Hello Spring: 5 ways to refresh your home
Updated: Mar 22, 2019
The first day of Spring has officially passed and if you're anything like me you're dying to give your home a long overdue refresh! With the temperature (slowly) rising and the sun gracing us with its presence a little longer each day, I've been taking advantage of these extra perks and making a few small changes around my house that are helping brighten up my interior. Here are 5 things I'm doing to welcome Spring with open arms.
1. Swap out some textiles.
Pillows are one accessory around the house that are an easy, and affordable, thing to 'swap' seasonally. When I moved into my place over 5 years ago I purchased cheap and cheerful feather cushion inserts from IKEA. They are 20" x 20" (a pretty standard size) and then over the years have collected numerous covers. Cushion covers can be very inexpensive and can dramatically change how a space looks & feels. In the cooler months I bring out some darker covers or ones with a warmer texture (like my navy velvet pillow). For spring, I gravitate towards lighter colours and graphic options. Here are a few pillows I'm currently coveting.
2. Fresh florals or greens are a must!
Head down to your local green grocer and buy a bunch of tulips for your dining table. Or check out the plant section of your local hardware store to buy a trailing plant for that shelf in your office. Having fresh flowers and greens around my home genuinely cheers me up. Bonus is that it makes my place look really 'pulled together' for when friends come over.
3. Inspect your walls & do some touch ups.
This point might sound a little random but with the sun growing stronger each day and making your home brighter than before, marks on the walls or chipped door frames become more noticeable. Go one step further with your spring clean and take a damp cloth to all those scuff marks around your place. For paint touch ups here's my tip: If you don't have an extra can of your wall colour hanging out in the basement, head to your local paint store and purchase a test can of your paint colour(s). Test cans are super cheap (often under $5) and are just enough paint to touch up the chips on door frames or walls.
4. Wash your windows.
A game changing (and obvious) element of a proper home spring clean. The amount of dirt that collects on windows over the winter is gross. Give your windows a solid wipe down at the start of the season to maximize the sunshine levels in your home.
5. Re-style your spaces.
I like to do this every season. It makes me feel like i've bought new goodies for my home even though I didn't. It also acts as a nice excuse to clean areas of your house that otherwise might go untouched. For example, I take everything off the shelves in my office, wipe them down with a soft cloth and then put things back on but I move around the placement. The new 'look' of the shelf makes the office feel revamped but still stores all my essentials. I do the same thing for my dining room sideboard, kitchen shelves and any other 'open display' area around my home.