By Guest Contributor, Ivan Meade
Spring is the season of renewal and hope; we love the feeling of the sun kissing our face after a long, cold winter.
It’s also a great time to reinvigorate our spaces with colour.
Here is a list of easy ways to update and elevate your space that don’t require a big budget.
A Welcoming Entry
Painting your front door is an inexpensive and easy way to create a bold and lasting impression. It sets the tone for the interior of your home and expresses your personality in a way that is often overlooked. Have fun with it! Support local by checking out the gorgeously curated selection of paint colours from Farrow & Ball, available at Bespoke.
Statement Pillows
Pillows are always a great way to infuse colour and personality into your living room and bedroom; and they do not have to be a big investment. Colours like Terracotta, Navy Blue, Maroon, Jade, and Brown can be a good base for accents in soft shades of pastel pinks, turquoise, mint or a buttery yellow.
Lamps
Give your lamps new life! Change your lamp shades. Update them with a new pop of colour, or modify your existing one; the simple task of adding a beautiful trim can really add personality.
Accent Wall
You can create a strong focal point in your space by changing or creating an accent wall. Painting the wall in a unique color; using a bold, memorable wallpaper with a fun motif; or, for textural interest, create a cool pattern with trim and paint everything out in a single colour. This could be a great weekend activity while you listen to your favorite podcast.
Art
Hang a new piece of art on your new accent wall and move things around. You can get creative and paint a big round canvas with geometric or organic forms in a palette that compliments your pillow selection and new lampshades.
If creating art scares you, you can always support a local artist and commission a new piece for your space. If you are a fan of frequent updates (or have a fear of commitment), there is the option to rent an art piece for a period of time. The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has a rental program, which is a good way to support local business and the arts, while bringing a new conversation piece into your home.
Reupholster
To further the transformation, consider reupholstering your dining chairs in a cool fabric – you can even DIY it; you only need a couple of yards of fabric, a commercial grade stapler, a good pair of scissors, and your favorite tunes to sing while you do this task.
Antiques
I love antiquing! You never know what you are going to find next. There is beauty in the past, not everything has to be new. You can find decorative objects; candle holders, glass pieces, art and so much more at very affordable prices. You can make a day of it – drive up-island hitting all of the antique shops, having a nice lunch somewhere with an amazing view.
Flowers
To finish the look, you can add a beautiful dried floral bouquet from Rook & Rose in that ‘new to you’ vase you just found antiquing.