A Spring Space Lift for the bedroom

It’s Spring. The temperatures are rising, and it’s a great time to think of lightening up our space. I love the change of seasons for that very reason: opportunities for a change of scene. No matter how your home is decorated, it becomes somewhat old hat after time. We don’t seem to notice what we live with every day.

So, let’s start with the bedroom and give it a space lift. Removing the heavy window treatments, winter’s warm and cozy fabrics, and replacing them with light and airy ones — think decorators’ gauze — can transform the whole feel of a room, as they catch every breeze and become a filmy frame for the outdoors, the trees and the sky above, the lawn and garden below. What a perfect spot for your morning coffee!

Next, strip the flannel sheets and heavy duvet from your bed and replace them with 100% cotton, high thread count percale sheets (Actually, if you are like me, those sheets may be low thread count, but the pattern was cute, the price was right, and they perfectly conveyed the feeling you were looking for.) and perhaps, a matelasse coverlet with a lightweight blanket between them. You’ll feel as though you are in the lap of luxury, in a room at a resort, while all the while waking up in your own bedroom.

I like to switch out the throw rugs also. Replacing the wool and hooked rugs with rag rugs lightens up the look and just feels cooler. And, I love how they look against my off-white painted wood floors. Even if your bedroom is carpeted, you can add a new color and lighter texture by layering rag rugs on top of the carpet to welcome your bare feet in the morning.

Take a good look at the pillows and throws that embellish your bed. Are they looking tired? Here’s your chance. You can change the color scheme or sometimes even the flavor of a room just by replacing a few accessories. They can take you from modern to traditional, from formal to a cottage look, all with very little expense.

Pictures on the wall become invisible if they are not moved around or switched out periodically. Try a new grouping, or put away the dark prints in favor of the florals. Add a bouquet of fresh flowers. Until they are blooming in your own back yard, you may have to buy them. If they have a nice scent, all the better. And, finally, enjoy. You deserve it.

(I thought I'd try my hand at writing a newspaper type decorating column. How did I do?)