Spring forward with these tips to refresh your home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• April 7, 2012

Since this is as close to spring as we get in Southwest Florida, most of us are looking for ways to give our homes a little freshening up! Some decluttering.  And maybe a couple of home projects that we have been thinking about since the holidays. Something about spring, wherever we live, always gives us a nudge to shake things up a little. And even if budgets are tight, you can still do a little decorating to make an impact.

Add spring color with vintage glass pickling jars from Pottery Barn.

10 tips for putting a little spring into your home:

• Say goodbye to clutter.  Spring is the perfect time to get rid of anything that you don’t love.  Go room by room and drawer by drawer.  Closet by closet.  I find that tackling one room at a time works best. Don’t aim for perfection.  Just try to make a dent. And don’t forget to dump all of the piles of magazines that you have not read in the past two years.  Too many collectibles?  Put some away and rotate them back in the fall.

• Don’t try to redo the entire house but pick one room and give it a makeover.  Maybe the family room or the bedroom.  Make changes that you have been thinking about.  Spend some time and plan it out like a decorator.  Find photos in magazines or on the internet.  Make a vision board.  Establish a budget.  Set some priorities.  Have fun.

• Add some color for the biggest change.  Try some pops of that Tangerine Tango that you have heard so much about.  Pantone’s Color of the Year is cheerful and bright.  Try new throw pillows, a throw, picture frames. It goes with almost anything when used as an accent and is a very happy color!

• Give the kitchen a facelift. Not a remodel but some small changes that will make you love your kitchen again. Take all appliances off the counters (you will have room in your cabinets or pantry that you have decluttered).  Okay, leave the coffee maker.  But seriously, remove everything else.  Now you have room for a vase of beautiful spring flowers.  Now…replace the drawer pulls and any other outdated hardware. Then add a fresh coat of paint.

Embroidered starfish pillow from Pottery Barn.

• Romance the bedroom.  Spring is the perfect time of year to purchase new linens. Comforters and duvets in beautiful colors.  Sheets.  Throw pillows.  A quilt in an accent color.  And two new lamps.  Maybe a new fabric headboard in an accent color.

• Lighten up.  Add dimmers to all of your lighting.  This is also a good time to begin switching your incandescent light bulbs with dimmable LED bulbs.  Yes, they are pricey but give a cooler, whiter light. And will reduce energy bills over the extensive lifetime of the bulb.

• Freshen up fabrics.  Reupholster or have slipcovers made for that couch or chair that you still love but is looking a little faded.  Maybe it is time to takedown the drapes and switch to blinds or shades. Or make some window cornices.  There are great instructions online and you can splurge on some beautiful fabric with the dollars you will save by making the cornices.

• Do some painting.  Not the entire house but just the entry or family room.  Try something different.  If your colors are neutral, paint an accent wall (it is only paint and can be changed if you don’t like it).  Or if you have tried tropical colors for a while, try something beautiful and neutral like one of my favorites:  Benjamin Moore’s Silver Satin.  It is a nice change and you can literally use any accent color with it.

Glass lamps from Pottery Barn for end tables or nightstand.

• Give your bath a spa makeover. Include fresh paint from Benjamin Moore’s Whites.  Update fixtures.  Try double towel holders and you will thank me!  Purchase a new spring showerhead.  Splurge on new towels and bathmats.  Replace the medicine cabinet.  Try new scented candles.  Treat yourself to fresh flowers.

• Move it around.  You can’t add more square footage to your rooms but you can make them appear larger.  Take a good look at your space.  If you have too much furniture, accessories, photos, books, anything, thin things out a little and make your rooms appear more open and brighter.  Less really is more when it comes to our homes.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator. Visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog