While you may love the bright reds and greens of the holiday season or the lush lilacs and blues of spring and summer, making them the foundation of a room’s design can leave the decor feeling out-of-step when the seasons change. By starting out with a foundation of neutral colors in walls, flooring and furnishings, you can add colorful and seasonally appropriate accents.

Updating your decor to complement the season is as simple as focusing on a few key areas.

Lighting
It’s easy to overlook, but lighting is a key element in room design, and one that needs to change with the season.

In spring and summer, when sunshine is abundant and the days are longer, you can rely more on natural light. During warm months, you may only need artificial light late in the evening, when the advanced hour makes soft, muted light appropriate. Winter’s shorter days and weaker sunlight lead to greater dependence on artificial light throughout the day, so your lighting design should include options that can be used throughout the day.

Most rooms will benefit from a mixture of overhead lighting, floor lamps, wall sconces and table lamps.

Walls
While neutral-hued walls make a versatile background for virtually any design, don’t be afraid to spice things up with seasonal touches. Repositionable wall covering options like SmartStick from MuralsYourWay.com, make it possible to create a seasonal look with a wall mural – and then remove it and replace it with something different when the season changes.

A patented adhesive allows you to easily place the removable wallpaper on virtually any smooth, flat surface, from windows to walls. You can pull it down, reposition it elsewhere, even fold it up and store it in a drawer for use next year. A wide variety of designs mean you can find something to fit your seasonal decor, and if you don’t see anything you like, you can customize by submitting your own original photo through the website.

Flooring
If your floor is wood or you have a newer home with builder-installed carpet, you probably already have a neutral palette to work with. Adding seasonal flair to floors is as simple as adding or removing area rugs.

Area rugs in rich tones can warm up a room during winter months – especially when wood floors can feel cold underfoot. You can even add an accent rug in evergreen or crimson to underscore your holiday decor.

In warm months, when your family spends more time outdoors, a more durable area rug, positioned near entryways can help keep soil, grass clippings and other debris off your carpet or floor.

Accessories
From window treatments to wall art, accessories are an easy, great way to create a seasonal look in any room.

In winter, when you want to keep out the chill, choose heavier drapes in colors that inspire warmth and comfort. For autumn or spring, when you want to welcome in sunlight, lighter, sheerer options can be appropriate. And in summer, when you’ll rely on blinds to block out hot midday sun, pastels and lighter fabrics can be a soothing foil to the utilitarian appearance of blinds.

Just as you change your own wardrobe to stay in step with the seasons, updating your home decor seasonally can help make your home feel welcoming and comfortable. Fortunately, it’s easy to keep your home decor in tune with the seasons when you make a few updates that are easy to change with the season.

The post Easy-to-Change Seasonal Decorating Ideas first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Paint
Color has an enormous effect on mood and it greatly influences the atmosphere of a room. Neutral and white walls can feel stark and cold during the winter months, so consider warming them up with rich hues like those found in Dutch Boy’s 2011 holiday palette. Yellow Springs, Reservoir Red and Loden Wool will create the perfect cozy feel, and accents of Ultra White will make your new colors stand out even more. “The warmth of this light yellow is reminiscent of lights glowing on the tree, popcorn strands strung, or light from the candles set on the mantel,” says Rachel Skafidas, color and design specialist for Dutch Boy Paints. “It’s the perfect backdrop for a deep, traditional red and mistletoe green.” And don’t stop at paint – incorporate these colors into other decor elements for a festive feel throughout the home.

Rugs
Hardwood and natural stone floors have become extremely popular in the past several years, but these options can be cold and unpleasant underfoot in the wintry months. Adding rugs in visible areas will instantly give any room a more inviting look, as well as warmer feet on cold winter mornings. Experiment with different sizes, styles, shapes and designs throughout the home. You might even consider switching out current kitchen and bathroom rugs for more seasonal choices to give these rooms a festive appeal.

Lighting
Now that winter is here and days are shorter, depending on natural sunlight to brighten a room past mid-afternoon is no longer an option. But instead of harsh white ceiling lights, give your home a cozy glow with strategically placed lamps, candle sconces and wall lights. A variety of light sources creates a welcoming feel that still allows occupants to entertain or read comfortably. A trip to any home improvement store will prove there are endless possibilities to light your home, with many unique and easy-installation options to choose from.

Accessories
It’s the little things that can make the biggest difference, and accent items have a great effect on the ambiance of your home. From decorative sofa pillows, to festive candles, to holiday table runners, the details of a room determine its mood. If you’re feeling creative, many home and craft magazines have hundreds of ideas for do-it-yourself wreaths, centerpieces, wall hangings and other accents. And appealing to other senses with a pine-scented candle or seasonal bowl of potpourri will instantly make a room more inviting.

No matter what your budget or decorating experience, you can give your home a cozy, comforting feel easily and affordably. Using these tips, you’ll be ready to enjoy the great indoors in no time at all.

The post Four Easy Ways to Warm Up your Home Decor first appeared on The How Do Gardener.