A few quick and easy tips to get your home ready for spring

A stylish table can make your guests feel more welcome.

Story and photos by Natalie Morgan

It is hard to believe that the first day of spring is fast approaching. And with the change in seasons comes longer days, blooming flowers and an opportunity to renew and refresh your home.

To help us get through the last bit of winter and get ready for spring, I have gathered up a few quick and simple ideas for bringing your home out of hibernation.

• Clean and organize before you decorate: Unclutter shelves, cabinets and table tops. Adding a basket or two is a great way to reduce clutter and change up your look. A lovely woven basket is the perfect accessory to store everything from throw blankets to dog toys to stuffed animals — while still looking chic and stylish. De-cluttering and reorganizing will give you a whole new outlook for spring.

• Perk up your pillows: One of the best ways to update your home décor is to update your pillows and/or pillow covers. Replace the throw pillows on your sofa or bed with bright and colorful patterns, and do not be afraid to mix and match.

• Add flowers: One of the easiest ways to bring a touch of spring into any room is to add flowers. Decorating with fresh flowers is easy and can be done in every room in your house. If you do not have access to fresh flowers, adding some nice quality faux florals is a great alternative, and sometimes can look just as nice. Between stunning centerpieces and nightstandfriendly bud vases, there is no place in your home that would not benefit from a few flowers.

• Add greenery: It can be hard to keep plants alive when the air turns crisp and the daylight fades away. If you sacrificed a few plants to the season, start fresh and replace them with spring-friendly plants. As we said about the florals, the faux greenery options are great as well, especially if you want something low maintenance.

• Add in new tableware: Another super easy change you can make in your home come spring is in your kitchen and dining area. Keep a set of lighter dishes and cups in storage to rotate when the seasons change. We love using all-white pieces, such as vintage iron stone china, but bright colorful plates and bowls are also perfect for the warmer weather. Blue seems to be a popular trend this spring and summer. Adding some blue china pieces such as the “Blue Willow,” a Johnson Brothers pattern, will bring some color to your space.

• Freshen up your front door décor: Want to smile every time you come home this spring? Swap out your wintry doormat for a happy, modern one. A new spring wreath or potted plant for your porch are also simple ways to remind yourself it is finally spring when you come home.

• Swap out candles: If you are someone who decks your home out with gingerbread and pumpkin-scented candles around the holidays, it is time to change those candles out for something a little more spring-friendly. Reach for floral or citrus candles to liven up any room in your house.

• Change furniture placement: For no cost and just the effort of some lifting and pushing, a dramatic change to an interior can materialize with just a bit of rearranging. Is there a room or seating arrangement that seems to be neglected and rarely utilized? Perhaps it is because it is not welcoming and needs to be opened up to invite guests to enter and sit.

• Give a new life to old furniture and accessories: Bring in some color to a room by painting or refurbishing vintage, antique or second-hand furniture and home décor. Side tables, wooden chairs, picture frames and candle sticks are great options that are easily painted with chalk and mineral paint. It is super easy and there is no need to sand the piece down. Here in our shop we sell and use Dixie Belle paint products and, as a premier retailer, carry the full line of their products. We offer classes here in our shop, from beginner to advanced, to help you learn how to breathe new life into your old pieces.

Visit Natalie Morgan at Morgan’s on Main, located at 119 East Main St., in Benson, and let her help you freshen up your home for spring with some new décor, new pieces of furniture or a new project piece.