Anyone would think it's Spring!
The warmer days have arrived well before the advent of spring, so perhaps we should take advantage of cooler days before the summer heat begins.
07/08/2019
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The arrival of spring is usually celebrated on the first day of September, but climate change seems to be adjusting our weather patterns. The recent spate of unusually warm temperatures during July and August have let many take advantage of balmy days with cool evenings, and what better time to refresh your home before the hotter days arrive.
While this winter hasn't been particularly cold, with only a few really cold days here and there (depending on your location of course!), we are already experiencing daytime temperatures in the upper 20s. I don't mind winter since it gives us a bit of a change with warming up our homes and dressing for chills, but I do love spring.
Spring is (up until now) a season of warm days and cool evenings, and the current weather has us thinking that spring has sprung. But since the official start of spring is still a few weeks away, we have plenty of time to refresh our mind, body, soul and of course, our home.
Garden And Home
Spring is always the perfect time to make a change, it's a season where you want to plant colourful annuals in the garden, fill up beds and containers with pretty arrangements, and bring fresh flowers into your home. I love being able to open doors and windows and let fresh air circulate the rooms and blow away any dust left over from winter. Even with the fact that it isn't quite spring, some of my shrubs and trees have already started to put out their spring buds.
While you add colour to your garden, why not add some colour to the rooms in your home. We have put together a selection of inspiring images and ideas that you can get started on.
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Bye Bye Dust Bunnies
For me personally, spring is when I really get stuck into giving my home a clean from top to bottom. This year has been a little different since I have also been repainting my home. This has given me an excellent opportunity to move everything out of each room, dust it off and give it a good clean, or a new coat of paint if required. It's also perfect to move larger pieces of furniture that don't normally get moved to chase away the dust bunnies.
Another task I enjoy is to swap out my curtains. I tend to put darker curtains up during the colder months, both to make a room feel warmer and also keep out chill draughts that tend to creep through the windows. With the arrival of warmer weather, I launder the winter set and put them away until next year and put up my lightweight summer curtains. The reason I love this job so much is the look that a new window treatment gives to the room.
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A new window treatment can be a ready-made blind topped off by a set of lightweight curtains, or a bold pattern or colour that really makes the room pop. I love choosing my window treatments at Finishing Touches (inside Builders Warehouse). I get to browse through all types of styles and finishes for poles and rods, and choose a pattern that works well with decor already in the rooms. It's also nice not to have to worry about whether curtains will fit or not - simply measure up the window and take this along with you when you pop into Finishing Touches - they do all the rest and you go home with a perfect made-to-measure Roman blind or curtains.
If you haven't put up any type of window treatment and have upholstered or wooden furniture in a room, consider that direct sunlight can fade the fabric or finish on these types of furniture. Most synthetics aren't bothered by UV light, but fabrics and wood are. If you prefer a more minimalistic approach to window treatments, consider having shutters installed to windows where direct sunlight may affect furnishings.
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Hello Colour!
Nothing revitalises a room more than a pop of colour and there are so many ways to add just a small amount of colour to any room. Spring flowers may not yet be in bloom, but when they are you can take cuttings from your garden and put these on display in your home.
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Other ideas for adding a pop of colour are with the addition of a few new cushions in colour coordinated colours, or colours that are trending, or even an area rug to add pattern and colour and bring a tired room to life. And these days you don't even have to leave your home to find the perfect rug. I have done a fair amount of shopping at online stores like Rugs Original, and even at my local Builders Warehouse for outdoor and general rugs.
Like the burst of growth that is happening outdoors in the garden, revitalising your living spaces for a new season requires a few changes here and there to give rooms a fresh, new look.
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Having just spent a couple of months treating my home to a mini-makeover I can't believe how much this has given the entire house a new look. Now I walk through the rooms and instantly see freshly painted walls, new window treatments, and no dust!
Even though it isn't spring as yet, it's a great time to take advantage of the warmer weather and give you home a top-to-bottom dusting and cleaning, and tackle what needs to be done now - before the official start of spring begins.