When March rolls around each year, I usually freshen up the house with a little bit of spring decor.
I don’t usually go overboard, but I do add some happy pops of color here and there — a new doormat, a pretty candle, some new throw pillows, and some pretty tulips.
But this year my spring decorating game plan is much different.
Since we’re all spending a lot more time at home these days and keeping our distance from others, running out to HomeGoods or picking up fresh flowers at the supermarket isn’t exactly a viable (or safe) option.
Instead, in the coming months I’m going to focus on easy updates I can make to our home using mostly things I already own (or stuff I can order online without leaving my sofa).
There are a few updates I’ve already started, and some I’ve even completed (Yay!).
And those are the exact projects I’m sharing sneak peeks of today as part of the It’s a Colorful Life Spring Home Tour blog hop, hosted by my lovely friends Jennifer and Jewel.
I love being part of blog hops for so many reasons. While everyone participating in this week’s hop has amazing, colorful, and fun style, everyone takes a slightly different approach to spring decorating. So whether it’s easy projects you’re looking for to tackle while you’re social distancing, or adorable tablescapes for your family’s Easter brunch … this blog hop’s got something for everyone!
5 easy projects to freshen up your home this spring
Let’s face it: Social distancing really stinks for lots of reasons. But I’m also a firm believer in trying to find the good in bad situations.
And from my perspective, spending more time indoors means that right now is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at a new home project, or finish up some of the ones you’ve been putting off.
Here are five projects we recently completed around the house, all designed to make our home feel even more fresh and colorful … without requiring tons of our time or money, of course. Because you know how I feel about complicated, expensive home stuff.
Which one of the projects below would you tackle in your own home?
#1: Refresh your area rugs
Okay, so maybe swapping out area rugs doesn’t count as a “project” … but man, buying a new rug is a total game changer for a room.
And who doesn’t love a “project” that makes a big splash, especially if all you had to do was click the “add to cart” button on Amazon?!
{Raises hand.}
Heck, I’ll raise both hands for this one.
I’m a sucker for an easy decor upgrade.
Work smarter, not harder, guys. It applies to everything.
All right, now back to rugs. Take a look at our playroom, for example. I loved the rug we had before, but after owning it for five years it was simply time for a switcharoo.
Here’s the old, colorful rug:
No, there wasn’t anything wrong with it.
But here’s our new black and white rug that really makes all the other colors in the space pop.
I love how it looks in the room (sans the toys scattered everywhere, but that’s life when all four of us are at home together).
I also plan on keeping this rug long after our playroom has been turned into a more “adult” space. Not that we’re ditching the toys anytime soon, but the point is that this rug is neutral, classic, and sophisticated and could work well in just about any room in our home.
I found this black and white striped indoor/outdoor rug on Amazon for a total steal, which made my purchase that much more satisfying.
#2: Try your hand at temporary wallpaper
If you’re totally intimidated by real wallpaper (like the kind you paste to the wall), you’re not alone.
I get it. It’s hard to commit. Wallpaper can feel really permanent, and that makes many of us want to run for the hills.
But if you haven’t given temporary wallpaper a shot, you’re really missing out.
It’s actually super easy to install, and you can easily take it down if you wake up one morning and decide you’re no longer digging the pattern you chose.
I recently completed my second project using temporary wallpaper — I gave our entryway a face lift.
I bought this brand and pattern of wallpaper from Amazon.
There are plenty of stores that sell removable wallpaper, but I’ll say that this particular brand has classic patterns at some of the most affordable prices I’ve seen.
Once upon a time, our entryway looked very “50 shades of gray,” if you will:
It was anything but welcoming.
Now, thanks to a few hours of my time and a couple rolls of wallpaper (plus a new rug), our entryway is much more fun and screams, “Come on in!”
I especially love the way the wallpaper looks as I’m peeking out into the hallway from our dining room:
And here’s the view of our entryway if you’re standing in the playroom:
#3: Go for light and bright
Light and bright is the name of the game when it comes to spring decorating.
And it can be applied in so many different ways.
For me, it meant limewashing our gray faux stone fireplace.
Ever since we moved to our home nearly six years ago, the fireplace always made the room feel dark.
You can see an old version of our living room right here.
Romabio’s limewash came to the rescue, though. We picked up a can of limewash at The Home Depot one Sunday afternoon (you can order it online right here), spent exactly two hours prepping and painting the fireplace, and here was the end result:
So much better, right?!
#4: Add some new artwork
You can never go wrong with adding some new artwork to your walls.
I hung up this gallery wall in our dining room a few years ago, but since then I’ve swapped out a handful of pieces with artwork I’ve stumbled upon and fell in love with.
- Related post: 3 reasons your gallery wall isn’t working (and how to fix it)
- Related post: Four easy rules for a Pinterest-worthy gallery wall
- Related post: Four awesome online shops for affordable wall art
Here’s what the gallery looks like today:
Here’s one more pretty view:
#5: Paint a pattern (on your walls)
If temporary wallpaper isn’t your thing, try your hand at steciling a wall — or even freehanding it!
I recently stenciled an accent wall in my daughter’s bedroom and we all LOVE it.
If you want to see the “before” of her bedroom, check out this post.
- Related post: Tween girl’s bedroom reveal
- Related post: How to use a wall stencil: 5 tips for rocking your next stenciling project
Here’s what her room now looks like, complete with a pretty patterned wall:
I love how the black and white spots look against all the color.
There you have it! Five really easy decorating projects you can tackle while you’re hanging out at home.
Make sure to check out the rest of the fabulous ladies participating in the tour, who I’ve linked to below!
Aline
Saturday 18th of April 2020
Your home looks so lovely. Thanks for the ideas
Kate
Saturday 18th of April 2020
Thank you so much, Aline! I hope you found a fun project to try!
madidearson
Friday 27th of March 2020
I LOVEEEEEE your use of colors! it's brave bold and yet it creates a cozy feeling. The wallpaper is just stunning, it makes such a statement. Thanks for the inspiration.
Kate
Friday 27th of March 2020
Thank you SO much!
Jenna
Thursday 26th of March 2020
I love that wallpaper you used in your entry! It flows perfectly with the dining room - that floral print on the chairs is gorgeous!
Kate
Thursday 26th of March 2020
Thank you, Jenna! I'm so happy with how that wallpaper project turned out...it was just the pop of pattern we needed.
Heather Thibodeau
Wednesday 25th of March 2020
Great ideas Kate. Love your newly limewashed fireplace ❤️
Kate
Wednesday 25th of March 2020
Thank you, Heather! That limewash project was a game changer...I can't believe we waited so long to do it. Better late than never!
Lori Nell
Tuesday 24th of March 2020
It's a beautiful home, Kate. I love love the wallpaper in the entryway. Very inspirational.
Kate
Tuesday 24th of March 2020
Thank you, Lori! We love the wallpaper -- it's so much more fun and welcoming than the very grey entryway we had before.