Today is officially the first day of spring and it's the perfect time to freshen up our homes. Gabrielle Fagan finds simple ways to give rooms an affordable facelift.
We're finally leaving winter behind, yet our homes can look as though they're still suffering from its effects. Thankfully, a few changes, small but significant, can spruce things up.
"First go outside, then walk back through your front door with fresh eyes to identify things that could be tidier or more cheerful," advises Amanda Fox, creative director of homeware and gift specialists, The Handpicked Collection.
"Have fun by investing in a set of colourful pegs for hanging coats, or identify something you can paint a bright colour.
"Do you fancy bright yellow banisters or perhaps an emerald green door frame? If it's a small job, you'll probably only need a few tester pots, rather than a whole litre can of paint."
It's all too easy to get used to cluttered surfaces, especially in the kitchen, so she suggests making a clean sweep and storing away all but the essentials and allowing attractive items, like quirky mismatched crockery or sleek designer gadgets, to star.
Take a similar approach in living areas, by collecting decorative items in one place, deciding which work well together, and then redistributing them in different arrangements throughout the house.
"Try to mix-match heights, sizes, textures and colours to make them visually appealing and they'll look new and different," says Fox.
"Similarly, take down pictures and try each one in a different position. You'll be surprised how fresh existing artworks can look with different light on them and a change of surrounding environment."
Finally, plump up sofa cushions, fling windows wide open for at least 30 minutes a day, and drape a colourful cloth over a table and make fruit a centrepiece.
"A glass vase filled with zesty, colourful lemons and limes whose aroma will scent the room is a stylist's favourite trick," she says.
"Most of these changes won't cost a thing but they'll have the effect of putting a spring in your step every time you go indoors!"
Check out the experts' suggestions for spring room projects:
Stairway to heaven
Stairs can be taken for granted when it comes to redecorating and may merely get routinely repainted.
Yet a complete replacement staircase, or even simply replacing the spindles, stair baluster and newel posts, can be hugely effective and transform a hallway.
Window on the world
Sitting in a comfy chair basking in glorious spring sunshine pouring through an adjacent window is an easy way to relax.
"Rejuvenate your window space with textiles, plants, vases and lamps, then pull up a chair, have a good book handy and you've got your very own sunshine haven," says Aisha Gibson at Ikea.
Snap to it
Family occasions are great photo opportunities but it's a visual opportunity lost if they later languish on laptops.
Producing a collage of photos or a themed selection in compartmentalised picture frames is a brilliant way to display them and keep memories fresh.
Create a gallery on one wall with a group of frames, maybe interspersed with favourite posters, and you'll have a talking point in any room.
Dining delight
Easter's on the horizon and celebration meals or informal gatherings will be on the calendar.
"Springtime is all about giving interiors an uplift," says Claire Hornby, interior stylist at Barker & Stonehouse.
"Breathe new life into a jaded dining area by introducing a few key accessories in bold, zesty colours."
Spring scent
Just the scent of a warm, spring day can lift spirits. Even if the weather doesn't co-operate, evoke the atmosphere with fragranced candles conjuring smells of cut grass or flowers.
Patio perfect
It can be depressing staring out at garden furniture that's been battered by downpours and winter frost.
Instead of buying new, give it a revamp. Choose a dry day to repaint chairs and the table.
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