1. Clear off and Clean out. Clutter builds-up on even the best of us. I like to change seasonal accents around my home and this forces me to conquer clutter every few months – and that prevents it from getting totally out of control – ever!
Table tops (especially the ones near doors) counter tops, kitchen island, bay windows.. wherever things tend to congregate in your house. Get it all off – and clear.
2. Now you have lots of space for a splash of Spring accents. Start some bulbs in containers you love; pottery, copper pots, ceramic bowls… it doesn’t have to have drainage holes, if you carefully place stones in the bottom. A long, shallow container planted with – of all things – just grass seed can be fun and actually kindof cool… in a Zen sort of way!
3. Get the Light Right – If you haven’t switched you switches to dimmers – now’s the time. Many designers think they’re wonderful! Bright light for work, medium for dining, dim in the evening for relaxation and gearing the family down on the way to bedtime.
4. Neaten up – Cables and Cords and Plugs; they hide behind things and in corners and multiply, don’t they! Makes me nuts. Ideas: Go underground; it is really quite easy to run a cable through a discreet hole in the floor – under your floor (in the basement or cellar) and back up emerging where you need it to. Almost everything is available in super-long lengths: printer cords, TV cables, computer line, etc. Or Hide them: also a simple deal to gently pry your base molding off, hide a line (especially thin ones like telephone line) and press it back in place. If you’re lucky, the nails don’t even come all the way out. If you have to add new finishing nails, obviously, make sure you don’t pierce thru the wire you’re hiding. Or Call in the Pros: There are many gadgets now for wrangling cables, etc.
5. Re- Fabulous your Fabrics! Very little time and money but such huge improvement! New covers for pillows, cushions, dog beds, and duvets. Fresh sets of towels and sheets… and everything looks new and vibrant for the new season.
- Paint something! OK, paint ANYthing! But make it a jaw-dropping spring color. The bigger your paint project, the more you’ll feel like you’re in a brand new glorious space. One accent wall is a great way to go. Whole room? even better! Not up for it? try one wicker chair or a dresser or a who-knows-what Flea Market Find. What color? Look to the garden…. my vote: Tangerine is Queen!
7. Counter Attack! Stage that kitchen like a Pro! Appliances and gadgets must get gone! Rearrange as necessary to hide them in cabinets. Adding an electrical outlet inside the cabinet helps a lot. See how the outlets above stand out? can be easily changed! Best bang-for-your-buck? New Cabinet Hardware! Go sleek, go rustic, go fanciful. Wish you could go totally extravagant? Sell the old ones on Ebay and offset the cost!
8. If you have allergies like my family, ditch the wal-to-wall carpeting. Aren’t we kindof “over” all this carpeting? Pull it up and toss it. You may have great wood flooring under it. If not, switch to a solid surface flooring; so much easier to clean, and more hygienic, it even makes the room appear larger. Add a few throw rugs or runners…. easy and inexpensive to change as the seasons do! Happy Spring!
Ginger Rodriguez 
