How to Decorate with the seasons

1. When the cold weather arrives, have a collection of cozy, fluffy throws to place on your furniture for snuggling. Remove them or replace with soft cotton or silk throws for warmer months.
2. Remove the toasty down-filled duvet from your bed in the spring and substitute a light cotton matalasse bed cover or a simple cotton blanket.
3. Floral arrangements of pine and holiday colours can be changed for light, colourful ones for the spring and summer. Put away dark brass or pottery containers and bring out clear glass or crystal vases.
4. Change dark-patterned decorative pillows by covering them with fresh, floral prints or plaids for warmer weather. Either change out the pillows with a second set or alternate the decorative covers.
5. If you have a collection of plates on display, put classic holiday designs away for the winter and replace with pretty floral china from grandma.
6. Have your draperies made so they are reversible allowing you to easily turn them from lively to neutral with the seasonal changes.
7. Be sure to put garden magazines and flower books out on the coffee table in the spring and summer. That will help bring the outside in and add color to your interior.

 

Tips:

Keep spring and summer colours and accessories light, both in feel and colour.

Changing with the seasons gives you an opportunity to get out some long-lost pieces and make them the center of attention for a while.

The change of decor can come all at one time, like spring house cleaning, or over a period of several days or weeks. You'll be surprised what a difference just a small change can make.

If winter seems especially long, forget the calendar and get your spring things out even if there's snow on the ground. You may still need the warm blankets, but the look can be light and uplifting.

Recycle your old paint!

 

Anyone who aspires to be truly green will want to extend this to their home, and so when the time comes to redecorate there are lots of ways that you can make environmentally friendly choices for your decorating.

 Get out all your leftover paints and look at them to see what your possibilities are, e.g - Blue and Red make purple! Add colour drop by drop, stirring well after each addition and alternating if you're adding more than one. Dab your paint onto paper or another surface to test, then paint one wall with your new colour and make it the focal point.

Most of the eco-friendly paints on the market are water-soluble and use plant oils such as linseed oil and plant resins to form the paint solution. The pigmentation comes from minerals or plant dyes. Some eco-friendly paints are supplied as powders, which you dilute yourself. This reduces the weight and size of the paint, so the environmental damage from transporting the paint is lessened, and large metal or plastic containers don’t have to be manufactured to hold the paint on its journey from the factory to your home. 

Many of us find we have half a pot of paint sitting in our shed or garage that we no longer need or can’t even remember why we bought it! If you want to donate your paint to a good cause, Community RePaint collects reusable domestic paint in reasonable condition for redistribution to community and voluntary groups, charities and individuals in social need. Visit their website to find the nearest collection point to you.  http://tiny.cc/1rcjd