Spring has Sprung. Yessss! Most of us love this time of year. I do. Daylight is with us longer. Yay! Days are getting warmer. Niceee! We can step outdoors without the thought of old man winter smacking us in the face. Finally! We get to open up the windows, breath in the fresh air. Ahhhhh! (Umm, well depending where you live 😉). It makes us all get along just a teeeny bit better, don't ya think? I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, it makes me feel like redecorating my house. I just wanna buy new things and make my space look refreshed! Well... Money comes into play. Sometimes decorating can really break the bank. If you can't afford to call the contractor every spring, like most of us, maybe these few tips can help.
FLOWERS are the first thing I would suggest. I know that fresh flowers can be expensive to continuously refresh week after week, but here are some suggestions within my suggestion.
Option 1 would be to cut flowers where you may see them. You may have them in your own yard. Maybe a neighbour has some you can politely ask to "borrow" lol. If you don't live in a space where you have planted trees and gardens, Spring and Summer and Fall are great times to take a walk and find these items. Let's take a lilac tree for example. They don't last long, but add amazing beauty to a vase just about any room in the home. And so cute in a tiny vase or even champagne glass in a washroom or night stand. Aaaaand get this! You can save on air fresheners because these flowers have the most wonderful fragrance.
Option 2 , you can also go to the nursery and purchase the fresh flowers you seek. Talk to the people who work there and ask if you have them in a potted plant will they be available for cutting for any length of time. For example: I bought a small planted Hydrangia at Easter and have moved it to different areas in the house - It's still alive after one month or so! Or, get the cut flowers wherever you see them cheaper. Sometimes you can grab them on the way out of the grocery store. Those are good
because you can trim down the flowers and put them into much smaller vases or cups or anything cute and distribute them throughout the home, just like option 1. Here's a picture of some flowers I cut off a much larger bouquet. This one looks super cute in the washroom and adds that pop of Spring to my decor.
Option 3 is to purchase imitation floral arrangements. This allows you to get your
money's worth for longer. You can amortize them over a certain amount of time to make it worth it. Try
changing up the areas they decorate and/or put them away seasonally and bring them back out again next Spring/Summer. These days the fakes are pretty real looking and you won't be wasting your money if it's something you really love. Check out these pics where you can see me changing just the type of flower which gives a significantly different look to the washroom. Ahhhh - spring refresh!
PILLOWS and throws are the second thing I would suggest. It seems like in the winter months we want to hunker down with a big furry blanket, some slippers and all the cozy pillows we can get our hands on. Think about lightening up for spring. You will be surprised how changing the pillows can transform a room. It's amazing how a little goes a long way. And I know, pillows aren't cheap either, but they are less expensive than new furniture or tearing down walls, etc. But here's a trick to saving a little more money. Don't buy all new pillows. Just buy the pillow covers. I happen to have the same pillow, but put a different case on if for Fall/Winter, update it with another at Christmas, then again in the Spring. So there - 3 pillow cases, 1 pillow. Storage is much simpler that way also. Just make sure to measure beforehand. Here's an example of some darker toned throw pillows for winter and the change up for spring. Also, the blanket went from black faux fur to a plain white.
I feel like there are a zillion things you can do to refresh or change up ones' space, but it's what you do with your neat life that matters. If you feel like your space could benefit from a new coffee table, chair, light, carpet, dishes, or anything else really, then go for it! My advice - don't break the bank or you may live with more regret than happiness this spring and summer. Just replacing one thing can give you that fix you need to take you into the warmer months and feel like you've done something to refresh your space. And I find just looking at one thing YOU find to be beautiful, puts you in a wonderful Mindset. It doesn't have to be everything - just one thing!
Thanks for tuning in.
Tanya
Professional Organizer & Organizational Coach
Your Neat Life
416.428.5929
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