Fabrics
- Put away any heavy throws or accent pillows you brought out for the winter months. Wool, faux fur, velvet and other wintry materials should be put away until fall. Replace them with light fabrics and colors and fun spring patterns.
- Consider covering some of your furniture in slipcovers. Formal dining room chairs can be given a spring makeover with white slipcovers, or a heavily upholstered sofa can be made lighter with a linen slipcover.
- Recover some chairs seats (kitchen, dining room or occasional chairs) with a spring-like fabric.
Accessories
- In the spring and summer months less is more, so put away some of your accessories and de-clutter. Lighten your bookshelves and pare down your coffee table and fireplace mantel.
- Try replacing some of your heavier accessories (such as dark wood boxes and brass candlesticks) with glass vases and lightly colored items.
- If you decorate with candles, replace dark ones with white or ivory candles.
- Bring in some wicker or sea grass accessories such as boxes and storage baskets.
- If you have dark lampshades on some of your lamps switch them out for light ones. You can also decorate lampshades with some colorful ribbon.
- Use flowers to brighten up dull rooms. They don't have to be any specific variety or color – flowers always brighten up a space, no matter what kind you use.
Windows and Rugs
- One of the best things you can do is to clean the windows – inside and out. Remove any of the dirt and dust that's built up over the winter months. Your interior will instantly become brighter.
- Replace heavy draperies with light, colorful curtains. Ready-made curtain panels can be purchased for very little money so it doesn't have to be a costly change.
- If you've got heavy, patterned area rugs roll them up and replace them with colorful, graphic rugs or something in a natural material such as jute or seagrass.
- Rearrange the furniture. It doesn't cost a thing and it can give any room a fresh new look.
Paint
- If you've got a weekend to spare consider repainting a room. The difference can really be astounding and if you decide you don't like it you can always change it back.