decor refresh, starting with a deep cleaning is essential. Take a weekend (or two) and get into the nitty gritty of those hard to miss spaces that need a refresh. Here’s a list of some of those things that often get pushed to the back of the to-do list that will make a true difference.
Thoroughly vacuum every space, including inside of closets and under beds
Steam clean carpets
Wipe down baseboards
Wash all windows (including the crevices)
Dust light fixtures and fans
Steam clean furniture
Clean lamps and lamp shades
Wash vent covers
Have your HVAC system cleaned out
Purge items you are no longer using
Clean out closets
Wipe down walls, doors, knobs
Wash pillows and duvets
Wash curtains
Dust and clean blinds
This is a great spring cleaning checklist that I found:
And this is my recipe for my favorite bathroom cleaner!
Textiles
This is the chance to tuck away your heavy blankets and pillows and trade in fuzzy, cozy options for things that are lighter and airy. Pack away your pillows and throws made of materials like fur, velvet, fleece, flannel, boucle and other heavy options and look for pillows and throws that are made of linen and cotton. These are organic materials that are breathable and lighter. This is also a great opportunity to put away the winter sheets on your bed for some breathable linen ones!
Select colors that feel fresh. I always love to start with a good base of neutrals and then add in pops of colors you love. I know that spring is often associated with pastels, but I would suggest using colors that give you life. Maybe that is pastels, maybe it is something different. I like looking at this season for the fresh new start it brings and instead of focusing on the typical colors it is associated with, use colors that feel fresh and live giving to you.
My favorites:
Art
A new season is a good opportunity to replace art pieces that feel dark or dated with pieces that feel inspired. Art is an investment and so it isn’t necessary to replace all pieces in your home seasonally, but take this opportunity to identify any pieces that feel stale and find replacements that make you feel inspired.
Some favorite art sources are antique shops, local art galleries, Etsy and even Target and Home Goods for some smaller scale pieces. If you like to swap art more often, find some frames you love and select a printable option or use the free art galleries I shared about in my 8 Ways to Create a Designer Home on a Budget post.
A few I love:
Cai Abstract Art (Etsy)
Easy Suger (Etsy)
Floral
Take all of your cues from nature and bring it inside! Swap out any greenery in your home with flowering branches. Fill vases with blooms that are plucked from your garden or the farmers market and literally bring life inside. Swap out a greenery or winter wreath on your front door with one that is filled with blooms. This time of year, especially, I love to opt for fresh floral. However, if you travel a lot or prefer artificial options, I do love AFloral for their very realistic looking blooms.
Fragrance
Seasonal fragrances take the aesthetic to the next level and imbibe all of your senses. This time of year I love to select more floral forward fragrances in candles, room sprays, hand soaps, dish soaps and more. I love Mrs. Meyers line of seasonal fragrances!
I shared some of my favorite candle resources in this my past blog post 6 Little Luxuries to Indulge Your Senses Everyday
Rugs and Front Porch Mats
Especially after a muddy winter, fresh front porch mats and entry rugs can be a great place to make a change. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes! Some favorite cost-effective places to snag these are Target, Home Goods and At Home. Since these are nearly disposable pieces, I never like to spend much on them but replacing them feels so good!
Fresh Styling
Take an opportunity to give a fresh update to places that need new styling like built ins, coffee tables and consoles.
I like to start this process by removing everything from the area, placing it all in an organized pile and selecting only the pieces you love. Style those on the shelves or table surface you are working with and identify any holes. Now you have a great reason for a trip to goodwill, an antique hunt or simply shopping your favorite stores for some fresh pieces you love to compliment those you already have.
When it comes to shelf, coffee table and console styling, I love to utilize pieces with a larger scale. This creates a space that is full of visual interest, but doesn’t feel too busy, trinkety or nick-nacky. If you have pieces that are important to you but that are on the smaller side, these can be thoughtfully layered in front of specific larger pieces. If you ever have questions on this, feel free to shoot me a message!
Above all, use these tips to create a home that feels true to you. After all, that’s what your home is all about. It is a reflection of your heart and should feel like a space that you can thrive in. Happy Spring Refreshing, friends!
