01904 481 101
January and February in the UK are the coldest months but the days are already getting longer. The first few flowers are even emerging in our gardens but we still feel that Spring is a long way off. That’s why now is a good time to get ahead of the game and get our homes spring-ready.
Here are our top tips to prepare for Spring:
- Clean up all the windows and let the light in
- Hide Christmas sparkle and tidy up Xmas leftovers
- Go colour shopping
- Invest in flowers and vases
- Give your windows a makeover
- Upgrade your furnishings
Clean up all the windows and let the light in
Whilst the days are short & the sun in short supply we often don’t notice the windows. But if you look closely you can notice stains, bird, mess, and nose prints. What about those cute little paw prints if you happen to have a pet. Clean inside and out! Why leave it behind, just put some gloves on, get some cleaning fluid, and some paper towels and wipe the windows clean. And best of all, clean windows will let a bit more sunshine in.
We will share our foolproof method of how we clean our showroom window!
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- Choose a dry, cloudy day. We don’t want the window cleaner to dry before we get to wipe it off
- Remove loose dirt and dust with a brush or vacuum!
- Choose your grime busting weapon of choice. We like HG Window Cleaner from Amazon.
- Use NEWSPAPER or COFFEE FILTERS with your window cleaner. (Paper towels leave too much lint)
- Use a squeegee if they are big panes, but skip this step if they are small as with the drip factor it could be too much effort.
Hide Christmas sparkle and tidy up Xmas leftovers
Let’s be honest, who hasn’t got bags of decorations still waiting to return to the loft or garage? And you’ll still be finding needles dropped by the Christmas tree in the most unlikely places. With undoubtedly gloomy, damp and dull weather outside, this is a great time to declutter and tidy up the inside of your home.
Remember when it comes to decluttering you should go through one area at a time. A single drawer, a single wardrobe and a single room. From here, we recommend to try and sort everything into three categories :
1.) Keep where it was
2.) Put somewhere else
3.) Get rid of it.
The next steps are the easy bits, put everything in the, “Put back where it was” pile back into its home, nicely organised and neat. Put everything in the “Put it somewhere else” category in it’s new designated place and the third pile is self-explanatory, it’s time for a visit to your local charity shop.
Go colour shopping
Spring is symbolised by a whole palette of colours that can lighten up and freshen your home. January and February are a great time to look for inspiring new shades. It also gives you enough time to get a decorator in or to plan your own DIY efforts. Once Spring actually arrives you’ll be wanting to get outdoors more – leaving you less time to brighten up your walls.
You’ll be surprised how quickly you can transform your home and make it Spring-ready with wallpaper and coordinating paints.
Invest in flowers and vases
Your garden will still be cold, muddy and dormant, but early springtime flowers are just becoming available. This means it makes perfect sense to fill your home with the scent and colour of fresh flowers and foliage. Luckily for us, house plants have diversified a substantial amount over recent years, offering a broad range of flowers, leafy foliage and even some ferns. The desire to create our own personalised green oasis at home is now easier than ever. Use stabilised moss, ferns and large living plants to instantly provide a boost of glamour to a room, and to clean the air, we breathe. Welcome nature into your home this year with your favourite plants.
Give your windows a makeover
In winter thick warm curtains have their place, helping us keep our homes cosy and draught free. But Spring calls for a lighter more airy look. So if you are looking for the perfect look, rather than ready-made curtains from a supermarket, now is the time to be doing your research. Pop into your local interiors shop or speak with an interior designer to find out what will look great in your home. If you act now your windows can have a completely personal, new look in time for Spring.
Upgrade your furnishings
During winter the lack of light and the use of throws means we don’t always see our furniture the way it really is. But in the bright light of Spring a sagging sofa or squashed or grubby cushions become all too obvious. To avoid that, now’s the time to carefully inspect furnishings and plan ahead. Do you want to budget for a new sofa, or do you want to give your existing furniture a new life? Either way, now is the time to act because re-upholstery or ordering new furniture can take time.
Finally, thinking about your Spring home at this time of year means you’ll get ahead of the game. Waiting for the clocks to go forward could mean that you’ll miss the boat.
Find out more
If you need help colour shopping, or you want to spruce up your decor before the clocks go forward, now is the time to get expert help at Fabric Gallery & Interiors. You can visit our showroom 6 days a week (Mon-Sat). There is free parking on our doorstep at 13 York Street, Dunnington, YORK YO19 5PN.
But if you’d like to arrange an appointment with Bronia, our Chief Designer, to discuss your requirements in depth please call our showroom on 01904 481101.
We look forward to seeing you soon.