Freshen Up Your Home

Freshen Up Your Home

 

 

Wintertime can be cozy and warm, but it can also make things feel pretty stuffy once spring starts to come. This is the time to take action to brighten things up. Bringing some freshness into your home is surprisingly simple and can make a big difference in how you feel and how your home looks. Here are easy tips to freshen up your home – this spring or anytime!

 

  1. Add Color

 

While repainting a room is one way to do this, we’re talking about easy ways to freshen up! So to add a pop of fresh color, try these ideas:

 

* Put some colorful throw pillows on furniture

* Put up colorful window treatments and/or drapes

* Brightly-colored placemats and table runners add color to your table

* Decorate with fresh or artificial fruit and flowers to add a colorful punch

* Lay down some bright throw rugs

* Hang tapestries or throw rugs on the walls for beautiful color

 

  1. Wipe Down Walls

 

This doesn’t have to be complicated – just a bucket of sudsy water and a sponge, and you can remove years of grime from your walls. It may look like a fresh coat of paint, and it’s a lot easier and cheaper than painting!

 

  1. Polish Wooden Furniture

 

This not only makes your wooden furniture gleam; it also makes your home smell great. Use something lemon-y for a really bright, clean scent like Old English or Scott’s Liquid Gold. You can make your own furniture polish using olive oil and lemon essential oil if you like.

 

  1. Houseplants

 

Add some healthy, green houseplants like red anthurium or aloe vera to your windowsills and bring a wonderfully lively look to your rooms. Hanging houseplants also add drama and greenery. If you choose varieties that clean the air, then you’ll literally be freshening things up by making the air cleaner!

 

  1. Get Rid of Clutter

 

An easy tip for getting rid of clutter is to invest in some simple, fresh containers like baskets and painted boxes and store your items there.

 

  1. Dust!

 

It’s amazing how much fresher a room looks after a good dusting. Go over all objects with a duster and vacuum and wash items if necessary.

 

  1. Lighting

 

Use blue, “outdoor” type lighting in your home to bring a fresh feeling indoors. If you can, make as much use of natural lighting as possible now that winter’s over.

 

  1. Change the Drapes

 

Take down heavy drapes and put up light, minimal window coverings that let in plenty of light.

 

  1. Put Up Mirrors

 

Adding a mirror to your space brings light and shiny brightness to a room. Mirrors also make a room look bigger. Add a few and admire the effect!

 

  1. Switch Out Your Wall Art

 

Do you have wall art sitting in storage? Maybe it’s time to take some down and put up new wall art. You can, of course, buy or make wall art to add a fresh new look. Sometimes pictures in very large frames, and especially mirrors, can be heavy 40, 50, 80 or even 100 pounds or more. To hang these a simple nail in the wall or a screw in wall anchor is not going to do the job. For these you are going to need a special type of hanging fixture. The one that does the job best is the French cleat. These are made by several companies such as Hecho, QualiHome, Command, Hictichi, Monkey Hook, Hangman, Hillman, OOK, Picture Hang Solutions, Big Teddy, Beehive and Tech Team https://techteamproducts.com/. I happen to like the Tech Team assortment of specialized French cleat style picture hangers because they are made from heavy duty extruded aluminum, include all the necessary hardware including high strength picture hanging wire, and D rings to add additional support to the frame, and they include a vile spirit level so you can set the French cleat hanger exactly perfect. Their items 735 https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Hanging-Capacity-Tech-Team/dp/B07JX9S8G7/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1550521957&sr=8-4&keywords=tech+team+mirror 736 https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Hanging-Capacity-Tech-Team/dp/B07JMFB72C/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1550522053&sr=8-10&keywords=tech+team+mirror  and 737 https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Hanging-Capacity-Tech-Team/dp/B07JMW96ND/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1550522094&sr=8-19&keywords=tech+team+mirror are the perfect accessories for hanging heavy and also not so heavy pictures and mirrors.