Ins and outs of a spring home interior refresh

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • March 5, 2022

It’s almost spring in Southwest Florida and thoughts have turned to cleaning out the old and no longer useful and refreshing our homes.

Along these lines, I wanted to share some the work I’m doing for clients and what they’re are telling me they want most this spring.

As a Bonita Springs-based interior decorator working throughout Southwest Florida, I’m finding that homeowners want a refresh that updates their home. Many of my clients may have been in a home for 20 years and it’s looking a bit dated. Or they’ve just moved to our area and have a pile of furniture from a previous home that may not work. And most of all, they want comfort in their homes. You can do a little or a lot depending upon your budget. Here are a few update tips from recent projects:

• Get rid of entertainment centers. Heavy and mostly unattractive. My clients are saying goodbye.

What we are doing: TV on the wall. Accent pieces or vintage find for console underneath.

Popular handwoven rattan is used in these Avalon dining chairs with Terrace dining table. Tinsley table lamp in white and Sanibel chandelier provide beautiful lighting. Centerpiece is the colorful artwork that brings the room to life. Photo: Serena & Lily. serenaandlily.com

• No more mass-produced, matchy-matchy furniture. Many of us may have started with this years ago. It was affordable and how easy is it to walk into a big box store and order up the “living room or “bedroom”? Now your tastes are more defined and you know what you love.

What we are doing: starting with an investment in a great sofa. You will never be sorry. Then add pieces that don’t all match but work together. Sprinkle in an antique, flea market find or gorgeous accent piece and you have a room that is yours. Then we add gorgeous accessories. It takes some thought about what you like and you will need a plan before you buy anything.

• Say goodbye to the old fashioned hutch in your dining room. This dated staple (and at one time a luxury piece) in our grandparent’s or parent’s homes once showed off a prized China collection. Many were inherited and clients tell me they have an emotional time saying goodbye. These attachments are tough. But here is the thing: if you love it, keep it. If you don’t, send it on to someone who will use it. Remember: your home is not a storage garage for someone else’s memories.

What we are doing: purchasing a beautiful console that will store items that you use for entertaining. We are styling the top with lamps, artwork and some of your favorite possessions.

• Formal living rooms. These really date a home, especially in Southwest Florida where we have that open concept and Florida rooms.

What we are doing: transitioning these rooms into entertainment rooms, dens, offices. Whatever fits into your lifestyle. Something useful rather than a room that you just pass through.

What’s hot and what’s not in interior decorating

If you’re in the process or thinking about updating your home, here are a few tips to consider.

• Hot: Bonita Springs interior designer Diane Torrisi of Diane Torrisi Designs tells me that she’s seeing a significant trend in the use of hardwood flooring.

“Some of the things we have been lead to believe about the use of hardwood flooring in this part of the country, are just not true, “Torrisi says.

“They are beautiful and timeless. Not easily damaged. Contrary to the myth, they can be used in a kitchen. Are not too expensive and they do not require high maintenance. It’s an option to tile that homeowners are exploring and using.”

• Not: Carpet. Homeowners are ripping out carpeting by the truckloads. I know, you like the feel of carpet under your feet in a bedroom. But keep in mind, carpet is a haven for allergens and they become airborne every time you walk on your carpet. Instead, hardwood or luxury vinyl and area rugs.

• Hot: Rattan. It’s readily available at different price points and it works beautifully with other furniture. Think dining chairs, two matching chairs with a sofa, pendants. It’s a nice, fresh update.

• Hot: Colorful artwork. It offsets the sea of beige that we are seeing in homes.

• Hot: Painting and reupholstering old furniture to give it a new life.

• Hot: Skipping the entry mirror because there is no rule that you must have one! Instead, hang a beautiful piece of art.

• Not: Black matte faucets. They may look trendy now but give them a few months.

• Not: Accent walls.

• Hot: A wall covered in grass cloth or wall covering.

• Hot: Wrapping rooms in bold color.

• Hot: Paint your baseboards. A refresh that won’t cost much and is a perfect spring project.

And because it’s spring, power wash the exterior of your home and the walkway.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Refresh and renew your home for spring

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • May 2, 2020

While we were busy figuring out how to save ourselves from a pandemic, spring quietly arrived without any fanfare. It was lost between the stay-at-home directive, self-quarantining and worrying about where we were headed.

Usually a time of refreshing and renewal for ourselves and our homes, this annual ritual was a big blur this year. The good news: it’s not too late. And we need it. More than ever.

Thibaut’s Russell Square wallpaper brings a fresh, new look to a room with a pretty green tone. Trending now, green is a color of harmony and health. Photo Credit: Thibaut Design. Details: www.thibautdesign.com

We’ve spent more time at home than we ever dreamed possible. We’re tired of nonstop bad news and we’re just plan tired. We have worried about friends, family, ourselves, the economy, our jobs, our savings and the future. Zoom meetings have become a way of life and they are exhausting. We even decorate the Zoom backgrounds with pretty pictures to cheer ourselves up.

We could use a haircut. We wonder if the shelves at Publix will ever be fully stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It’s hard to focus and tough to even make it all the way through a book. What we always wanted, more time at home, isn’t so great when you’re wondering about what our future holds.

And we’ve cleaned and cleaned. It gives us some control. We’ve decluttered every drawer and closet. Planted flowers in our yards. Repaired everything that was on our to-do list. Mostly.

And now that we’re seeing parks and beaches reopen, we have a glimmer of hope that things are ever-so-slowly and cautiously starting to ease us into something that will become our new normal. What that will be, we have no idea right now. And we still have to be careful.

But it’s still spring. And spring brings hope. Because we have been spending so much time at home, let’s rethink what our homes need to give us in terms of comfort, privacy, hygiene and safety. Something to nourish our spirit.

Find an outdoor space

More than ever, we need the outdoors. Whether you have a huge lanai or a tiny apartment patio or balcony, create a space for yourself. Before we began staying at home, a friend called me about her tiny patio in a small condo. We were able to make it look great by using: a bench, a chair, small round table, a basket of flowers, a rug and a lantern. All purchased from Home Goods in an hour. She has coffee, reads, works on her laptop and rests in this happy space.

Color changes everything

Beautiful shades of green are a huge trend right now. No surprise. It’s the color of harmony and health that has long been thought to revitalize our body and mind. It balances our emotions and leaves us feeling safe and secure. It also gives us hope, with promises of growth and prosperity, and it provides a little bit of luck to help us along the way. We could all use that.

Some of my clients tell me they only want calm, muted colors now. Others are asking for color palettes that are bold. We know that you get the most decorating value for your money by changing the paint color so think about what you are craving. You may be surprised at how your color preferences have changed.

Time to switch things out

Spring is always a great time to replace a few things. But how do you know when it’s time? Some general guidelines:

• Kitchen sponges (yikes): every 2-4 weeks.

• Bathroom towels: Every two years. Repurpose them by donating to an animal shelter.

• Bathmats: Wash weekly. Replace every year or two.

• Pillows: Replace after two years (or sooner).

• Sheets: Replace every two years. Wash frequently in cold water.

• Mattresses: 8-10 years. You know when it’s time.

• Smoke alarm batteries: twice a year. Now is a good time.

Plants: bring some fresh air into your home

These are inexpensive, easy to find (grocery store or home improvement stores) and will make you feel better. They purify the air and don’t need a lot of light: snake plant, heartleaf philodendron (I like these in a shower if there is a window), golden pothos, ferns.

Also, for healing, energy and maybe even good luck, try a bamboo plant.

Lavender in a clay pot will help you sleep at night. I found these at potterybarn.com

Welcome spring. Will life ever be the same? Not likely. Everything is still a bit upside down and will be for a while. For now, just hold on as things unfold. Stay safe. Wash your hands. And take a nap.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail . For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog