Refresh Your Spring Home

3/24/2017 (Permalink)

refreshed spring living room

Spring officially starts in a few days, but if you just can’t wait, start thawing your senses now with our favorite reads of the season. This month we highlight stories to bring your home back to life, with guides to infusing your space with spring colors, fragrances, decor and more.

 The Healthiest and Most Useful Plants

Some houseplants do more than beautify your home. Reader’s Digest has a great feature on five plants that absorb toxins, including florist and Thumbtack pro Elena Seegers’ pick: the easy-to-care-for spider plant. Other healthy plants include jade trees (no wonder they’re considered lucky!) and brightly-colored bromeliads.

We also love this guide from Country Living on how to grow and use lavender to attract bees and butterflies, make relaxing body oils, enrich lemony desserts, craft wreaths and tons more. You’ll want to put lavender in everything.

 The Right Scent for Every Room

Think of fragrance as the top note to any clean room — it’s the final touch on a whole lot of effort. Real Simple features a captivating interview with fragrance expert Rayda Vega, who says that fragrance is “like music” — and you should pick the scent you use in each room accordingly.

If you’re not always sure what works where, you’ll love Vega’s room-by-room suggestions (try appetizing scents like thyme and apple for the kitchen and a subtle floral bouquet in the living room). The most common mistake people make? Sticking with just one note. Read the full article for tips on a more nuanced approach.

 How to Make a Terrarium

The soil may still be a bit frosty, but now’s the perfect time to indulge your green thumb with an indoor project. Better Homes and Gardens has a step-by-step guide to creating a space-friendly terrarium (bonus: they’re easy to take care of).

Plants that love humidity and don’t require a lot of light do well in terrariums. If you’re looking for a shopping list, try BHG’s list of top plants — spider ferns, clubmoss and begonias all made the cut. Add colored gravel to your container in spring colors to match the rest of your decor.

 Light Spring Decor Ideas

Just in time to spruce the nest for spring, House Beautiful has a gallery of dozens of stunning home decor ideas. Unique wall updates in chinoiserie, stripes, and playful patterns factor heavily here, as do very bright colors inspired by spring blooms like mustard yellow and quince pink.

If you’re not up for a more effort-intensive update (lacquered ceiling, anyone?), there are plenty of lightweight fixes to love. You can’t go wrong with new table linens and dining pillows (both indoors and outdoors), for example.

Want more tips to kick off your spring? Try our list of essential spring projects.