Spring cleaning helps a home look bright, but sometimes we need more of fresh start. As spring brings
change to nature, new decor can change our home environments.
Kim Beach, an interior designer at Homeworks Decorating Center in downtown Bowling Green, said spring is
a great time for a fresh start after being stuck inside all winter. Light and bright colors are a common
springtime choice for customers.
“Things are trending light and bright right now,” Beach said. “We carry Benjamin Moore Paint, which has
about 140 shades of white and off-white.”
White and off-white hues coincide with the contemporary design some desire. She said pops of color paired
with many shades of white are trending.
“Everybody starts to gravitate towards the lighter colors,” said Tamie Tehensky, the design center
manager at Ethan Allen in Perrysburg .
Tehensky also suggested lots of lighter, washed-gray tones.
However tempting it may be to repaint an entire room, Beach and Tehensky said paint colors should
actually be one of the last design choices.
“When you’re doing a project, most people want to chose their paint color first,” Beach said. “But
actually, it should be last.”
Tehensky said she tells clients to choose a statement piece to base their design on. Then your paint
choice will connect the entire space.
Statement pieces come in many styles, trends and colors, but Tehensky said golden and brassy tones fit
the mid-century modern designs that she sees customers looking for.
“Find an inspirational piece and build on it,” Tehensky said.
For example, add custom-floral patterns to throw pillows, then choose a neutral color and let the floral
designs be a pop of color.
But many people prefer low-maintenance design options.
Shaun Holden, owner of Painted Clovers, looks around Bowling Green for items to upcycle in her shop. She
appreciates how repurposed items can makeover a space, even without a lot of refurbishing.
Decorative barn beams sell fast at her shop. Bright, synthetic flowers bloom out of the aged wood,
“rebirthing something that didn’t really have a purpose before,” Holden said.
At Holden’s shop, customers can also find pieces crafted out of old doors, usually thrown to the curbside
during home renovations. She repurposes the doors into bar tops and tables with a rustic look.
Painted Clovers finds new uses for a number of items. Holden is a self-described “picker.” She picks out
discarded items around Bowling Green, brings those back to her shop and gives new life to what would
otherwise be trash.
“I sold a dresser to a college girl, and then I found it on the side of the road a year later,” Holden
said. “I cleaned it up and resold it.”
Those looking to redesign this spring might be in search of a more modern look in their bathrooms and
kitchens. Beach suggested quartz as a low-maintenance alternative to marble countertops.
“It looks just like marble” and quotes for quartz countertops can be less expensive than marble, Beach
said.
For flooring, luxury vinyl planks are a great alternative to refurbishing and maintaining wooden floors.

“In terms of wood, it’s as close as you can get,” Beach said.
The hunt for new decor doesn’t need to rely on trends. Most home interior stores, including Homeworks,
Ethan Allen and Painted Clovers, cater toward what local customers prefer. Classic pieces will always be
popular in Northwest Ohio and beyond.
“Natural items seem to take the test of time well,” Beach said.
And when considering antique decor, “you can’t really mimic it,” Holden said. Old cabinets with nearly 20
layers of paint are hard to replicate.
But popular contemporary and modern styles can be mixed with the classics. Tehensky said customers often
like more minimalistic items with cleaner lines. But classic items, such as gold or brass table lamps,
give modern trends a more traditional touch.
“Trends are great and can be good inspiration, but it’s good at times to keep trends at a minimum,” Beach
said. During the design process, “take moments of pause. Take time to reflect on the project.”