After a dark and dreary winter, we are all ready to dust off those old fabrics and deep tones to let in some sunlight. Spring-cleaning is meant to declutter and brighten a room and spring redecorating is meant to lighten your home and let in the breath of fresh, warm air that you’ve been begging for since December. It may seem extreme to change the décor to fit the season but it is all about how you feel and being in a freshly-painted room is one of the best feelings around.
When you go about choosing styles and design schemes, though, you want to keep in mind that there are many ways to take the bright, warm tones of spring to the wrong place. The worst outcome of a spring makeover is that your entire house begins to resemble an Easter egg. So take stock of your plans by following these tips and keep spring as light and cheery as you intended.
Picking the Right Paint Colors
As stated before, it is easy to go to pastel with a spring remodel and end up looking as if Easter threw up; you want to stick with tones that are light but still somewhat neutral. When you think spring, you think of the outside and of newly blossoming nature. That is what you want your color schemes to mimic.
Think of the pale blue that the sky will be all spring long or the lovely pale yellow of a newly blossomed flower. Lavender is always a staple spring color and is the perfect mix between a floral yet calming tone. In general, you just want your colors to brighten up the space, which can even be done with neutrals such as a light gray or even different varieties of white.
Sometimes we want to go overboard with our paint by trying to jam as much color as we can into the room; however, let the paint be the subtle pop of color while your furniture accents can carry the weight of the more pungent tones. And a tip that you should definitely follow is to buy a smaller amount of the paint you choose first so that you can test out the colors inside your home first before committing to the color and the larger amount.
How to Prepare the Space
A lot of times, we get excited for change and forget to properly set up for the task at hand. With painting, it is even more important because the color could potentially ruin items that you have in the room already or possibly the beautiful wood floor that you just had stained. Because of this you want to be sure to always line the borders of your wall with tape to not only make sure that you color within the lines, but so you have nice clean edges in the final product. You may also want to put a tarp down in case of a splatter incident or the occasional paint fight.
You should also prep the room by removing any hardware on the walls such as wall sockets, plug covers, and door knobs. Anything that you don’t want to get the paint color on should be removed completely just in case.
How to Get the Best Results
Don’t rush the process. If you need three coats, then you should take the time to do them, and if you aren’t happy with the initial color, then you should replace it. A springtime paint change should leave you feeling refreshed and positive rather than second-guessing your choices and style.
Enjoy the process, embrace the beautiful springtime energy, and get painting!