Simple Ideas to Liven Up Your Home this Spring
Likely, by now you're sick of the winter dulldrums and would love nothing more than to light a match and burn it all to the ground, if not to feel the freedom of starting over, than at least to feel some warmth and comfort after the seemingly longest winter of all time. But before you dig up those matches, read on and discover some simple yet effective ways of refreshing your space clean and cheap, without the need for a fire-extinguisher.
Embrace Biophilia
No, this isn't something pervy. As a matter of fact biophilia is one of the least pervy things about us. Biophilia is the innate tendency all humans have to connect to nature. It is something that comes from our deep down ancient roots (ahem...#mompuns) and it has been proven to be a driving force for many of the ways we choose to live and play. Science has shown that being in nature, even manmade "green spaces", boosts our seratonin, increase productivity, and reduce our stress. Furthermore, bringing nature into our interior spaces, particularily in the form of house plants can have the same affect as well as the added bonus of purifying our air.
And guess what, Biophillic Design is trending hard and fast right now and with good reason. As we spend more time on screens, in cars, in offices, and have ever increasing anxiety, it is no wonder the ache for nature is being answered by the home design pros.
Add a houseplant, or a dozen. Buy yourself some flowers while grocery shopping. Incorporate more natural materials into your space, like jute, rattan, raffia, and bamboo. It is literally like Xanax for your house.
Paint a wall PINK
Not only is pink a color that completely feels like SPRING, it is also a color that Color Pyschologists refer to as the most "loving" color. Unlike its counterpart RED, which is aggressive, passionate and heated, PINK is harmonious, friendly and neutral. And couldn't we all use a little more of that in our lives these days.
Unlike the former "Millenial Pink", the bubbly-sweet color that we saw loads of in 2018-2019, the new picks for pink are more subdued and calming. In line with the return to nature vibes, light earthy pinks with warm undertones are sure to simultaneously freshen up and calm down your space.
"First Light" by Benjamin Moore is one such color we wholeheartedly can get behind. A soft and comforting color that will pair well with the natural textures and materials that you'll be snagging in the coming months.
Lighten up with natural textures
What better time to lighten up than when the sun starts shining again and the butterflies start flitting around the windowboxes. Indoors, take this Springtime cue and lighten up your furnishings by switching out heavy upholstered pieces for those made of airy natural materials.
Rattan and wicker are making a massive comeback and we couldn't be more thrilled about it. At Nest Refresh, we strive to be concientious of the massive furniture dumping and have seen countless gorgeous vintage woven pieces be tossed away like yesterdays Starbucks cup.
Scour the online buy/sell sites and Spring Cleaning garage sales and don't let those old beauts go unappreciated. With a little work, you can easily make a wicker chair look cool again and you can brag to your friends that you're like, so totally on trend.
Open the windows
Yes, you can literally open the windows and get the old winter stank of Netflix and sorrow out of your house, but ALSO, you can visually open up the windows by taking down heavy curtains and drapes or removing old dark blinds.
Now that you have newly painted walls, and cool repurposed caned furniture, wouldn't you like to see it? I know your new houseplants would. So spend a weekend removing the heavy window treatments and replace them with woven roman shades. Or if privacy isn't too much of a problem, replace them with airy, light filtering curtains in linen, hemp, or ramie. The trick is to bring in as much natural light as possible and if you do, you're space will instantly feel refreshed and alive.
Are you convinced? Have you dropped the box of matches and picked up a paintbrush, We hope so. And we would love to help. Nest Refresh offers design help to get your place feeling alive again.
