When sun is coming up a little earlier every day and I can hear the birds singing, it’s time for me to take a look at my “nest” and give it a quick Spring makeover.
Get organized. I set aside a day when I won't have many interruptions and start by folding up the winter throws and blankets, putting away the dark accessories and taking down the heavy fall/winter curtains. I'm basically emptying the room out to start fresh. Just by doing this I feel the energy coming into the room along with the sunlight, and everything seems larger and more airy. After a quick cleaning and dusting, I take stock of the room, evaluating furniture placement. If moving a couple of things around makes me look at things in a new light, I go for it!
Get inspired. My goal this year for my front two rooms was to replace anything dark with something light and give it a summer cottage feel. I decided to use vintage textiles as my main inspiration – starting with a light pastel wedding ring quilt as a foundation item. The first place I always go "shopping" is my linen closet. I take stock of what I have in the way of blankets or quilts, tablecloths, curtains or panels and pillow covers. Over the years I have gathered quite a collection of "this and that" that can be changed out when I get the urge. Then I wander around the house and look at art, accessories and lamps with my goal in mind. If it's light and "cottage-y" it was a candidate for the Spring makeover.
Get started. My sofa is a deep, rich color which tends to make the room feel darker. By putting the wedding ring quilt with its cream background on the back of the sofa, I instantly brightened the room. From there I went to the window treatments. In place of my faux suede drapes in the front room I hung off-white embroidered sheers I had stored away, and suddenly the window looked like it was wearing a pretty petticoat. I brightened the room even more by using some of my vintage embroidered tablecloths on a couple of dark wood tables. On another dark wood piece I placed a light, floral-patterned vintage tray.
Get creative. Now you can have some fun with the accents. To enhance the comfy cottage feel, I literally piled the sofa with various pillows, in similar textiles – embroidered, white, floral and even ticking stripes. Loads of pillows make the sofa look lighter and more inviting. A couple of little white lamps were brought out of the guest room, and a small white storage bin was put into service as home to an ivy. I brought in an old painting in a lighter frame to replace a darker wood framed piece, then a light cotton throw was tossed onto the armchair. This is the time to experiment – place things then take a step back. Try a couple of different locations until it feels just right. Things start to really come together at this point. (By the way, so far I haven't spent a dime!)
Get the total picture. If two of your rooms flow together, like mine do, it's a good idea to consider both in your makeover. In the study adjacent to my front room, I replaced dark, heavily patterned drapes with chambray sheets – yes sheets – gathered onto the rod. Because they're a solid color, and chambray, they don't look like I stripped a bed to cover a window. They actually give me the feeling of a cute farmer in his chambray work shirt. I have a pile of vintage ladies hankies, which I used as tiebacks, to give the window treatments just a little whimsy. I tossed another old quilt over one of the chairs, and with just those two changes this room now coordinates nicely with the front room.
Get a few new things. Of course part of the fun of a mini home makeover is a few new items to add to the mix. I spent an hour or so in my local Kmart and snagged just a few little things that were nice touches, and didn't break the bank. I picked up two plaid "rag" rugs in light pastels that would pick up the tones in the quilt and still blend well with the color of the sofa. I also grabbed a couple of cute "travel pillows" that were covered in a ticking stripe. I did absolutely nothing to them, they were cute just like they were. I put one in among the pile of pillows on the sofa, and one on the armchair across the room, to tie them together visually. All told, I spent $20.98.
Get happy! When I was finished I stood back and just smiled. My rooms had a fresh, new look with a cottage feel just like I was going for.
If you haven't given your room the Spring treatment, try some of these ideas. It's just like the first time you pull out your favorite flip flops when the weather gets nice. You can suddenly see your toes and it just has to make you smile!
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