Dan's Papers - April 24, 2009 - Refresh Your Home this Season; Get Ready to Bloom

Ah, springtime! Winter is almost over and the flowers are already popping from their snowy gardenbeds. Now is a great time to think about sprucing up your home, taking it from the winter doldrums to the excitement of spring. If you're looking around your house and wishing for a change, don't let a small budget keep you from the look you want. I advise my clients that by simply introducing a few new items, they can change the look of their rooms to fit the season.

A bright, fresh color palette will create an alluring and inviting room. Try painting your walls a dusty blue with white trim for a breath of fresh air. The color blue has a calming influence; it lends a sense of serenity and repose. Oceanic hues are ideal for making a bedroom or study a quiet oasis. Add sandy colored beige to this palette and you warm things up a bit! Green, which symbolizes new growth, is a true springtime color. I often add touches of this neutral tone in celadon, mint or pistachio to liven up a drab room. White accents can brighten any color scheme. Add it wherever you can, a painted chair or table, sheer curtains in a gauzy white fabric or light colored slipcovers, an age-old remedy for a dreary room.

You spend a lot of time at home so make it a place where you actually want to be. Here are some quick, affordable fixes that I use to change from a winter scheme to a springtime feel.

Don't underestimate the power of window treatments. Take down those dark and heavy winter curtains and let the brightness of the season indoors. A lightweight fabric in a pastel color or sheer that harmonizes with your décor will lighten things up. Reversible drapery panels are a good idea. One side can be a bold stripe or dark color and the other can be a neutral option for a warm weather look.

Pack away any dark accessories, like velvet pillows and wool throws. Change your decorative pillows by covering them with a fresh, floral print or brightly colored solid covers.

Another way to brighten up a room is to swap your serious art with warm weather inspirations. Buy some prints of seaside scenes or flowers and frame them (Home Goods has a nice, inexpensive collection). Display them on a bookshelf, bureau, or tabletop. Hang a series of botanical prints down a long hallway.

Put away dark brass or pottery containers and display clear glass or crystal vases. It's a nice touch to fill glass containers and vases with sand, pebbles or beach glass. A starfish and shells placed on a coffee table books is a symbol of the season. If you have a fireplace, place a large vase or container of fresh or silk flowers - tulips, daffodils or hydrangea - in there for an instant burst of color.

Natural fiber rugs are made from sea grass, jute or sisal. These rugs come in many different patterns and are relatively inexpensive. Generally light beige or sand color, natural fiber rugs blend with any scheme and they give an airy and warm weather look to a space.

Adding live plants to your room can be a link to the outdoors and improve indoor air quality. I love large leafy plants that are durable and make a bold design statement. A kitchen herb garden of dill, basil and rosemary is easily grown in a sunny window and you'll always have a pinch for your next recipe.

In the winter people tend to hoard things; magazines, knickknacks, blankets, etc. Eliminate clutter. Straw and wicker baskets add a nice summery touch. Your house will seem larger when you reduce the clutter and you'll feel better, too.

Create an outdoor garden "room" with patio furniture, plants and flowers that compliment the décor of your home. I have spent a great deal of my time over the past 23 years beautifying clients' homes. Last year, while I was decorating a house in Bridgehampton, I ventured out of the interior realm and designed my first garden. The newly finished family room with antique walnut floors, massive fieldstone fireplace and floor to ceiling windows overlooked a garden that was in disrepair. Since I labored over the color palette of the room, I wanted to ensure that the garden view complimented the interior spaces. I selected many indigenous plants and flowers that harmonized with the interior color scheme. I kept in mind that the height, weight and texture of a plant are just as important as its color. Creating your own personal garden can best be approached as part of the overall home design process. Take the time to enhance your backyard and you'll spend many days enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Donna Avedon, recognized as one of New York's top designers, creates environments that reflect her clients' personal style. For more information, go to avedondesigns.com.