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After the long cold days of Winter, we all anticipate the coming of Spring, when we can open the windows and enjoy the aroma of freshly cut grass. Spring is the season of rebirth and rejuvenation; of increased energy and enthusiasm. What better way to put that increased energy to work than a "Spring makeover" for your home.
Most of us cannot afford to remodel our home once a year, but with a little imagination, everyone can give their home a much needed pick-me-up to get rid of old winter cobwebs and dried out pine needles.
To improve the inside, first look at the outside. Spring brings with it the first blossoms of a new season. Those Easter bulbs you planted last year are now in full bloom. Fill your house with fresh cut daffodils, crocuses, lilies and tulips. Fresh flowers can change the appearance of a room merely by adding color, cheer and the aroma of Spring.
Bring the crispness of Spring indoors with candles. Replace the dark cinnamon-scented candles that added warmth in winter with peach and honeysuckle scents which will brighten up any room with color and the fragrance of the new season.
Add luster and light to your home. "Dewinterize" your windows by removing those dark, heavy drapes. While we all crave the warmth and comfort that earth tones provide during the winter, by April we yearn for the warmth of the sun. Replace those insulated draperies with sheer curtains or perhaps just a topper above the window, allowing all that sun light to illuminate a room.
Keeping a house sealed from winter's harsh conditions generates mustiness and for those who have utilized a fireplace to cope with the freezing weather will find their walls in need of a good paint job. After cleaning the walls with a lemon-scented degreaser, pick a pastel shade to brighten up your room. Be daring – paint is relatively inexpensive and not at all permanent. Experiment, you might be surprised that lavender walls really do promote a feeling of tranquility; on the other hand, if the lavender walls leave you feeling like you are living in a giant Easter egg, paint over them! Don't have the energy for a painting project? No problem – simply give your walls a good cleaning to brighten them up and add a border, stencil, favorite print or dried flower arrangement.
To give your living/family room an immediate facelift, nothing works better than rearranging the furniture. Moving the sofa to the other end of the room and repositioning end tables and chairs gives the room an entirely new look. Take the face lift a step further by adding new throw pillows to the furniture, new area rugs to the floors, and a sampling of your favorite family photos (preferably taken in Spring) to the walls.
Add new life to your dining room by recovering your chairs. This is a quick, easy and inexpensive project. The only tools required are a screwdriver (to remove the seats), a pair of scissors and a stapler. Just two yards of your favorite floral or pastel pattern will cover six chairs. Buy another yard or two and you have yourself place mats and napkins to match your chairs! Top your table with a Spring bouquet and your dining room is transformed.
There is no need to stop on the first floor; Springtime makeovers are equally as important and just as simple in the bedroom. Coordinate a Spring look with new sheets. Again, buy extra sheets to utilize elsewhere in the bedroom. Sheets can be draped over your windows or they can double as a dust ruffle. Now is the time to be creative – use sheet remnants to glue onto inexpensive picture frames. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can also make your own pillow shams. To break up the monotony of your walls without painting, try adding a wallpaper border to the middle of the wall. This adds diversity and spaciousness to a bedroom. Expand your bedroom décor into the master bath. Instead of spending a fortune on a new shower curtain, purchase a simple curtain liner and then use a bed sheet to drape across the rod. Don't forget to add some of those fresh flowers to the bathroom, too.
The kitchen is possibly the most difficult room to make over. To add new life to your kitchen try stenciling the doors of your cabinets. Use the same stencil around doorways and windows. Fill your kitchen with plants. Get a head start on your vegetable garden by starting your tomatoes and peppers from seed in bright ceramic pots placed along your window sill or a sunny counter top.
Trade in those Winter blues for some Spring yellows. Open up those windows and take a deep breath of fresh air and let the sun shine in. Enjoy the new season, and your "new" home!
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