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Budget Decorator: 16 Fab Spring Updates for Very Little Green

Turn your fancy to low-cost enhancements this spring, for a freshly decorated home you'll fall in love with

Laura Gaskill March 29, 2013

Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers

Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More

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With the sun shining, flowers blooming and gardens bounding to life, it's natural to crave a little spring update around the house. These doable paint projects, mini pick-me-ups and fresh ways of working with what you have will update your home for spring — and won't break the bank.

Polsky Perlstein Architects

1. Paint stair risers a rainbow of hues. You won't be able to help smiling when you climb the stairs each day if they are painted in such a cheerful range of colors. For the best effect, choose colors that are all similar in tone: pastels, clear midtone colors or deep and rich.

Eclectic Home Office Eclectic Home Office

2. Brighten up with yellow, glass or Lucite. Sunshine yellow and clear materials that let the light through help interiors shine. Try adding a lemon-yellow lamp or stool, or a table in glass or clear Lucite — just one fresh item can really wake up your home.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist

3. Give your balusters the ombré treatment. Paint in several gradient shades of one hue will quickly transform those little posts holding up the handrail on your stairs into the focal point of the room.

Tara Bussema

4. Use a garden urn indoors. Add a breath of fresh air to your bedroom with a green plant tucked into a petite concrete urn — it's less expected than a typical flowerpot and hints at the garden outdoors.

The Hunted Interior

5. Borrow dishes to display jewelry. Style your dresser by placing a few pretty dishes or bowls of jewelry atop a stack of favorite books.

Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist

6. Paint your dining chairs — and don't be afraid to mix it up. Break up that boring, matched dining set by painting the chairs in several different colors that work together. Try pale aqua and cream, as shown here, or a mix of pastels or brights for a more adventurous look.

Take it further: Paint your ceiling, too, just like the designer of this space did.

7. Cover your books. While it would be impractical to cover an entire wall of books, a single shelf can be enhanced by covering the books in beautiful paper. If you want to show what is inside, add file labels to the spines and neatly write the titles.

Lucy Interior Design

8. Put a bird on it. Nothing says spring like little birds, so go ahead and scoop up the next bird ornament, sculpture or art print that catches your eye.

Corynne Pless

9. Try a big tray on the dining table. Create an inviting tableaux by loading up an oversize tray with a mix of dinnertime essentials (napkins, plates, a crock of utensils), fresh flowers, candles and something purely fun — like the cow sculpture shown here.

Laura Collins Design

10. Decorate with fruit and flowers. A bowl of lemons is so cheerful (and cheap!), and spring flowers like tulips and daffodils are less expensive and more readily available while they are in season. Scoop up a bunch of lemons and whichever flowers are on sale the next time you go to the market.

Hide & Sleep Interior Design

11. Repaint kids' furniture. If the thought of painting furniture sounds daunting, try starting with a small piece — say, one from your child's room. On a dresser this petite, you may even have the courage to experiment with a cool effect, like the color gradient shown here.

Anthropologie

Marmara Knob - $12

12. Replace knobs on drawers and cabinets. This takes all of five minutes and can make your furniture feel brand new. I love the variety of knobs at Anthropologie, and the sale bins often hold some of the best treasures.

Tip: If you are shopping in store, be sure to bring along one of your old knobs to match the size and placement of holes.

Hide & Sleep Interior Design

13. Make DIY tape art. This fun, easy project would be perfect for a kid's room. Collect an assortment of washi or other paper craft tapes, and start tearing and taping away. Stick with simple shapes, like the houses shown here, and letters for the best effect.

Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies

White Porcelain Urn Flower Vase - $8.99

14. Scoop up a new vase or two. One great find, like these porcelain urn vases, can do wonders to spruce up your space. They're less than $10 apiece!

Kristy Kropat Design GmbH

15. Hang colorful kitchen towels. Changing the colors and patterns of your tea towels each season is a quick and easy way to update the kitchen.

Leverone Design, Inc.

16. Place bud vases in unexpected spots. Get the most out of a single bouquet by cutting a few stems short and placing them in bud vases throughout the house. Try one by each sink, on bedside tables, on your desk and on a bookcase, tucked in among the books.

Comment13

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kaye cie

i love painting to update furniture- especially digging the gradient effect... just painted this one that i'd found on the street, and lives on our porch. used some old house paint mixed with white primer. be sure to sand or strip the piece properly to start, otherwise the paint won't wear as well, and might chip or peel with use.

6 Likes April 1, 2013 at 8:36PM

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kaye cie

here's another street find turned useful furniture. and, old metal items can look good as new with a coat of spray paint... just remember to get most of the rust off first- paint doesn't stick well to rust!