Spring is the season of hope. Colour starts creeping back into the garden, the nights get longer, the day gets brighter, the clouds occasionally lift long enough to take your coat off and expose your ankles. For me, it is the seasonal equivalent to a Friday. You still have the whole season ahead to look forward with all of the promise that it can bring.
I have always used the start of spring to sit back and think about what I have done so far in the year and what else I want to achieve – a quarterly life review if you will. Home updates always feature heavily. I thought I would share some of the things I do in Spring to freshen up the home. As with all of my content, you really don’t have to spend much to achieve big things:
Do an audit of your house. Have a wander around each room and look at it critically, trying to imagine what you would think if you had just moved in. What are those projects you have put off doing? Are there any small wins you could achieve if you updated just one or two things in the room? Do you like every room? If you don’t, what is it about the room that you don’t love – the wall colour, the furniture, the blank wall, the painting? We had some very ugly wall lights in our living room since we had moved in and we finally replaced them. They were only £10 from ebay and they have made such a difference to the room!
Write a list. once you have done the audit, write a list of everything you would like to do in the house. I usually do this in two or three sections – small jobs & cheap updates, bigger/more expensive tasks, dream projects.
How to fund projects. Once you have your list try and think about when you might be able to have the time for the DIY projects, or when you might be able to save for the new items. Having this rough timeline can really help motivate you to keep going. I also think it is worth looking critically at the things you own and streamlining furniture/homeware items that you don’t like. Gumtree and Ebay are great places to sell unwanted things and can give you some money to buy new things.
Spring clean. Sort out those cupboards that have been driving you mad in the kitchen or that sock drawer in your wardrobe that leaves you rummaging around for 10 minutes every morning. Streamline, tidy and organise all of those little areas of your house and even if you just do 10 minutes a day, in just a week your house, and inevitably your mind, will end up feeling so much clearer. If you need encouragement to do a big spring clean, treat yourself to some functional yet beautiful cleaning products from somewhere like Lisa Valentine Home.
Make a spring wreath. It is a mindful way to spend an hour or so in the evening and you really don’t need much at all – I just used my brass gold hoop and some gypsophila.
Buy a new candle to freshen up your home. Opt for cleaner, citrusy scents and think about putting the heavier warmer scents in storage until next winter. See more blog here with scented candle ideas.
Cushions – update your cushions and think about removing those with heavier fabrics (like velvet and tweed) and opt for linen or printed cotton.
New sheets – Is there anything nicer than the feeling of freshly cleaned sheets on the bed? Yes, freshly cleaned, new bedding! Indulge in some new bedding for an extra special spring time treat.
Invest in new art. I say invest, but really art doesn’t need to be a huge investment. It can be anything – something you do yourself at an evening class; a print from a gallery for under £10; a limited edition print/photograph from an up and coming artist or an expensive one-off piece by a recognised artist. I have a real mixture in our home but I don’t think it really matters. Any piece of art that you enjoy is great in my book and Spring is the perfect opportunity to update a look and feel of a room by changing/adding some art.
