It's Springtime! Does Your Home Show It?

By Linda Jennings

www.bearlycreative.com

www.bearlymadeit.com

Although the weather may not reflect it, according to our calendars it's springtime once again. Spring represents renewal not only in our gardening and landscapes on the outside, but also should reflect inside our homes as well. Let's face it most of us are ready to lighten and brighten our homes after a long winter.

For many of us springtime means airing out our homes and rolling up area rugs to be put away until next fall or replacing them with a light-colored motif to reflect the coming months. Other ways we may choose to renew our homes is through painting not only the outside, but also on the inside. For instance, our living rooms, bedrooms or kitchen and dining rooms or possibly our bathrooms could use a fresh coat of paint color or paint treatment. But if you're not into painting, a different solution might be to change out the home accessories such as wall art, vases, lamps or other home d'cor accents that can change the feel of a room.

Don't be afraid to move a piece of furniture from one room to another or try an area rug in a different location. These simple changes may give you a whole different perspective for a particular room or living area and spark creativity you had not thought of in the past. There is no rule that says you have to keep the same furniture in the same room. You might surprise yourself and find a whole different mood by making just a few changes. This includes changing the locations of mirrors, lamps and wall art just to name a few ideas to consider. You can always put it back if you don't like it, however if you do make some changes give yourself time to adjust to them before deciding they don't work.

Some of us realize that our area rugs, furniture or wall art may be really old and ragged and that they should be replaced. Or maybe our flooring needs updating with tile, hardwood or new carpet. There are many choices for us to choose from when making our selections and we need to feel comfortable with our choices.

It's okay to seek the advice from someone we trust and admire for their taste in home d'cor, but ultimately it is our decision and our own design style that should determine what we choose. After all, we are the ones who will be living with the results.

However, if you are uncomfortable in making those major decisions of flooring, or other major purchases, then seek out a professional to give you guidance in making those decisions. You can often find very knowledgeable people at many home improvement centers.

Often we start remodeling projects with the arrival of warmer weather or start new construction by adding on porches or decks to expand our living spaces. We may be adding another bedroom or bathroom, expanding the size of our kitchen or dining area to accommodate a growing family. Furnishing these spaces with the right style of furniture and home accessories is fundamental to making our home d'cor cohesive throughout our whole living area.

As I stated earlier, if you can't afford to make big changes but still want to do something different to lighten and brighten you home, the least expensive choice is to change your space with paint. If that is not your cup of tea then changing out home accents and home furnishings may be your best option.

This can be fun and you don't have to spend a fortune to create a whole different feel in a room or throughout a home. Get some new accent pillows for your couch or change the vase that you put your flowers in; bring in a fresh bouquet from your garden or the store or buy some new wall art to bring a new focal point to your room. In your bedroom, change your color palette with new sheets and bedding. A new comforter, or some new drapes or curtains may do the trick to lighten up your sanctuary.

Another area that may need to be changed is the kitchen and dining area. You can change the whole feel of your eating area with a new tablecloth and placemats. Maybe some new cushions for your dining chairs or possibly replacing your old dining table and chairs with something new and fresh are your best option.

No matter your dilemma, you can find the products you are looking for in home furnishings and home d'cor at www.bearlycreative.com and www.bearlymadeit.com . These two sites have lots of ideas and products for your home regardless of your design style. You will find rustic, modern, traditional, contemporary or eclectic styles of furniture and home accessories in home d'cor.