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From Dreary to Dazzling
Try these tips for bringing spring into your home – now |
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Show off an arrangement of colored glass bottles.
| The calendar tells you it's spring. So why does your home still look dark and heavy? Use these easy ideas to give your place – and your spirits – a springtime lift.
1. Let there be light
If you have a private window that can stand a dressing-down, remove old curtains to let the light flow. Install glass shelves available from Hold Everything, and show off an arrangement of colored glass bottles and vases, set closely together, to create a privacy screen with punch.
Replace old, heavy lampshades with new, lighter styles featuring pleats or folds in creamy silks, or recover an old shade with a cheerful, bright chintz. Replace your white light bulbs with lavender or pink ones for a natural, soft glow. The Shades of Light catalog is an excellent source for shades and lamps.
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2. Create a natural wonder
Forcing branches is a beautiful and easy way to capture spring. Arrange a simple trio of vases containing forsythia or other shrub branches. Purchase dogwood or pear from a local greenhouse or, if you're lucky, get them from your own backyard.
Clip stems and simply place in lukewarm water. Try to find branches at least a foot long, gently mist to move things along, and watch the colorful blooms burst far ahead of schedule. |  |
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Set up an indoor "cold frame." Found at flea markets and garden shops like Smith and Hawken, an A-frame fits on a sofa table or tucks into a corner of the kitchen. These minigreenhouses, created from wood and glass, come in tabletop size and larger. They fit over your plants and cloak them in warmth and humidity ideal for thriving during winter. Many have open spaces at the top for easy watering. Fill with hibiscus, tulips and ivy to make a stylish impression.
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| Design a "tablescape." Inexpensive terra-cotta pots painted white and containing paperwhites, hyacinths and tulips add a cheerful blast of color when set in groups on a coffee table. Add green topiaries in different shapes, and place a vase of pussy willows – a classic harbinger of spring – in the center of your design. Add one or two glass cloches, available from The Bombay Company. Sprinkle natural colored round stones or colored glass pebbles around your pots. Remember that by placing a group of plants together, you create an arrangement with much greater impact. |
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Install a window box – inside. If you have deep set windowsills, set the box directly on the sill. Or scour antique and secondhand shops for a small wire garden table, using it as a base for your box and placing directly under a window. Plants will thrive with the access to direct light.
Before you fill your box with soil and plantings, set in a plastic liner (available at garden shops and hardware stores) to prevent leakage and promote drainage. Or set plants in the box individually, placing each pot on a small tray or plate to catch drips. The Gardener's Supply Company is a complete source of outdoor accessories. |
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| Fast-growing segment
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An all-white set feels refreshing and restful. Photo courtesy of homevisions.com. |
Indulge in extra-soft, 250-count Egyptian cotton sheets. Sheets from Pratesi and Palais Royal are of the very best quality. An all-white set feels refreshing and restful. And while you're at it, buy a down comforter and place it under your mattress pad for the ultimate soft and cozy sleeping experience.
For an instant facelift, peruse catalogs like Horchow, Linen Source, and The Company Store for a matelasse bedspread. Old-fashioned patchwork quilts add personality,too. Use a queen-size spread as a chic slipcover for a chair in your living room, tucking and pulling to create the shape you want. Drape a spread over a round table: instant table skirt. The luxurious weight of matelasse and quilting works wonders on a variety of furniture. |
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| Using a pale plaid or checked silk and a staple gun, re-cover dining room chair seats, or your favorite single chair. Many chairs have seats that are easily removed with a screwdriver. Remove seat, measure, and cut fabric into a shape large enough to tuck edges under. Use a staple gun to attach silk around the seat for an instant change. |
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Roll up your heavy rugs and replace them with a sisal rug. | 4. Room service
Take the smallest room and make the biggest change. For example, transform the look of a tiny powder room by painting walls a creamy ivory or soft white, switching weighty curtains to simple sheers, and hanging a pretty gold mirror over your vanity.
Roll up your rugs! If you're lucky enough to have hardwood floors under your area rugs, why not roll up those heavy things and store them until next fall? Replace with colorful rag rugs for an American or French country look; set down a soothing sisal and watch how it |
| will completely change the room. Many carpet stores offer huge sales in January and February, so now's the time to buy. The Home Decorator's Collection has a fantastic variety of area rugs that will give an instant lift to your room. |
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| Bring outdoor furniture inside. The wrought iron, shabby chic look is popular today, and some pieces can be found for a song at secondhand shops. Ballard Designs also offers many pieces in this style. Vintage wire tables, bird cages, and chairs add a whimsical touch, suitable for any area with spring in mind. Add statuary: a pair of cement globes on the mantel, a "fruit basket" on the floor of your entryway. |
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