There is something almost magical about that first Saturday of the year when you wake up late, open your curtains and windows to let the glorious sunshine and fresh air in, and realize that spring has officially sprung. I love that day and happen to have experienced it last weekend; and almost like it was programmed into my DNA, I immediately associated my acknowledgement of spring with the need to clean, re-organize, and refresh my home. Poetic, I know, but within minutes of waking up, I had a coffee and a list of home remodel projects in front of me. Some of them are perhaps a little ambitious and pricey, others are easy updates, but they all centre on my living room, which is where I, like so many others, spend the majority of my down time. So with my “spring refresh” hat on, here are my plans for the next month or so—plans that you can easily incorporate into your own spring living room refresh.
Spice Up Your Furniture
Sadly, I don’t have the budget to replace any of my furniture this spring, but that hasn’t stopped me from updates. If you happen to have a few extra bucks kicking around, adding a fun, fresh, and funky piece of furniture to your living room like this gorgeous cream and blue floral printed club chair from Bruce Peters is an easy way to take your living room from the gloom of winter into the happiness of spring. Or, if patterns aren’t your thing, you can add a cream or beige chair like this one, also from Bruce Peters, and then spice it up with some springy throw cushions.
My plan is to go the throw cushion route. Seriously, it’s ridiculous how much a few cushions can change the look of a place! I’m a big fan of mixing styles, which is why I like the idea of adding a pop of vibrant colour in an unexpected fabric, like this fabulous faux leather cushion in lime green, with something totally unexpected like this Parisian-themed cream pillow. The mix of the two styles is eclectic, but fun, which is ideal for spring.
I’ll also be bringing my favourite light blue throw out of storage to add that pop of much needed colour this time of year. It’s lighter weight than my winter throws, and a heck of a lot sunnier! Throws are another way to add a little bit of spring zest to your living room without breaking the bank.
Take Your Home Theatre to the Next Level
Perhaps most expensively, I’ll be making one big remodel to my living room this spring by adding a new 4K Ultra HD TV to the mix. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t decided just how big I should go as of yet, but I’ve got my eye on this 55” 4K Ultra HD 120Hz IPS LED Smart TV from Samsung. First off, it’s sexy as hell, and with 4K Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution, it offers four times the resolution of a standard 1080p HD TV. Perhaps most importantly though is that it comes equipped with IPS, or in-plane-switching, which means that it offers a wider viewing angle so no matter where I sit in my apartment, and no matter where my guests sit, we’ll all still see a brilliant display. And considering the Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, I’m pretty confident that feature is going to be very much appreciated!
Remove Clutter
It’s truly amazing how much clutter we can amass over such a short period of time. I’m not a minimalist, but I’m also not one to purge everything. That said, I dedicate at least one weekend a year to get rid of all the “stuff” that somehow takes up residence in my living room throughout the year. As an apartment dweller, my living room serves double duty as my office, so for me, a lot of that clutter is paper based. But even if your living room doesn’t serve multiple functions, paper clutter just seems to creep up on you. Magazines, newspapers, flyers, cards, bills … the list is endless. As the occasional environmentalist that I am, I recycle as much a I can, but for all those bank statements, bills, and automatic credit card approvals, I turn to my trusty paper shredder (this one from Fellowes will shred up to 11 sheets at once!) to destroy my personal information and thwart any would be identity thieves. Not only does this give me a sense of satisfaction, but clearing away all my unnecessary clutter really opens up my space and invites in the airy feeling of spring.
Refresh Your Walls
Once I’ve eliminated all the unnecessary clutter that I’ve accumulated over the winter, including storing all my extra blankets and pine-scented candles in storage bins, my plan is to update my living room walls from their existing cozy winter hue of butter yellow to a fresh springtime palette. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not something I do every year – heck, if I painted every time the seasons changed I’m not sure I could hold down a job – but once every few years I like to change things up, and paint is an inexpensive way to refresh and remodel your home. To bring a spring vibe to your living room, think happy greens, blues and yellows, or floral shades like rose and lavender. Softer hues tend to fit with most décor so are always safe bets, or if you want to keep things really simple, try just painting one wall with a fresh spring shade. Or freshen things up with a new coat of bright white to add a crisp fresh look to any room. That said, if you have kids, it might be best to avoid white … I was just at my brother’s house and man alive, they need to go with a darker colour on their walls.
Re-Energize Your Windows
Spring and light go together like Vancouver and yoga pants, so make the most of your windows by first cleaning all the winter grime from them, and second replacing heavy curtains with sheer curtain panels. Light or sheer panels let all that fantastic spring light in and are something that can easily be stored during colder months and brought out for those few Canadian months when the weather is warm and the sun is shining.
No clutter, freshly painted walls, curtains that let the sun stream in, bright and funky furniture, pillows, and throws, and a new TV that will make the Joneses cry … sounds like a fabulous list of spring remodels to me! Oh, and remember, flowers are always a good idea!
I’m always amazed at how changing out a throw rug and adding a few pillows can change the look and feel of an entire room. I have that Paris pillow too!
Good post. I am glad to read this article for my remodeling idea for this coming Spring time. I always wanted to have a stylish and clean living room during the month when the weather is warm and the sun is shining. It made the surrounding relaxing and calm.
Uh! wow ! look so relaxing room.
One thing that I notice is the TV is too high it should be in eye level only so that the people watching can able to watch comfortably. But the design is excellent.
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