Out With The Old, In With The New
Spring cleaning isn’t a new concept. You sift through all the things you’ve acquired over autumn and winter, and you start anew with a more organized home. But in order to accumulate these things, you must do a little of what we like to call fall decorating.
One of the best ways to transition into the colder seasons (besides making more hot chocolate and buying an abundance of sweaters) is to decorate your home with fall and winter decor. Use this time of the year to pack up all your bright-colored decorations and furniture, and turn to darker neutrals, deep reds, and moss greens, perhaps even some golden yellows - think the colors you see on changing leaves.
The first addition to your newly-decorated home should be a rug, simply because it’s easiest to build your other decor around this central focal point. Since you’ll most likely be spending more time indoors during these colder seasons, you’ll need a more durable rug.
Jute - which is a strong fiber made from plants - is one of the best materials for a fall and winter rug, because not only is it eco-friendly, but it has water-repelling properties for those little spills. Try the Mustard Seed Jute Rug to brighten up an otherwise dark room or the Salem Jute Rug to tone down any bright walls or decor you may have.
Mustard Seed Jute Rug
Salem Jute Rug
And even though it’s not the season of spring cleaning, be sure to stay adamant about cleaning your rugs so you can pack them up at the end of the season and reuse them instead of having to toss them because they go too dirty. Does this mean you have to take a steam cleaner to your rug every week? Absolutely not. In fact, it’s only necessary to deeply clean your rug right before you replace it with your spring and summer rug. Instead, simply vacuum twice a week to maintain appropriate cleanliness.
Once you’ve selected your rug (or multiple rugs if you have a rather large living space), it’s time to decorate around it. Choose some heavy drapes to add to the coziness of your new space. The rule of thumb is if your rug has multiple colors, go with neutral drapes. But if you’ve chosen a single-colored rug, you can get more adventurous with the drapes.
Advantage III Drapery Panels
If you’d prefer to bypass drapes, but still want some coverage for your windows, opt for bamboo shades. But be forewarned, once you make the switch to bamboo shades, you’ll never want to go back to cheap, plastic shades ever again (which is actually a good thing). The best thing about bamboo shades is the natural light they let in as well as the fact that because of their decorative quality, they look good alone or with drapes.
Premium Bamboo Shades
Switching out all of your decor after the summer may seem unnecessary, but you’ll be surprised how much cozier your home will feel when you fill it with new rugs and window fixings.
