Spring Cleaning: Decorating Ideas to Give Your Home a Fresh Start

When I was a kid, I used to squint at cob webs and pretend they were tiny clouds where magical, glorious creatures resided; so when spring cleaning time came around, I would go to any lengths to protect my precious "kingdom." As an adult, those mysterious "creatures" can't be sucked up through a vacuum hose fast enough. So much for childhood fantasies!

Spring cleaning can be a down-trodden, dust-filled chore, but not if you change it up with some seasonal redecorating- or at least disguise the horrid task with some great tunes, a glass of wine or two, and some bright new pieces for your little castle.

If you're going to go to all the trouble of taking down the curtains for a trip to the cleaners, why not try a new, lighter set of sheers for spring and summer? Add some accenting pillows, throw some spring flowers in a vase and presto-chango, it's Spring!

Grab your bottle, er- glass of wine and let's check out the bed n' bath…

Walk right past those hall closets! Spring cleaning closets is a show all its own, with a different bottle of wine. It's an all day project and who knows, the Oprah staff might want to cast you for their "Help Me, I'm Being Swallowed Up By My Closet" episode! So we'll hold off on that for another blog post…

Washing comforters/duvet covers is such a torturous task. It causes sweating and temporary blindness as you bunch it up around your face, carrying it to the laundry room, trying to avoid dragging more dirt along the way. Who needs the aggravation? My advice is to drop your soiled friends off at the cleaners and hop online to browse the latest spring bedding fashions! At Walmart you can change out your bedding set for under $100. I like to add a new picture or mirror and a set of fresh-scented colorful candles for a complete spring makeover! ColonialCandle has a splendid array of scents and colors and usually has a discount on their "Candle of the Month."

Throw rugs have their name for a reason: throw them in the washer, or throw them on the back patio, but do change them out from spring to fall for a fresh, new look. Home Depot has some great selections, as does The Great Indoors under "Area Rugs."

Now for the bathroom spring change-up! I like a good, fluffy towel where I can go into my child's imagination again and pretend I'm on vacation, staying in a luxurious hotel. Clean white towels accented with spring colored hand towels and matching bathroom trinkets can turn your bathroom from a dull visit to a full-on spa experience. Don't be afraid to bring nature in, too. One of my friends has a gorgeous display of stones at the base of his tub, giving it an urban Zen look. I recommend keeping the stones clean and polished, however. You want Zen, not Dirty Creek.

Now it's time to sit back, relax and admire your freshly updated, spring-cleaned home and you guessed it, finish off that glass of wine.

Wait…is that a cob web? Noooooooo!