Tips to Give Your Home a Fresh Spring Face

The sun shines later, the breeze blows warmer and all of winter's muddy messes are slowly melting into the the background. Take advantage of this seasonal transition with a few tips on ways to make the most of this year's spring-cleaning.

• Paint your walls. A fresh coat of paint will brighten any room in less than an hour. Paint your walls a warm color such as light-orange or butter-yellow to make your rooms feel sunny and warm.

• Paint or re-stain your front door. This will give your entry a fresh, new and welcoming look for visitors.

• Remove heavy wool rugs. Replace heavier rugs with natural or woven ones that will lighten the feel of a room. Try sisal, coir or natural cotton or one of the new indoor/outdoor rugs on the market.

• Clean your windows. Have all of the windows in your house professionally cleaned inside and out. It is amazing how much fresher your home will appear to you and others.

• Spruce up your landscaping. Clean up old leaves and weeds, add new mulch and plant some colorful flowers in your landscape's beds.

• Bring in the sunshine. Add a large mirror or a collage of mirrors to your wall to reflect sunlight and brightness into a dark room.

• Add a relaxing spot. Place a bench or a couple of Adirondack chairs on your front porch or lawn to welcome guests or to enjoy your morning coffee as you start your day.

• Clear out the clutter. Spruce-up rooms by removing small objects or discarding those that aren't needed. Get rid of anything you don't want or don't use. You'll be surprised how quickly your home starts to feel fresher once it's clean.

• Remove heavy window treatments. Replace heavy curtains with cotton panels, translucent blinds or shades. This will let the sun in yet, still provide privacy for your home.

• Add a new, bright welcome mat. The entry of your home will just ooze of spring weather and also say a warm hello to guests and visitors.