Refresh Your Living Room for Spring -

Refresh Your Living Room for Spring

Recently, I restyled my living room for Spring with a few simple changes. Okay, so maybe I got a new sofa but everything else were items that I already owned. With a few easy tricks, you can freshen up your home, too.

Shop your home! I like to play a game that I call ‘room switcharoo.’ Basically, I shop the rooms in my home and pull furniture and decor from other areas to create a new look. I also have a ‘decor stash’ of pieces that I am not currently using or that rotate depending on the season. I have three large area rugs and I rotate each of them into a different space. When paired with different decor, each rug projects a very different vibe. Isn’t it funny how color looks completely different when paired with another color? It is the same with textures, patterns or decor pieces…

When shopping the home, I do not worry about leaving the old space neglected because I know I will find something else to put in its place. I try to focus on the area that I am restyling and what items will work together. For this room, I worked with woods and whites.

This table has been in my entry way, breakfast nook, family room, used as a tv console and a sofa table. It is the ultimate ‘room switcharoo’ game piece.

Here are some small pieces that keep room hopping too!

Create collections! Grouping your decor into ‘new’ collections with similar textures, colors, shapes, styles, etc… will bring new life to your old decor. This may mean you collect dishes for a plate wall, or bird themed decor for spring. It doesn’t mean everything has to look the same. As I shopped my home, I began to choose items with warm raw wood tones to contrast with the white sofa and greenery or green and blue decor for spring.

I love to create collections of things that I love. On my gallery wall, I included a magnolia print, magnolia flowers and a magnolia wreath. I leaned a ladder on the wall and tucked magnolia stems into a french inspired basket.

Simplify your space! Use less furniture in the room or remove bulky furniture pieces for a lighter and brighter feel. Less is more, but it is also subjective to your personal style and preference.

In this room, I pulled up the two brown linen chairs that were tucked on either side of the gallery wall and left that wall without furniture. I also created a cozier seating arrangement in the middle of the room by pulling some of the furniture off the wall. Negative space is good and allows the eye to rest. So if one wall has a lot going on, like my gallery wall, you may consider leaving the intersecting wall blank or decorated with one large piece.

White furniture can also be restful to the eye and creates a sense of simplicity in a space. I love how it brightens up my living room. This white slip covered sofa has been on my want list for a long time.

I know this may not look like less, but I had one large sectional and the two chairs in here prior to ‘room switcharoom.’ Plus the chair in the corner. So this is me doing ‘less’ and it feels good!

Bring in the outdoors. Use natural elements in your home. You can use fresh or faux greenery like potted plants, wreaths, or flowers in baskets. Consider natural motifs on pillows, fabrics or botanical prints for artwork. Use collections of driftwood, rocks, shells, bird nests and other found objects from nature. Earthy materials like wicker, jute, burlap, and woven natural fiber rugs or window coverings add warmth to an area and are perfect for spring and summer decor.

My favorite artwork for spring and summer are botanical prints and paintings of bird nests. They remind me of the beautiful outdoors, and Spring as the season of growth and renewal.

A deconstructed book hides the stems of faux florals in this metal basket.

Play with pattern, texture and color. Rugs and curtains are the perfect way to add an accent color or pattern to a room, but pillows and throw blankets are even easier way to mix it up. What colors represent spring to you? For me, I love blues and greens, but maybe yellows or pinks evoke feelings of spring for you. It’s your home, so don’t get stuck thinking there’s only one way to happiness.