Spring decorating ideas: 10 easy tweaks to make your home look fresh

After a long winter, I can’t think of an easier way to brighten my mood than by adding a few touches of spring to our home.  Whether you prefer to go all out with decorating for the warmer months, or just add a few simple touches here and there, following are some of my favorite spring decor ideas. I had fun putting this post together, and I hope it will give you some ideas for adding some sunny spring and summer vibes to your home as well!

1.  LIVEN THINGS UP WITH PLANTS AND FLOWERS

Using fresh flowers to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside is one of the easiest home updates for spring.

If fresh flowers are difficult to find, don’t forget the beauty of green and flowering plants! I especially love white orchids for their easy care, elegance and beauty–even when they aren’t blooming.

2. OR GO FAUX

If you don’t have access to fresh flowers or plants right now, then faux is the way to go!  I’m amazed at how real-looking faux plants and flowers are these days. Many give off the same fresh vibe as living plants!

Faux plants, like the little philodendron shown in the photo below, are perfect for using on shelves, coffee tables and other wood surfaces, because you don’t have to worry about water ruining the wood.

3. REFRESH YOUR STYLING

Lightening up the look of your home for the new season can be as simple as making little styling tweaks to coffee and accent tables, shelves, mantel, and countertops. Even something as simple as a pretty dish towel draped over the sink can add a fresh touch of spring to the kitchen.

I like to refresh our spaces by finding new ways to use things I already have on hand. If I don’t like how something looks, I can easily change it by moving things around or borrowing items from another part of the house.

Some tried & true tips for styling and refreshing surfaces:

• use stacks of books to raise objects off the surfaces (this one’s easy for me, because we have a lot of books!)
• combine items in groups of threes–preferably with a tall item, a shorter, more sculptural item, and a horizontal item
• edit — this is a tough one for me, because I tend to overdo–I’m learning to edit until I achieve a the right look for each space (although I still tend to go back and fiddle with things later)
• balance hard and soft objects, as well as things with different textures, colors, tones, and styles
• turn books around to reveal the lighter-colored pages
• layer–placing some things in front of others and some off to the side–to create more depth and give the space a more natural look.

4.  UPDATE YOUR BEDDING

Spring is all about awakening, so this is the perfect time of year to wake up your bedroom with some new bedding. Or, simply refresh your look by switching out your heavy winter blankets, throws, and pillows with lighter-weight and lighter-toned versions.

I love white bedding year ’round–but especially in springtime, because it makes our master bedroom and guest bedroom feel fresh and cheerful.

5.  REARRANGE THE FURNITURE

One of the easiest ways to update your home for spring is to rearrange your furniture.  We recently moved this sectional from the hearth room to the living room, and it completely transformed the feeling of this space. Sometimes I forget what a huge difference this simple tweak can make.

Not only does moving the furniture change the look of your home, it can change the way you live! Whenever I rearrange our living room, we always end up hanging out in here more often.

Rearranging the furniture only costs a few minutes of time (and maybe a few sore muscles), but it can return dividends in satisfaction, making you fall in love with your home again.

When it comes to adding color to your home, you can never go wrong with pairing colors that exist together in nature. For a fresh spring vibe, think about adding lush greens, sky blues, and cloud whites to your spaces. These nature-inspired hues never fail to bring the vibrancy of the season inside.

7.  PILE ON THE PILLOWS

Add a fresh look to your sofas, chairs, and beds by bringing in some new pillows–or simply rearranging the ones you already own.

If your pillow collection has grown to the point where it’s taking up an embarrassing amount of space in a closet (like mine), think about buying pillow covers from now on and reusing the inserts from pillows you already own.

Here’s another view of this space, showing how I switched out the two chairs for a slipcovered sectional and added a coffee table and different artwork. No matter what, I like to keep a laid-back feeling in here with deep, comfy seating, lots of pillows and natural textures, coastal artwork, and pops of blue and white.

8.  UPDATE YOUR ARTWORK

One of the easiest ways to refresh your home for spring is with new artwork.

The artwork in our living room, below, is actually two identical sets which I alternated. Since they’re kind of fluid and abstract, I figured it wouldn’t be too obvious they’re the same. I also like to keep several pre-matted frames on hand to fill with photos, purchased artwork, and artwork I create whenever the mood strikes.

9.  WELCOME THE SUN

As the hours of sunshine increase each day, this is the perfect time to replace heavy or dark curtains with white or lighter-colored versions–or simply remove them until fall.

Another easy way to let in more sunshine is to raise your window shades higher during the day. Hopefully, your neighbors won’t mind seeing a bit more of you!

10.  DON’T FORGET THE PATIO

The patio is one of my favorite spaces to decorate for spring — adding outdoor curtains and a few pillows and decorative pieces makes this area feel like an extension of our home. Here’s a look at our patio from a year or two ago, with plenty of blue and white … and an abundance of flowers and plants:

Happy spring, friends! I hope you found some ideas to make your home feel fresh for the warmer months!