~easy ways to brighten up your home this winter~

I'll be honest. When it gets dark at 4:15 pm in Seattle in the middle of the winter, I just want to go to bed and binge watch Netflix.

It's dark, it's cold, and bed always sounds like a good solution.

But, If I went to bed at 4:15 every night that would just be weird, so I am taking a few steps to brighten up our home so I don't just want to lay around and be lazy.

Here are a few things I have done in our home, and a few I haven't, but are great examples of how to brighten things up.

Change out your lightbulbs

I like to use bright bulbs but have everything possible on dimmers so you can soften the look.

I prefer WARM LED bulbs for several reasons. They typically cost more, BUT, they last 15+ years. Bonus, no more changing light bulbs every few months. The warm ones {sometimes referred to as "soft" cast a bright glow that won't make your home look like a hospital like the "cool" ones do.

These are the ones I just switched our living room chandelier too and they are so bright and white and it makes the room so much happier.

Add fresh flowers

Instantly your house will feel like spring. I pick up flowers when I go to the grocery store. They don't have to be anything fancy or displayed in a fancy way.

Put some on a coffee table, on a kitchen island, or even in powder rooms.

Remove heavy dark rugs

If you have beautiful hardwood floors, consider rolling up any heavy rugs to create a lighter feel. You can even go so far as to swap them out with lighter colored rugs such as jute.

Paint it

If you want to dive in head first and have extra time on your hands. Consider painting your walls white or a lighter shade than what they currently are. This can make a HUGE difference.

Add in colorful accents

Swap out the pillows on your sofa, add a new piece of artwork with fun colors. Set your table with fun napkins, or add in a bright candle with the scent of summer days to come. All of these things are inexpensive and easy to do to keep your home from feeling gloomy.

Slipcovers-make them white

If you happen to have large pieces of slipcovered furniture such as a sofa or chair, consider swapping out the cover for a white one. They are so easy to keep clean are totally family friendly.

Wash your windows

This may sound silly, but clean windows can make all the difference.

When things are gloomy and rainy or icky outside, having clean windows just feels good. If you have screens on your windows, take those off for the winter to let more light in.

I hope you can take these tips and implement some of them into your own home if you are feeling the winter blues!

{all images from here}

xoxo

from
http://www.mysweetsavannahblog.com/2018/01/easy-ways-to-brighten-up-your-home-this.html