5 Tips for Setting a Beautiful Table and an Extra Very Important Tip

I borrowed this pic from the HGTV website. This is a
perfectly simple and excellent example of a
gorgeous table setting.

It's during this time of year that people remember why they have a dining room. There are lots of dinner parties, entertaining and holiday meals being planned. If you are planning to host a meal at your home, I wanted to provide you with some useful tips for making a beautiful table.

Another image borrowed from HGTV.Notice the leaves,
pumpkins and pine cones.

1. No humongous centerpieces please! It's a pet peeve, well one of many but this is the one that pertains to tables. I've been to so many events where there are gorgeous arrangements in the center of the table, but they are so huge and overwhelming that you can't find the salt, much less the person seated across from you.

Please, please, please put those lovely arrangements on the buffet table or somewhere where we can appreciate them without having to make small talk with them. Instead, keep your center decoration beneath eye level. Think votives, bud vases, cake plates - all of these items can be used to add beauty to your table, without obstruction.

How adorable are these place holders?!

2. Speaking of centerpieces, this is a really great way to add flair to your table without having to buy all new dishes and a good opportunity to use your creative muscle. Rather than flowers, this time of year there is an abundance of pumpkins,

gourds, leaves, branches, dried corn husks, greenery, pine cones, apples, pears - all of these items can be used to decorate your table. Too rustic for your tastes? Paint them. They would look fabulous painted in white, cream, silver, gold, bronze, black. Whatever goes with your color scheme. Some newspaper, a couple of cans of spray paint and voila. Gorgeous! Oh and the same thing goes for place cards - a mini pumpkin and a Sharpie and you are good to go. Anything hand made, makes it seem more special.


3. Use what you have. There is no reason to go out and buy new dishes, unless you really want to. Simple everyday dishes can work. Dishes, glassware, silverware - all of these items are the work horses of the table. After all, you want a civilized event. And no, I don't care how heavy duty and pretty they are, for this type of special occasion you cannot have paper plates, plastic forks, plastic cups and paper napkins - unless you want everyone to feel like they have been relegated to the kids table. Might as well add some balloons and party hats and call it a kids birthday party!

However, if you must purchase dishes, please keep them simple. Plain will work for any occasion from now on. Or if you want a little metallic accent that's fine too. Just keep in mind that you can make your life easier by having tableware that is dishwasher safe. To add color and pizzazz, get a pretty charger, place mats, cloth napkins, table runners. All of these items can be purchased quite inexpensively at Pier 1, Target, Homegoods, etc. Not sure what wine glass to use? Just use the largest that you have - and a water goblet. Too many glasses gets confusing and messy and most people are going to stick to one type of drink. And if they don't - you have my permission to give them some plastic cups!

Can someone explain why there is a fork going through
the napkin ring?

A quick word about clothe napkins. I do encourage you to buy some. They bring elegance and formality to any occasion. You can get them in a pretty color to go with your scheme or just plain white or cream. You can forgo the napkin ring by tying a pretty piece of ribbon on them, or simply lay them folded flat on your plates with a pine cone or sprig of greenery. I would also highly recommend that they be easy to wash and dry at home. Do you really want to pay for dry cleaning your napkins?

4. Have enough condiments and sauces in appropriate dishes. If you are having more than six people over, make sure that you have multiple salt and pepper shakers and that you have multiple bowls with spoons for dressings, sauces, gravy, etc. Many times this gets overlooked at dinners and it makes it so much more pleasant for everyone if they don't have to share with so many.

5. Keep it simple. That's my mantra in everything I do in my life. Just keep it simple. Less is always more. If you have the basics so that people can eat, drink and clean their mouths, the rest is incidental. I would prefer to go to dinner where the table is set simply than where the table looks like a housewares display exploded. I cannot say it enough - keep it simple!

Important tip!!! This is outside the realm of decorating, but it has to be said. Enjoy yourself! The mood of any event is set by the hosts so please don't stress the little stuff or the big stuff, either. Guests will forgive you if something is burnt - having to order a pizza or Chinese food because the turkey was burnt is not the worst thing in the world. If anything, it gives people something to laugh and chat about. But it would be awful if you throw a tantrum about it. Then it's just uncomfortable for everyone. Just have fun and your guests will remember that most of all.

Look Up - Ideas for Your Ceilings

St. Mary's Cathedral, Annapolis, MD

I was at a wedding this past weekend. Though the weather was not typical of October - snow?! - it was a lovely ceremony, regardless. And the setting was absolutely gorgeous. The wedding took place at St. Mary's in the heart of Annapolis. The cathedral was recently renovated and it was breathtaking. It has gorgeous stained glass and beautiful murals, but the crowning glory was the starry sky painted ceiling with it's gothic beams in cream and gold accents above simply painted cream colored walls. Wow! It got me thinking about ceilings - how typically we don't put too much thought into them, yet they are at least a third

I love the contrast of the blue ceiling with the
cream walls and architectural elements. It
allows the stained glass windows to shine
like jewels in the room.

 of the space in a room. Architects and builders are definitely trying to get them noticed with higher ceilings and the addition of trays and coffers in many of the newer homes and renovations. 
But they still don't get the love that they deserve.

Most ceilings in most homes, including some of my own, are still some shade of white. But why? Yes, they are much more difficult to paint - they can drip and give you pains in your arms, neck and shoulders, but they offer such a great opportunity to make your rooms stunning. 


So let's talk about ceilings...


Whatever you do to your walls, you can also do with your ceilings. Your only limits are your imagination and your ceiling heights. And as for any lower ceilings, you are limited only by your own personal preference and daring.


Here are some of my favorite examples I found from Houzz.com - a terrific, free website/e-newsl for all sorts of home design ideas.

This is a coffered ceiling in a client's home. The wall were painted a spicy paprika to complement the floors, furnishings and artwork. The coffered ceilings were painted in a steel, gray color to complement the fireplace. So here, we have the contrasting palette and the coffers to add interest to the ceiling. BTW, my client is Irene Zaso and she has a great Organizing business. I recommend you visit her website at www.zaso.org/OASIS.htm if you have any need for organization in your life!

I cannot take credit for this lovely space, but here is a pretty example of a wallpapered ceiling. Rather than putting the wallpaper all over they chose to put the Toille print on just the ceiling. It looks like a small powder room so in a space that's small, a large Toille print would be overwhelming. Using it as an accent on the ceiling makes it playful and beautiful. Plus, it brings your eye up creating the illusion of more height and space. Imagine this in a nursery or small entry. Love it!

And finally, here is an example of using wood, more specifically in this case, stained bead board on the ceiling. This particular example can really warm up a space and can work with just about any rustic or country interior. But wood isn't just for rustic interiors. A in a modern version of this you would keep the same visual plain and take the vertical lines all the way down one or both perpendicular walls. Stained or painted in a high gloss, the impact would be spectacular and it would add tremendous vertical space. 


You could gain the same affect with wallpaper that wraps from floor to ceiling, but honestly, it's not my taste. Even the well done examples I've seen haven't been to my liking. It looks fussy and visually there is no place for your eye to rest. I would not recommend that. But hey, that's just my opinion. So if you're game, I say go for it.


There are so many other things you can do to your ceilings - using lighting, trim, beams, alcoves, sea grass, tin tiles, fabric... Again, the options are limited only by your imagination.


If you're not sure what to do with your ceilings, however, let me know. I'm sure I can give you some pointers. 

Color Trends - Part 2

We left off on "Color Trends - Part 1" with how to incorporate color - especially "trendy" colors - into your space.


Rather than just write about it, I scanned some photos from some of my already mentioned fave magazines to give you an idea of how Honeysuckle - or any of your favorite colors - can be used.


This is a room in a Capitol Hill (DC) row house completed by designer Barry Dixon.

House Beautiful, Sept 2011, p85

He kept the major elements in the room neutral - creams, tans, browns. The wall color is a soft cream and he has applied it to all of the painted surfaces. The floors are deep brown wood. The alcoves are upholstered in a brown, button-tufted Bergamo fabric. Lovely, right?


However, what makes this room extra-special is the use of the color pink. He has used varying degrees of light to deep shades of pink so the room appears elegant and mature. He has sprinkled it around the room so your eye can move from one element to the next with plenty of space in between for a relaxed and un-fussy effect.


I must admit, if someone had said they were working on a room with pink accents I would assume it was a nursery. But there is nothing nursery about this room. After seeing it used to finesse the room in such a way, I'm hoping one of my clients will want to try it out. (Hint, hint.)

Veranda, Oct 2011, p117

Which brings me to the next room I wanted to show you. This was a room featured in Veranda October 2011 issue and is part of a renovation done to a 1920s Nashville estate, and by coincidence, it was also designed by Barry Dixon. Perhaps my new idol... This is what I would call minimal with punch. The entire room is done on a variation of creams, golds and tans to beautiful effect. So the impact of the one element of pure color - the salmon colored daybed - is fantastic. It doesn't take away from the incredible moldings and architecture of the space, but it does make you want to get cozy right in front of the fireplace. Love it! 

What seems so simple in this room, adding one element of real color - is actually very difficult to do. It speaks to the amount of restraint the designer used; not adding pops of the color in other areas of the room. It's perfection!

Traditional Home, Oct 2011, p 118

Finally, while it has just a touch of pink, I wanted to show you this room done by another DC-based designer, Skip Sroka, from Traditional Home, October 2011 issue. It is a beautiful, soft cozy bedroom. The neutrals in this room are the creams and whisper blues that are being used throughout. The upholstered bed is so gorgeous - it makes me want to curl up and take a nap on it.


Once again, our featured color is the pink, used very sparingly in the broad stripe of the chair. Because it is used so sparingly it takes nothing away from the star of the room which is of course the bed. Again the temptation is there to want to throw a pillow or blanket on the bed that has a bit of the pink in it. But that would take away from the overall softness of the room.


So what can you take away from this Blog posting today? Basically, using color (any color) as an accent and using it sparingly adds more beauty, elegance and impact into a room. Keeping your background and main furnishings neutral helps to create the perfect backdrop for the color to shine in the room. 


If you need me to source any of the items that are featured in the magazine, let me know and I will do my best. And as always, don't be afraid of color and trying something new. You can do it!


If you have any pics or comments, don't be afraid to post them!

Color Trends – Part 1

It might have to do with my minor-ish magazine addiction (my family would say it’s major and my recycler would probably agree!), but it seems every home and fashion magazine I read is talking about the “hottest” new colors.

While I was cleaning out my magazine drawers (yes drawers!), and organizing them by month with the most recent month on top, I noticed something. All of my magazines from Traditional Home, Veranda, House Beautiful, Elle Décor, and Better Homes and Gardens to InStyle, Lucky, Allure, Ladies Home Journal and Health (this is just a sampling because like I said – slight addiction) had one thing in common: they all had some varying degree of reds, corals, pinks and purples on their title lines. Coincidence? Of course not.

So…Who are these color people that decide this stuff anyhow? They are part designers, part sociologists and part forecasters. They glean information from fashion runways, car manufacturers and the home goods industry. They visit showrooms, attend trade shows and scour magazines for trends. They consider what is happening culturally and how this impacts our collective mood as a nation. Then they take all of this information and translate it into the colors that you will be buying in the coming year. Fun right? So while you’re trying to decide where you are going to take your family on vacation next summer, they are deciding what will be the color of your bathing suits, towels and deck cushions.

Before we get too deep into our color discussion, let me say that I tend not to fall for too much of the whole color trend mumbo jumbo. For the most part I can tell you that like most of you; I like what I like and don’t like what I don’t like regardless of what some color forecaster says. However, there is no denying that if you like let’s say blue, the shades of blue that are available are different from year to year. And what colors you combine your blues with will vary also.

Can you guess what the “It” color is for 2011? You guessed it if you said some variation on pink. That’s right, you heard me. Pink. Well not just pink – Honeysuckle. It’s not just for your daughters’ nursery anymore. In fact, the attributes they give to this color are, according to Pantone, “Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing ‘everyday’ about it.” Sweet, but with punch. Just like my daughters.

Don’t be upset if your favorite color didn’t get chosen this year. Turquoise (2010s “It” color and also the “it” color of the late 90s), lighter blues, bright yellows, lime greens and oranges are still very much on trend. And if you don’t have any of those colors in your home, well we can discuss how to incorporate some of them in Part 2…
And don’t forget to leave me feedback, comments, pictures, etc.
Thanks for visiting my Head Space.

Fast & Inexpensive Kitchen Update – Focus on Cabinets

Having family and friends for the holidays and not too happy with the state of your kitchen? Here are some quick, easy and relatively inexpensive updates you can make to your cabinets to give it a fresh, new look.

1. The easiest change you can make by far is updating your cabinet hardware. Go drastic. Are your current knobs old fashioned and country? Try modern and funky. Don't have hardware? Just drill holes into your cabinet and add them. You'll be surprised what a difference this will instantly make.

2. Paint your cabinet doors – yes just the doors. It requires a little bit more time and effort (sanding and priming are essential steps), but the results can be dramatic. If your cabinets are in the otherwise good shape, painting them can boost their appeal instantly. The contrast with the rest of the cabinets can be striking. The opposite is also true – if you paint only the cabinets you can achieve a similar look.

3. A few other tricks to try with your doors – if they are paneled you can paint just the inside or outside of the panel. You can also remove the panel and add glass or chicken wire. If they are flat doors you can easily add a simple molding to give it a more finished look.

4. If you have the time and inclination, paint the entire cabinet. Pick a color that compliments the style and look of your home. Right now, anything goes. But light, creamy ivories are a good bet. They will instantly brighten your kitchen and will go in just about any style home. And feel free to use two colors – one on the upper cabinets and something complimentary with maybe more color or a deeper color on the bottom.

5. Remove upper cabinets altogether. Clear out all of you unnecessary kitchen items. You may find you need all of that storage. Removing upper cabinets can dramatically open up a kitchen. In some cases, you may be able to replace some of the cabinets with open shelving. You can display your dishes and glassware there – or even neatly stacked dry items. You can also hang pots and utensils on the wall – which makes it visually interesting and functional.

Make sure you remove the doors before painting. Wipe down, sand, clean and then prime cabinets and doors before painting. Make sure you use at least an eggshell or semi-gloss paint. Please arm yourself with good tools and do some research. Talk to experts – Lowes and Home Depot are great resources.

Good luck and enjoy the process! And post your comments and pictures too - would love to hear from you.

10 Tips for Holiday Decorating

Holidays are around the corner and there’s nothing like getting the house ready to put you in the holiday spirit. Every year I aim to get my house decorated by Thanksgiving. And while I try, it seems like it always takes me longer – I guess it doesn’t help that we have four Christmas trees. So this year, I’m planning on beginning my decorating a little earlier. That way I can enjoy the fruits of my labor a bit longer – and my daughters won’t mind it a bit I’m sure.  Here are some of my tips for Holiday decorating:

1. Start with a theme or style. My home is contemporary, so typically my holiday style leans to the contemporary too. I’ve done non-traditional jewel toned accessories, glass snowflakes, feathers and lights. Keeping this in mind I typically wrap all of my gifts in a variation on that theme. If your home is more traditional, you can have more traditional décor with candles and lots of fresh garland. If it’s farmhouse/cottage, get creative with found and crafty items. It makes shopping for décor easier and makes your space feel more professionally finished.

2. Let the olfactory sense know it’s the holidays too. Scented candles and potpourri near your entry and throughout the house will certainly aid in spreading that holiday cheer. Or better yet, bake cookies and pies. Then your taste buds can enjoy the holidays too!

3. Choose two or three colors for your holiday palette. Multiple color palettes can be too distracting. Try silver and purple, red, brown and gold, or blue and white. I will typically decide on the palette based on the paper and theme that I choose for the season.

4. Create an inexpensive family tradition that involves the kids. Purchase a ready-made wreath of greens then gather items to decorate it. Use pine cones, ribbons, paper snowflakes – any handmade or found object will do. In our family, we have different trees that fulfill different themes for each person. So every year each one of us gets to pick a new ornament to add to the tree that speaks to that theme – toys, angels, etc.

5. Colored lights can be costly if you change your color palette from year to year. Stick with white lights – they can be used with any color scheme in any style. And always add a touch of elegance.

6. Give your spaces a different look and feel for this time of year. Rearranging your furniture so the focal point is the tree. Create intimate conversation areas so guests can sit and chat without shouting across the room.

7. Start investing in a collection – something that can continue to grow through the years and can be passed on to the next generation. My husband’s mother passed down to us a beautiful nativity that her father had made. It’s always a treat to bring the nativity out every year because of the sentimentality of it.

8. Use lots of candles. Candlelight makes every space feel warmer and more inviting.

9. Don’t leave any public rooms out of the holiday celebration. Make sure that all your spaces – including kitchens and baths are seasonally decorated. Knick knacks, candles and towels can easily add a holiday touch to these rooms.

10. Less is not more during the holidays. If it’s bare – come up with a way to decorate it. I have tall, white columns in my house and every year I wrap them in gift wrap that compliments my décor. My houseplants get lights and ribbons and even some of my artwork receives special attention. Be creative and have fun. That’s what the holidays are all about!

No Time To Decorate

The summer flew by. Schools are back in session and the leaves have started to fall off the trees. 


Every year I think that as soon as my girls are back in school that I can get back to what I need to do around the house and with my business. I seem to always make that mistake. I forget how many additional activities and items get put into the schedule... Brownies, art, swimming, homework, play dates, school meetings, business meetings - the list goes on. My girls are busy and my husband is as well - and they keep me busy. 


That is often what I hear from my clients - they simply don't have the time to focus on decorating. Of course I can totally appreciate that sentiment. And it makes me think about how I decorate my own home. I wish that I could spend the same amount of time contemplating my house as I do others. But unless I start making appointments with myself (hmm, there might be something to that) I simply can't. So how do I manage to decorate my own home? In small blocks of time - fits and starts. 


Sometimes I ponder something that I don't like for a while until something inspires me to change it. I see something on a shopping trip or even in my own home - something that will update and liven the space. Maybe some new pillows, new artwork or simply moving things around - rearranging things will bring new life to a room. While not drastic changes, they change the mood of the space or make it feel more cohesive and finished. 


Example #1 - My husband, in his attempts at style, built our home and made some long-lasting decisions. One such decision was building in a huge, over-sized mirror in the living room. For months and months I looked at the mirror and could think of nothing more than just taking it down - it was too over-scale, and oddly shaped and positioned in the wall. Fixing the wall and repainting it would cost more than my husband would want to spend (budget is always a major concern for my fiscally-minded husband, but that's for another blog), plus he put the mirror there and liked it. So what could I do? Finally, I realized that if I embraced the mirror and strategically hung some artwork over it I would be able to scale it down in a way that would make it seem purposeful. Maybe not the perfect solution, but still interesting. And instead of looking odd, it looked like a way to accent a piece of art. At some point I'll take it down, but the mirror has a stay of execution - for now.


Sometimes, if I'm very lucky, something happens that forces the change.


Example #2 - Again, my husband installed white carpet in our Living and Dining Rooms. Which I'm sure looked beautiful when first installed. But we are in the days of hardwood flooring. It's easier to maintain and clean, and frankly more attractive. So one night we hosted a large event at our home. The caterer spilled the juice from a Roast Beef pan all over my white carpet in the Dining Room. Looks like a murder scene. Instead of getting upset, I am ecstatic - I finally get to replace that dated white carpet in the Living and Dining rooms with beautiful wide-plank hardwoods (it's so much more economical to do more than one space!) Boy did it make a difference in those spaces. It really gave them an updated, more sophisticated look. They look amazing.


So what have you learned from my experience? That decorating a home is a process. With patience, creativity and maybe a little help from your local, friendly decorator, you too will have spaces you will love!

How to Work With a Decorator – Part 2

How to Work With a Decorator – Part 2

Deciding on your decorator is just the beginning of the journey. If you want to get the most out of your decorator, especially during your initial consultation, make sure that you have some of your homework done first.

Know Your Style
Try to assess what style you are. Take a look at your current furnishings. What do you like most and what do you like the least? Are you more traditional or more contemporary? Do you like more formality or are you more casual? If you meet with your decorator without this most basic information, he or she will be forced to spend time – i.e. your money – trying to narrow down your style. You will save money if you have a general idea of the direction you want to go with the style of your home. What if you really have no idea? Take a look at your closet. Is your clothing more tailored or unstructured? Is it more patterned or solid? Pull out your favorite pieces and what they say about you. Another way to assess your style is to determine what you really don’t want in your house. Sometimes it’s easier to pinpoint what you dislike than what you like.

Know Your Colors

Equally important to knowing your style is having some idea of your color preferences.  You do not have to have your exact color palette chosen, but it is valuable to have some idea of what types of colors you enjoy.  Do you like dark jewel tones?  Do you lean more towards pastels?  Do you prefer bright colors, or more subdued colors? Just as important is recognizing what colors you do not like. Again, you do not have to know the exact colors you want to use because your decorator will help you determine that.  But in order for your decorator to have a solid foundation to build your new space, you need to provide her with some basic color preferences.

Bring Examples 

The easiest and best way to help your decorator assess what you would like your space to look like is by looking through magazines or the internet for examples of rooms you like. Do not spend a lot of time laboring over this. Simply tear out or mark the pictures you like. Even if you're not sure exactly why you like a certain picture, this information will be useful for your decorator.

And Finally, Trust Your Decorator

You’ve gone to the trouble so now let your decorator work the magic. If you hire a decorator only to question each decision they make then you are wasting your time and theirs.  This type of working relationship will only lead to frustration for both you and your decorator. Keep in mind that your decorator has the ability to visualize the completed project, and veering from the design plan could lead to a less than desirable outcome. That’s not to say you have no input in your project. With the right type of decorator relationship there should be collaboration, but at the end of the day you should trust your decorator to push you outside your comfort zone if you want a room that is truly, and uniquely yours.

How to Work With a Decorator: Part 1 Setting Realistic Expectations

Most of my clients are new to hiring an interior decorator. I think because I make decorating more accessible and affordable that clients feel more comfortable contacting me. However, most people who hire a decorator for the first time don't really have any idea what to expect, and this can lead to some anxiety and confusion about how best to work with a decorator.  So before you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation read through my two part blog for suggestions on how to get the most out of your experience.

Let’s get real!

I absolutely love HGTV.  Much to my families’ chagrin, I could spend hours watching that channel. I get great ideas for my clients’ and my own home. However, there is something that really bugs me about HGTV – most shows set completely unrealistic expectations of what it's like to work with a decorator both in terms of time and money.  So let's get real for a moment.

On television we see a decorator meeting with a new client one time, and then a week later, the decorator shows up with a complete, perfected plan for that client's home, a crew of professionals that will completely overhaul the space and accomplish all this for a budget of almost nothing.  That’s the magic of television.

In the real world, a beautiful, completed, artistic rendering of your room would take hours. And since many decorators charge by the hour, I’m pretty sure that you are less interested in spending your money on that than you are on significant tangibles – like furniture! Instead, your decorator will work through these decisions with you, and it will most definitely take more than a week (unless your project is very small).

Speaking of timing, on HGTV rooms are transformed within the space of 30 minutes. Which brings me to my next point – good design takes time. Decorating even one room easily takes two months and more. Why? Because first you and the decorator need to decide the scope and details of the project. Then the decorator has to research or “shop” for products, materials and work estimates. And unless you are giving complete design control to your decorator, under the best of circumstances it may take you and your decorator several weeks to really agree on materials and solidify a plan for your room. Once the decisions are made workers must be scheduled and orders must be placed.  Custom or special-order furniture can take up to twelve weeks (or more!) to be delivered.  Custom draperies can take six to eight weeks for completion – once the material arrives. So if you're planning on having your project completed for a special event or holiday, contact your decorator several months in advance and be sure that you are in agreement with the time frame.

And finally, and most importantly, let’s talk money. Probably the biggest issue that I face with new clients is an unrealistic, or no, budget. And again, I think we have HGTV to thank for this. Let’s be clear, while I do the best to try to pass on my discount to my clients for furniture, window treatments, lighting – all of these take my time to find which will cost some money, the items and materials themselves will still cost money and any labor that is involved will definitely cost money. Trust me when I say that $1000 isn’t going to cut it unless – again – it’s a very small project. 

Affordable Ways to De-Winterize Your Space

Ahh spring. Seems like the season takes it’s time getting here. And then one day you look outside and the world has gone from dull and grey to bright and shiny! Finally, I can start replacing my wardrobe of heavy blacks, browns and greys with delicate whites, light neutrals and bright colors. This change in wardrobe always incites me to make some changes to my own home décor.

To freshen up your home for spring you don’t have to spend a lot. Here are some suggestions:

·         Use fresh colors on your walls and furniture. Choose a color scheme. If you normally have a very neutral palette, think about making your walls soft blues or greens. You can also paint pieces of furniture in a bold tangerine or hot pink. If your rooms’ palette is typically darker you can still brighten up your space by taking the walls a lighter, neutral color. And don’t forget the trim. You can always go a little brighter. It will change the entire tone of the room.

·         Embrace texture and pattern in your accessories. Take a queue from the new spring fashions, or look outside your windows and bring the colors and patterns in your home through new soft accessories. Floral patterns and lace fabrics, and nautical and safari themes in light cottons, silks, chiffons and linens pillows, throws and window coverings will lighten up darker and/or neutral space. Or add bright floral patterns to your dark stripes and plaids. You can achieve all of this with inexpensive fabrics and sheets. And if you are not a sewer you can use fabric tape and glue and grosgrain ribbons to cover up uneven edges. Also, make the move from ceramic to crystal and glass, either contemporary or traditional in your harder accessories. It brings sparkle to a room.

·         Bring the outdoors in. Of course bringing in beautiful plants and flowers will cheer up any space. But you can take it even further. Replace a heavy wing-back chair with a rattan or wicker piece. Bring in garden accessories too. Pots and garden statues bring in an additional element of texture and makes rooms seem more interesting.

·         Lighten up! Just like shedding layers of clothing, eliminating some of the clutter you’ve collected over the holidays and winter seasons can improve the feel and flow of your rooms. Everything should be clean and refreshing, light and tranquil. And repurpose your own pieces by moving them around. Take some of your furniture out of rooms and replace in different spots around the house. Take down some of your darker wall art and replace with cheerier pieces. Shop around your home. Just moving pieces around will bring in a new energy into your spaces.

Without spending too much money, you can give a fresh, spring look to your home. What a lovely thought!

BONUS – Many of these tips will also work in your closet!