Pace yourself as you engage in the ultimate home spring rite – the refresh

On a recent, warm spring day, I looked around our home and was dismayed to see that many things looked worn and tired in the bright light.  Often, we are distracted and don’t take the time to look at our homes with fresh eyes. Spring is the perfect time for that and for a refresh. 

To stay on task, I usually make a list and work through it. A list keeps you organized and allows you to prioritize your tasks.  It’s often challenging, because I’d much rather pick out new fabric than have my oil burner cleaned. 

But the oil burner and duck work needed cleaning, the windows washing, the bathroom some regrouting and the slipcovers sent out. The list went further:  It was time to redo some of the wallpaper in two of our bathrooms, and a few chairs need to be reupholstered and updated. Also, the jute rug needed to be replaced and some of the rooms painted.  

Sometimes our homes need a larger overhaul, and a renovation could be in order or, at the very least, a room at a time needs to be completely redone.  Renovations take much longer to work through so often we put a Band-Aid on the problem until we can really get into the details and cost of the project. I often advise new homeowners that they may have many challenges ahead of them, so first create a livable space and then prioritize the projects that are most pressing, tackling them one at a time or until more funds are available. Slowing down the process is not a poor decision. It often gives you the time to think about the renovation and to decide more carefully what your needs are from a particular space.   

When you are redoing a new space, it gives you the chance to be a little trendier and add some color or some newer style furnishings to replace some items that are not salvageable.  Too trendy however, might not be the best idea if it’s jarringly different from your other furnishings. A little mix and match can be fun, though.  

Since the pandemic, many people have relocated from the city to the suburbs and vice versa. Both take getting used to even if you have lived in the other location before. Many city people moving to the “burbs” are surprised at the amount of time it takes to maintain and decorate their homes. Moving to the suburbs definitely increases your workload, because you have both indoors and outdoors to maintain.  If you are fortunate enough to afford crews for lawn and garden care and house maintenance, it still takes time to schedule and oversee the projects.  Most homeowners who relocate to a city or apartment from the suburbs are usually thrilled no longer to have that responsibility.   

Sometimes a fresh paint job, a reset dining room table and an armful of flowers put into vases are all the refresh you need.  Changing out your flowers and plants with the seasons automatically makes your rooms feel updated. Some clients also like to refresh with new throws and pillows. In the past, it was common to store wool Persian carpets and roll out sisal/jute rugs for the summer.  Fresh slipcovers on the heavier upholstered pieces were also de rigueur for the heat of the summer months in the South. These contribute to a cool, comfortable look that also lightens the spirit. (Of course, nothing can be more deadening to the spirit than to be a slave to the seasons, so don’t be afraid to tweak rather than bulldoze.) 

Still, the least exciting thing you can do to your homes is to decorate them and then never move an object for the next 20 years.  Houses like to live, too. Fresh air should waft through your home, and objects should be moved, maintained and changed. This keeps a house alive and happy.  The inhabitants will enjoy the house so much more, too. And memories will be become more meaningful. 

Cami Weinstein Designs LLC has offices in Manhattan and East Hampton. Contact her info@camidesigns.com or 914-447-6904.