How to Freshen Up Your Space

Tomorrow night we will have our "10 Top Things to Freshen Up Your Space" class. We thought we'd share some of those things this week with you all. Here's 1-3:

1. PAINT
By far, paint is one of the best ways to freshen up your space. Not only does it involve a new color on those walls that will completely change the look of a room - BUT you know that you'll be able to put a new perspective on you furniture and accessories when you put it all back (sometimes this involves new furniture and accessories however!!) Visit Benjamin Moore and see all of the new colors, and their wonderful website that helps you in your decision making. Click on "For Your Home" and see all the cool examples they have of every room in your home. What we really love is that you can upload your own picture of the room you are working on and you can see what it will look like in a different color - cool!!



2. CHANGE PATTERNS/TEXTURES
If you need something quicker and cleaner than a paint job - changing the fabric on your pillows, adding or taking away quilt or throws to a chair or sofa, even changing the window treatments can give a tired room a fresh outlook! Don't forget runners - they are an easy way to go from winter to spring too!!

Here we have one of our chairs in the store with some of the new pillow we just got in. We LOVE it when our new runners come in - trading in those darker colors from fall and winter in for these great spring and summer patterns!!



Swapping out a darker paisley pillow for some peach and coral pillows that compliment the chair in the corner gives a lighter look.



















This checked chair was cute as it was - but it really pops when the bold quilt is put on it.









Mixing the patterns and paying attention to the beaded detail on the envelope pillow, and the scalloped edge of the floral pillow really make this bench stand out.










3.CHANGE OR ADD LIGHTING
Sometimes our lamps get outdated before we are ready to give them up!! Take a quick look at your lamps. Keep your eye out for the new trends to see if your lamp is still classic, right in style or retro(and we aren't talking the cool retro, if you know what I mean!!)Check out some of these beauties on Ebay



This one here for example - if this is what you have to work with (unless you have a very unusual home), well you might want to sell it - as I'm writing this blog it is at $9.95 and there is a bid - - -???? Go figure!!


One easy way to give your old lamp an update is to swap out it's shade for a new one that will give it a much needed update! Even if your lamp is not outdated - it is fun to change the shade for a clean/lighter look in the spring and summer, and a darker shade for the winter.