It needn’t cost much to give your home an instant spring feeling, said Robyn Arvedon of HomeGoods stores, speaking from company headquarters in Framingham, Mass.

“People are eager to make a change, wherever they live in the country. I think the clocks changing a little earlier this year added to this urge,” she said.

So what can you do for a new spring look?

“First off, wherever you live, just look outside your own windows and use what you see there,” Arvedon said. “Be inspired by what’s outside and bring something of it inside.”

Specifically:

# Change the color palette in your rooms, picking brighter, spring colors.

# One inexpensive idea: Put away your heavier pillows and change to covers with light fabrics and textures, perhaps in topes and soft greens that suggest the outdoors.

# Bring in an area rug to lay over or replace your heavier, permanent carpet. Try a light sisal rug, aiming for something brighter and fresher.

# Lighting has so much to do with mood, Arvedon said. “So many houses just don’t have enough light.” This is a good time of year to add extra lighting or bring in a new, inexpensive lamp. Change light bulbs to add wattage, or replace older bulbs, which tend to go yellow with age.

# Take a ceramic planting urn that you usually have in the garden and put it on the dining room table. Fill it with branches from the garden, which may well have buds at this time of year.

# Finally, bring in some wild life. “The big trend in decorating this season is animals - birds, bees, butterflies,” Arvedon said. Bring them into your house as designs on textiles or as ornaments in iron, wood or ceramic.

Further suggestions for a spring look, from Target’s spring home collection:

# Towels in rainbow colors or a bamboo-print shower curtain are easy ways to change the look of a bathroom.

# When it comes to the garden, small touches like colored glass lanterns, a market umbrella and well-chosen plant pots add up to a lot of style.

On the net: www.homegoods.com, www.target.com.

source : www.citizen-times.com