5 TIPS TO REFRESH YOUR HOME

By Amy Montgomery

With the change of seasons, have you noticed that even the most timeless décor can feel tired after a while? Spring and fall refreshes can extend the life of the most lived-in rooms in your home and make your home feel brand new again. A spring refresh renews our homes for the summer and the year to come whereas fall refreshes get us ready for the holidays. Now is the time to spring forward and update your most lived-in spaces at home by simply making a few changes.

PHOTOS BY ALLISON ELEFANTE AND COURTESY OF ANNIE SELKE®

TIP 1: MAKE COLORS POP WITH PILLOWS

Pillows are the first thing that comes to mind when changing up a room. A plump pop of fresh color can give an everyday-livedon sofa new life without ever considering reupholstery. Change the velvet pillows to linen or colorful polished cotton or swap the sofa store dye-lot matched pillows to a pattern that coordinates with other accessories. Matching larger pillows, maybe 24” x 24” work great at each corner to anchor your new sofa jewelry. Next, add some smaller pillows in varying sizes and fabrics. Don't forget those club chairs. Adding a lumbar pillow to change up the side chairs will also elevate your back comfort. Pillows are made to be used, not tossed to the floor. Many pillows are now offered with down substitute forms to help aid with allergies. These substitutes can wear longer and clean more easily while still having that same great loft as down forms. Don't forget your decorative bed pillows. A change of color and fabrics for your bed pillows can give that old comforter or coverlet an entirely different look. Mix up the sizes and shapes, too. Square Euro shams and bolsters will change the landscape of a beautifully made bed.

PHOTOS BY ALLISON ELEFANTE AND COURTESY OF ANNIE SELKE®

TIP 2: SWITCH OUT BOOKS AND COLLECTIBLES

The quickest change to a room can be made by switching out books and collectibles on the coffee or bedside table. Coffee table books in a living room or den show people your style and interests. Put the books you had out in the fall and winter months at the top of the closet and pull out some new colorful books with interesting covers and jackets. What sits atop that stack of books? Something fabulous! A small tray of collected items; vintage silver baby cups, doorknobs scavenged at antique shops, your grandmother's collection of magnifying glasses. Collected objects that add a layer of interest to the conversation setting personalize a space. New books by your bed may not all get read, but the intent is there! A stack of new coasters for the warmer weather may be in order; something more absorbent, a colorful design, a happy motif. A new tissue box cover can perk up the most mundane box of tissues and a trinket bowl next to the bed is helpful for jewelry and hair clips. Changing out lamps may give you new light to greet the morning. A different color lamp to coordinate with new bed pillows or a different shaped and textured shade can do the trick.

PHOTOS BY ALLISON ELEFANTE AND COURTESY OF ANNIE SELKE®

TIP 3: THROW IN SOME BLANKETS

Throw blankets are one of the most versatile decor items around. Tossed across a club chair or sofa or neatly folded at the end of a bed, throws can totally change the attitude of your surroundings. Look for throw blankets that have texture, maybe a contrasting color, or added interest with fringe. Take that extra step and personalize it with a monogram, always a polished finishing touch. A rolled-up throw at the end of a sofa or tucked in a side chair is a great addition, too. Need a quick tabletop change on a side table? Lay that throw blanket over a skirted table. Instant facelift with those new accessories you'll put with it.

PHOTOS BY ALLISON ELEFANTE AND COURTESY OF ANNIE SELKE®

TIP 4: CHANGE THE FLOOR COVERINGS

Floor coverings can change a room as much as a new coat of paint. Take up that fall and winter dark-toned rug and add a bright, cheery-colored rug. Adding a runner on a staircase is a permanent large-scale change that certainly transforms an area. Bringing in a new rug underfoot at the kitchen sink can turn things around ... affordably. If size allows, think beyond the smaller 2” x 3” at the sink and drop a runner at the sink the length of the island (or longer). It will pull your eye right through the kitchen and lengthen and extend your viewpoint.

PHOTOS BY ALLISON ELEFANTE AND COURTESY OF ANNIE SELKE®

TIP 5: LOOK AT YOUR CEILING

If you're thinking about a new coat of paint, which is truly more than a refresh, a color change on the ceiling can make a space take on a new personality. Dark colors in small rooms recede and appear to make the room larger. A lighter color with a tint to coordinate with wall paint can actually be that fifth wall. Colors on the ceiling always accent crown molding in a positive way. Why not have that pretty crown molding get more attention and make that room have more height? Paint is a great choice for really spiffing up a room, but if getting out your roller and drop cloth isn't at the top of your spring to-do list, take an inventory of lamps, rugs, books, throws and accessories that can be changed up or added to. Your home should speak of you, your travels, your interests, your likes, and your loves. Freshening up will not only make your home look better, but you might also just have a little more spring in your step.

AMY MONTGOMERY has 25 years of design experience and owns Amy Montgomery Home in Columbia, Tennessee. She is a lifestylist focused on home and flowers and delights in offering her customers an elevated customer service experience. Visit amymontgomeryhome.com for additional information and follow her on social media at @amymontgomeryhome