(ARA) – Everyone will agree: This winter was long, hard and ugly. Chances are you’re looking for something to make things seem a little less dreary now that spring is making its appearance. And there’s no better place to start than with your home’s interior.
“Brightening up your living space is one of the best ways to embrace the change of seasons after a seemingly endless winter,” says Rachel Skafidas, color and design specialist for Dutch Boy Paints. “In particular, the introduction of crisp, new paint color throughout your home can usher in an almost instantaneous feeling of renewal to your surroundings.”
What’s best, adding revitalizing color doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.
“One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to give a room an entirely new appearance is with paint,” Skafidas notes. “For a few dollars and within a few hours, any space can take on a completely updated look and feel. This year, Dutch Boy has made it even easier by creating a special palette of four spring-inspired colors to help simplify your seasonal design projects.”
From the blue hues of early spring skies to the vibrant greens bursting outside your windows, you can effortlessly incorporate springtime nature into your home, whether you’re painting walls, trim or looking for accent colors that pop. This year’s spring color palette includes: Pursuit of Happiness, Fresh Linen, Weathered Wicker and Aubusson Vine.
Capture it with color
After enduring months of gray, dull weather, nothing revives a room more than a paint color named Pursuit of Happiness. This neutral, grayed blue offers a cool, refreshing feel to any space when combined with a warm, welcoming neutral, such as Fresh Linen. Together the pairing creates a perfectly balanced blend that can uplift any winter-weary interior.
“Spring rejuvenation reaches beyond painting walls,” Skafidas says. “Just like the blooming flowers and greenery in your yard, brilliant accent colors can inject energy into every aspect of your home. For example, consider using paint to showcase unique architectural detailing, such as intricate trim and molding, built-in bookcases and shelves, as well as door panels.”
Skafidas suggests two Dutch Boy hues as ideal decorating accents, the warm gold-infused brown of Weathered Wicker and the rich green of Aubusson Vine. Both colors echo the growth occurring outside.
Explore other senses
Beyond paint color, take into consideration other design elements found in nature that can also have a significant impact on an interior space, one of which is texture. If your budget allows a few small changes beyond painting, consider removing heavy, winter-warming materials, such as damask or velvet, from the room and look to lighter, airier textiles. Heavy draperies can be replaced with sheerer window coverings that allow sunshine to filter through. Cover a dark sofa with a slipcover made from linen or lightweight cotton. Even smaller items such as candle holders, picture frames and lampshades can be interchanged as the new season approaches and then easily and quickly replaced when the weather once again turns colder.
In addition to color and texture, springtime is filled with lively, invigorating aromas. Rather than using an artificial fragrance in your home, bring an actual piece of the season’s essence inside by investing in bunches of fresh daffodils, hyacinths and tulips – or cut them from your own flowerbeds. Place vases of them around your house and you’ll quickly discover the instantaneous and mood-lifting effect fresh flowers can have on any room.
“The transition to spring is always a much-welcomed one, perhaps even more so after this year’s harsh winter,” Skafidas says. “By using nature’s rebirth as your redecorating guide, you can easily turn your interior space into a haven that boosts your spirits and accurately reflects the new season blooming outside your front door.”