April 1, 2010
Spring Decorating
Decorate with nature
Spring is here in earnest and I am looking around my tired, dusty house and wondering how to improve the look of different rooms. Cleaning, dusting and washing of fabrics will be coming soon, but after that I would like to give my living space a fresher look. I have always been in the habit of reusing items that I already have, moving them from room to room, and giving them unexpected purposes. It’s amazing how much difference this can make. The green rug that got tiring in the breakfast room makes my bedroom look very springy.
Here are a few ideas you might want to try:
- Books are my best friends – when it comes to reading as well as decorating. They make any room look warm and interesting. A stack of nature books on a table near your plants makes for a beautiful still life.
- Reuse an old wire wine rack by making it a place for rolled towels in the bathroom. If you choose towels with lovely patterns and colors, you have an interesting decoration.
- Tie window curtains with scarves or ribbons – this will add color and unexpected charm to your windows.
- By placing the window treatments as high above the window level as you can, your room will seem taller than it actually is.
- If you like jewelry, decorate your walls with it. Use old frames or shadow boxes to group interesting items and your jewelry will look like pieces of modern sculpture.
- Hang a cork-board on your kitchen wall and fill it with pages from favorite magazines, postcards, children’s artwork, or with pressed flowers.
- Keep old, mismatched glassware and use as beautiful vases. Group unusual pieces together for an original look.
- Add elegance to your meals by covering your table with a table runner, pretty fabric scraps, old window curtains, or a beautiful scarf.
- I love to decorate with natural accents I collect during my walks or from my yard. Consider filling those mismatched glasses with bunches of wild flowers or fill bowls with rocks and shells. Twigs look great in tall vases or colorful bottles.
- Arrange your furniture away from the wall and into conversational groupings. This will make the room look warmer and more pleasant – both you and your guests will be happy to linger.
Please email me with your own suggestions. I would love to hear from you. Have a wonderful spring!
Gracious Living - Day by Day 