While it may not seem like it when we’re in the midst of a mind-numbing January cold spell the fact is that spring is just a matter of weeks away. When it finally arrives you’re going to want to conduct a thorough spring cleaning during which you’ll say goodbye to those elements that helped you survive the dark and the cold and open your home up to the warm, fresh breezes of April and beyond. Of course updating your home for the warm weather entails more than simply hanging the screen door and in this post we’ll look at some ways you can ready your home for spring.

Interior Decorator Tips for Spring

Whether simple changes to your window treatments or a new coat of paint these tip from interior decorator extraordinaire Isabelle Tremblay will have you primed for the warm weather.

• Organize – No one pays much attention to keeping things orderly when it’s -20° outside. As a result things can get more than a little dishevelled during the winter months. Putting away the winter boots and coats and organizing closets and shelves in the mud room are good ways to start your spring refresher program.

• Break out the bright colours – Throw pillows with floral patterns, yellow curtains in the kitchen, bright colour towels and washcloths in the bath and flower boxes on the porch are all ways to introduce colour back into your life and prepare your home for the return of the Red Headed Woodpecker.

• Don’t scrimp on the paint – Nothing says spring like a fresh coat of paint. Paint your front door, paint the porch, apply a fresh coat of paint to the mud room and refresh the most important room in your home – your kitchen – as well. Before you do spend some time at the paint store with the interior decorator looking for colours you don’t see every day.

• Clean your throw rugs – Throw rugs can take a beating during the winter. So much so that once vivid colours can be dulled almost beyond recognition. Do your home (and your rugs) a favour by taking your throw rugs in to be professionally cleaned. The difference will probably astound you, to the point it may seem like you’re laying down brand new rugs.

• Buy some new plants – Nothing says spring like flora. Take a trip to the local nursery in Hamilton or Burlington and pick up a half dozen plants. Place them strategically around the house in windows, hallways or in long neglected corners. The new greenery will help pave the way for the new season and help put the drab, dreary winter behind you.

• Retire the duvet – Get ready for the warm weather by thanking the duvet for its months of dependable service and replacing it with a lighter (and more colourful) bed cover or blanket. Find a pattern that echoes the new plant you’ve placed in the window or just experiment with colours and intriguing patterns until you find one that says “spring”.

• In addition – Swap out the tableware for some with a fresh, colourful pattern. Reupholster any furniture that’s become a bit frayed. Paint the trim in your public rooms. Hang bird feeders around the house (away from squirrels). Clean any pendant lamps and introduce new, warm weather themed artwork.

Springtime is the right time to celebrate your liberation from hibernation. Take inspiration from the above interior decorator tips and go beyond the simple spring cleaning of your Hamilton or Burlington home this year. By embracing the change of seasons and laying out the welcome mat for the warmth and the light you’ll help everyone in the house shake off the winter blues.