As I’m writing this today it’s cloudy and cool, even though it’s nearly May. But, don’t let this fool you. Summer is almost here, and you need to be ready. Just like you’ll be trading in the coats and boots for shorts and flip-flops, your home and yard wants to shed the gloom and show its stuff.

Here are 3 ideas to get your summer off to a fresh new start:

Get your outdoor furniture refreshed

Winter can be downright hostile to your patio furniture. The rain, freezing temperatures and winds may leave your outdoor area looking worse for wear. Take time to give your furniture the attention it needs so when you are ready to sit out there with a cool drink it’s ready for you.

Teak furniture can be cleaned with mild soap and water. For tough stains, use a scrub brush with a little bleach. If you haven’t sealed it, it will have turned a silver-grey color. If you like that look, great; if you want your teak to look like new again, use teak oil found at any hardware store.

Metal or aluminum furniture should hold up well over the winter. It’s best covered or put in storage, but if not, a good hosing will wash away dirt and grime. Most furniture made of metal or aluminum has a powder coating, which should not fade or discolor. If you have cushions, clean with a mild soap and scrub brush.

Wood or wicker furniture will be most damaged by the elements. Look for cracks or loose joints. Often these can be fixed with wood glue. More serious issues can be addressed by re-weaving or new dowels. Consider painting wood or wicker for a bright, fresh new look. White is always a safe bet, but wouldn’t it be fun to brighten up the space with sapphire blue or canary yellow?

Plant a container garden

Whether you have a large yard or a small balcony, plants and flowers in pots bring life and color to any space. Use odd shapes and sizes of containers for that unplanned, natural look. Pansies, vinca vine and geraniums are all inexpensive to buy, easy to plant and require low maintenance. Check with your local nursery for what works best in your situation. It’s even fun to plant vegetables and herbs. Tomatoes, beans, strawberries and basil all thrive well in pots.

Invest in new accessories

This is the time of year to find great plastic serving pieces at the stores. I’ve seen colorful plates, glasses, pitchers and platters everywhere from Tuesday Morning to Target to Pottery Barn. You can also use mismatched glasses for candles (remember Citronella keeps the bugs at bay), throw an assortment of colored pillows on the hammock and rolled up towels on the chaise lounges for that resort look.

Whatever you do, make it fun. Let your imagination wander. This is vacation time. There should be no rules, no schedules, and no stress. Grab that margarita, your sun screen, your baseball cap and get out there and enjoy.

Although for many on the East Coast and the Midwest, spring seems a long way off, here in California we are already experiencing warmer days, more sunshine and “spring fever”. I know I’m ready to pull up the blinds and open the windows and let the light and fresh air in.

Your home may also feel that it’s tired of winter and wants to breath. Now is the time to look at ways to add freshness and vigor to your rooms and embrace the change of seasons.  Here are 3 great ideas that will chase away winter and get your home ready:

1) Put away that old heavy comforter and invest in a brightly colored throw or coverlet for the bed. This season I’m seeing a whole new approach to prints and patterns. Stripes are always easy to mix and match with solid sheets and fun flower patterns reminiscent of the 1970’s are crazy fun and will add a smile to your face.

2) Pull out glass containers, vases and bowls. Here again, color is what’s happening. Don’t be afraid to experiment. In a garden window mix canary yellow, apple green and melon orange glass objects in different sizes.  Don’t worry yet about adding flowers or fruit to the bowls and vases, let their color and shape alone be the interest factor.

3) One of my new passions are picture frames. So many of us put a photo from a holiday or vacation in a frame and there it sits, growing stale, for years and years.  Take a good look at your frames, whether they are on a shelf or the piano.  Discard dark colors and heavy woods and replace them with shell borders, glass on glass and brightly hued plastics. Not only will you see those photos in a new light, but the patterns and colors will brighten up the whole room.

It’s almost February….  Can you see and feel the smell in the air?  Spring is right around the corner, and you’ll be ready!

It’s easy to say that inspiration is all around us, and of course it is. But often we may find it hard to translate that into our living environment. We look at our home and don’t know where to start. It’s important to find that something special that speaks to us and our vision and complete the interior we desire.

Everything in your home can be a source of inspiration. The idea for a room often begins with a single object: a family heirloom, a framed photo, a piece of fabric, that Merlot in your glass. Start from that single element that you love and watch the space take shape.

Even beyond that, inspiration can often be more obvious than you realize. That vacation you took last year to the beach or a visit to your local museum. The color of the sky or the leaves on a tree. Smell and sound can bring an idea to your mind. Music can inspire you visually. A song can bring the power to energize your space or be soothing and peaceful, and your home will reflect this.

I have helped clients create children’s rooms inspired by fairy tales or sports teams. We have painted stars and moons on ceilings of nurseries. A master suite enveloped in fabric can be a Moroccan fantasy and a South Seas paradise can be achieved by finding that right shade of blue you saw in Tahiti.  Anything is possible and the possibilities are endless.

Once you have landed on your inspiration, don’t feel pressured to move quickly. Let a room take shape naturally. It may take time for the elements to fuse together. Don’t be disillusioned or frustrated just because you have the perfect red pillow but aren’t finding the sofa fabric to go with it. Keep an open mind, let the inspiration flow and allow the space to speak to you.

Finally, don’t be afraid to do the unexpected. It’s OK to take risks. Keep an open mind about your room and what it may be saying to you. Discover the hidden texture or spot of brilliance in your personal inspiration. Don’t be boxed in my convention!

I always try to help clients move just a bit further from their comfort zone. A home should be a personal statement.  Your finished space, if you let it, will spring from your inspiration and may just be the impetus for someone else’s imagination.

For a few years now I’ve been saying that Mid Century Modern is over. The look that took Palm Springs and the rest of the country by storm may finally be breathing its last breath. And as far as I’m concerned it’s time.

In the last decade, interior designers, architects and the public found that the style and character of design from the middle of the 20th century was being lost or ignored. Some great furniture and buildings were forgotten and sadly, in disrepair. A few brave souls brought this to our attention, especially in southern California where the look was born and bred. Suddenly, everyone got on board. Homes from the 1960s began selling like hotcakes. Eames and other furniture designers were finally getting their due respect and it was a great thing. Mad Men came along, and BAM!… the nation was hooked and addicted.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a style move through the population with such a vengeance!

But we are a fickle people, and fads come and go, especially those that become overworked and overdone, like this has. When was the last time you saw an original take on this classic style? Walking the streets of Palm Springs, California or going into the many shops and stores that have fed into the frenzy, it suddenly become refreshing to see a front door that isn’t painted orange, or a living room without a white shag rug and satellite shaped clock on the wall. Is it some kind of longing for our childhood? I think it’s time for us to just say “no”, let the 1960s go and move on.

Its become, in the words of Antiques dealer Richard Shapiro ” the monotony of one mid-century room after another, predictable, gratuitous, with gimmicky accessories.” Have we forgotten to embrace that wonderful concept “eclectic”? I believe we have forsaken the pedigree found in the best of Mid Century Design and lost ourselves in the trend. Will we look back soon and laugh at ourselves and our homes like we do now with the Santa Fe or Tuscan look we once latched on to, much to our embarrassment?

I know that I will now be an outcast in Palm Springs..  I might need to keep an eye on my back. But, I am hoping that we soon start to cut back on this look. Use it sparingly. Remember the great bones of Mid Century design but stop romanticizing it. Everything in moderation, my friends. Love it, use it, but maybe give it a much deserved rest?