Lighten and brighten for spring

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Q: It's still cold outside where I live, and I'm feeling depressed. I think taking on a home-decorating project will help me beat the blues until the weather warms up. Any ideas?A: Sounds like you've got a textbook case of spring fever. Every year at this time, I get the same symptoms. I scour the garden for bulbs peeking out of the frozen ground and strain to hear the songs of birds returning for the season. But when Mother Nature isn't cooperating, I do some intensive "decorating therapy." And this time of year, there is no more liberating interior-design project than flipping your house for spring. Here's how.PACK UP WINTERBefore you can embrace spring, you have to say a final goodbye to winter. In the fall and winter, I love to build tabletop tableaus with layer upon layer of interesting accents, use warm and yummy textiles in my bedding and furniture groupings, and bring out my richest accessories.But in the spring, I'm yearning to lighten and brighten my decor, trading the dark and heavy mood that makes me feel snuggly in the winter for a simple, soft look for spring.So I tuck a storage box under my arm and go on a scavenger hunt throughout my home, snatching up the remnants of my winter seasonal decor, like the pinecones I've clustered in a hurricane and the tapestry shawl I use as a tablecloth on my dining room table.I also edit my displays, removing a few of my more formal decorative treasures, like silver platters and crystal vases, to make room for the fresh fare of the coming season.LIGHTEN YOUR LINENSOnce your home is a clean slate, it's time to add the first touches of spring. Since I'm a big fan of fabulous fabrics, one of my favorite ways to welcome the coming season is by filling my home with lighter linens. I like to change out the pillows on my sofas this time of year, packing away those done in darker men's-wear fabrics and replacing them with accent pillows in washable linen floral patterns, soft stripes and toile.Another spot I can't wait to get my hands on is my bed. For years, I've dreamed of having a special bedding ensemble just for the warm months. This year, I'm finally going to do it. I'll dress my bed in bright white sheets, a darling floral quilt and a handful of accent pillows in the sweetest colors of spring. Since I'm crazy about monograms right now, I'll have to add a few monogrammed pillows to the assortment.HAVE FUN WITH FERNSThis spring, I've lost my heart to ferns. And no matter where you look in my home, you're going to see these feathery plants used in a variety of ways to bring in the green of spring.My table will be set with creamy white dinner plates, each bearing a unique image of a single fern frond. To layer the look, I'm going to pair them with matching white linen napkins.Since I can't seem to keep from killing real plants, this year I'm going to use darling potted faux ferns in my decor, tucking them in anyplace where I need a splash of green, like a bookcase, a windowsill or a tabletop display.Another way to bring the clean look of spring to your room is through simple and inexpensive art prints depicting fern fronds. Create a dramatic grid of fern prints on an empty wall or lean a set of fern prints against the back of an empty shelf in a bookcase or hutch.I guarantee that once you've taken off the layers of winter and added the first few touches of spring color, you'll be cured of spring fever.Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of three successful home furnishings stores in Atchison, Kan., and the author of several best-selling books on home decorating. Write to Mary Carol at nellhills(at)mail.lvnworth.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com