8 Simple Changes to Freshen Your Home for Spring

Anyone else get some warmer temps and sunshine, and immediately want to clean your house to match your mood? I love windows open…and a clean house…come springtime. As soon as the days stretch longer and the crew moves outside, I start looking around wanting to refresh so many of my spaces.

I realized that I tend to do a set of changes each springtime to change the mood of my home to welcome the warmer temperatures and bring the brightness of the world outside, in. So today I want to share with you 10 SIMPLE changes that you can make to brighten and freshen your home for the spring season!

*And always remember to shop your house first. Don’t always go buy something new. Look through your rooms and rearrange pieces to brighten multiple rooms cost-free.*

Changing out Pillows

I like to purchase more neutral furniture (like my couch I purchased in the fall) so the pillows are the pieces that stand out and can be changed seasonally. It’s an inexpensive way to constantly change (and clean) up a space. Come springtime, it’s time for brighter colors, casual and fun details, and plenty of texture to give my livingroom and benches a full refresh.

Although some pillows can be washed, I do love to buy a great set of inserts and change out the covers with the seasons. That way, spills won’t break the bank. Just unzip and throw in the washer.

A little designer secret, buy your inserts 2″ LARGER than the pillow covers. It gives a fuller pillow that doesn’t flatten and keeps its shape regardless of what your kids and husband do to it. 🙂

Woven Nook is a great site to purchase sets of pillows. It takes the guesswork out of mixing and matching patterns and colors, which always helps! They also sell on Amazon so just search Woven Nook pillows and you’ve got some of the pillow sets (not all are listed on Amazon). And I can’t skip out on listing Anthropologie for their pillows, because they have the cutest patterns and textures. I just don’t like their prices and think that Target is doing a great job mimicking their style at much more discounted prices.

Cleaning Your Couch

Love those adorable pillows? Now make your couch shine right along with them! Start by taking off your cushions and vacuuming all areas of your couch. Are you already grossed out by what you found? Been there. Done that. Every time I deep clean, I realize how gross my children can be. 🙂 Rearrange your cushions, switch their places, and flip them over. By moving cushions around and flipping them, you can be adding years to the life of your couch! My favorite carpet and upholstery cleaner is the Bissell Little Green Pro Heat Cleaner and using the Puracy Natural Carpet and Upholstery Shampoo. If you search for the ingredients in all the Bissell shampoos, the ratings are not too great. Eek! Way too many little faces right there on those cushions and carpets for what they put in those!

Adding Flowers

I don’t know much more that adds life to my house more than fresh flowers. Snip some pretty ones from your backyard or create your own amazing bouquet for cheap at Trader Joe’s. It instantly brightens any area and makes welcomes springtime into your home.

Don’t like how quickly they wilt? Snag some of your favorite stems from Michaels or Hobby Lobby and fill your favorite vases, pitchers, or even your baskets!

Houseplants

I’m not above every having fake in my house. Fake boxwood wreaths. Fake stems. Fake Ikea plants. They add color to a neutral pallet and give life to a room. But at that same time, there are so many amazing benefits of having a house plant in your home. They can purify your air, help with allergies, and even heal if you grow the right ones.

I’ve started simple in my home with two plants that have been extremely successful so far. When you see how successful you are, you see just how easy it is to become a full fledge plant lady in no time! 🙂

Still think you have a black thumb and can’t swing it? Try a Philodendron. It purifies the air and has long vines that will gently curl down your hanging shelf, fireplace, or windowsill. It likes indirect bright light and needs to be watered about 1-2 a month. No really. A MONTH!

Another great one I’ve successfully grown is a Snake plant, or also called a Mother-in-Laws Tongue. You’ll be singing a different black thumb tune in no time. Another one that prefers indirect, bright light and require watering only when the dirt is dry. So far, I’ve owned my Snake plant for 3 months and I’ve watered it twice.

Updating Photos

Take this time to update your frames with new family photos. A change in just those pictures can take the dull out of a room for you. No one else will probably notice that your kid’s pictures are finally up-to-date, but you certainly will!

Need a little guidance on a gallery wall? Take a look at some of my favorite gallery walls for some great inspiration!

Decluttering

I’m ready to purge just about every season..ask my local Goodwill and trash collectors if you need proof. There is something so liberating to declutter and organize. And once you get rid of all that extra you had lying around, the less time it takes to clean that space for months to come (until it gets full again, because we all know it will!)

I’m not a graphic designer by any means so I look to Pinterest to help me stay organized in adorable printables that I’ll stick to. 🙂

Switch Out Towels

Are you like me and put some of the rattiest towels in your home in the master bathroom, and then give your guests soft, matching ones and smell like lavender and may even come warmed for them? 🙂 Why do we tend to short-change ourselves but give the best to our guests? Time to switch out your towels and refresh your bathroom! Let’s stop using a beach towel and give ourselves a little something instead. Plus, your bathroom will look brighter, more put together, and coordinated with a new set.

I’ve grown up loving JCPenney for their whites, and with continuous sales on almost their entire store, you can get a great new set for a wonderful price!

I don’t know what I love most about this product: the colors, the price, or the amazing reviews! Almost 1000 reviews giving it 5 stars! Plus JCP is running a sale for 60% off $100 or more or 40% off $40 or more. If you stock up on these gold mines, you are going to save some major $$$!

Change Your Scents

Are you still burning a candle in your house called ‘Sweater Weather’ or ‘Christmas Cookie?’ Diffusing oils that are way too heavy? It’s time to revamp the smells in your home, just as you do your decor. Lighten your scents and add fresher smells like citrus, linen, and eucalyptus.

I chose to switch to essential oils (see my reasons in my post 5 Changes to a Healthier Kitchen).

If you choose to burn candles, be sure you are doing your research and find ones that don’t emit toxins into your air. Look for ones that are soy candles and are paraben-free and emit more natural fragrances. I really like Grove Collaborative and their mission to bring healthier products into your home. They sell soy candles that are highly rated and get awesome reviews!

Happy Spring, everyone! Enjoy the longer days, the time outdoors, and the simple changes you can make to brighten your beautiful home!

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