Spring Thyme Decorating                      Springtime - the season of growth; "the emerging buds were a sure sign of spring"  _________________________   Spring is a time for new life.Not just in nature but in your home too!After the dark days of Winter,the season that follows brings feelings to breathe new life into our homes....spring cleaning and rejuvenation.A lick of paint,a new colour scheme...a new look. In the current climate,you might think that your budget won't stretch very far but you may have most of what you need in your home already. First thing...check out the stored paint in your shed or garage.So many people don't throw a pot of paint away when they have completed a room,for the simple reason that they may need to touch up at some time in the future.So you may not have enough of what you need,but perhaps enough to create another colour by mixing different colours.If this is not possible,another alternative is to buy a colour syringe from your local hardware.These have a measured amount of colourant that you can add to any neutral paint to create the colour you want.Did you know that most people only use two colours in a room? Don't be afraid to choose something a bit different.Experiment with chocolate brown,burgundy,deep red,willow green and terracotta.It surprising how you can mix these colours together.Just look at fabrics in your current primitive décor and decorations.Primitive colours are more natural than modern day colours originally taken from nature's pigments. Accents A primitive look can be as little or as much as you desire.Some like a full and cluttered look. Others a more simplistic look with just a few primitive statements. Go with what you feel and create your own look.   Changing The Look On A Budget Giving a room a change can be done on a shoestring.In the kitchen for instance,add a new valance at the top of a window.No need for curtains but this does soften the edges.Add other accents such as tea towels as decoration on the front of your cooker,range or aga.The cooker is often a focal point in the kitchen so giving this the little added details can make a difference. Perhaps adding a wall border on one wall can help lift a room.We stock wallpaper borders that are made in the U.S. and are very deep in comparison to U.K. wall borders.Something with a significant pattern can draw the eye. The one pictured above,for instance features a host of primitive utensils and is shaped at the bottom to give a trompe l'oeil effect.   Distress It Distressing furniture is pretty easy to do.Paint your item,doors or whatever with a darker colour.Wait for it to dry,then paint over it in a lighter colour.When everything is totally dry,gently rub back in areas that would normally come in regular contact to let the under colour show through.If you want a natural wood distressed look then just omit the base colour.Waxing over the finished look is advised but not necessary.Perhaps you could add your own details by painting a scene on chair backs,walls or cupboard doors.Remember,primitive art work is just that...primitive.It doesn't have to be perfect.Borrow books from the library or go online to find simple designs that you could recreate in your own home.Buy tester pots from your DIY store or use up those odds and ends of paint and create you own masterpiece.I painted this simple rooster design on a kitchen cupboard door and finshed it off with a layer of varnish with a touch of burnt umber acrylic paint mixed in give that "aged" look.     Mix and "Mix" For The Homespun Look In the primitive world,things DON'T have to match.Different plaids and checks can sit very well next to each other.Most times,the more you add,the more homely it can look.   Creating somewhere that is comfortable and welcoming is the aim for a primitive home.Use cushions and stitcheries with primitive sentiments.If you don't have many of them, grouping them all in the same place can create as much as a statement as one large picture.  As I've said,add as little or as much as you like.   A tip that I give people is to go back into the attic and rummage through their Christmas decorations.I have a dark red berried "Christmas" garland  over the top of our sitting room mirror.This I bought in a well known high street store for less than £10.Yes,it was marketed as a Christmas decoration but I keep it out all year.The same goes with berried wreaths and other so-called decorations.     Final Thought Your way of decorating might seem a bit odd to some people,but remember,this is YOUR home and it's YOU that has to live with it and only you!   Have fun  with it and happy spring!    Did you find this article useful or interesting?Leave us your message... Or share YOUR decorating ideas with other primitive friends on our forum...