SPRING CLEANING POST: Tips & Tricks to Get Your Beach House Season-Ready
Five Tips & Tricks
To Spring Clean A Beach House
all images by Tamara Matthews-Stephenson
More than any other season, the ushering in of spring has me turning to my home and doing a little bit of "spring cleaning". We use that term loosely to encompass organizing and getting the winter feeling out of our home and inviting a fresh feel for the spring and summer seasons ahead.
Most of our winter weekends in East Hampton are spent with logs on the fire nestled up on the sofa while catching up on our favorite movies, hosting family dinners and well, just "nesting". We enjoy the comforts of our home, and usually take on very few improvements during these months. But, the moment spring arrives and our trees start to bloom, we get busy with a plethora of projects.
I just read this article about which cities have the most organized homes. I noted that the Hamptons or New York City did not make the list. So, this post is my way to help all those beach home dwellers in the East End of Long Island to whip their weekend homes into tip-top shape. A beach house's primary job is to help make life pleasant. A home to effortlessly host guests, relax on weekends while offering a needed respite from busy lives. It's just a few short weeks until the beaches open in the Hamptons, so let's get started on how to prepare for the warm seasons ahead.
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara
1. start on the outside of your home- as the weather turns warmer, we take on small projects to prepare our property and pool for summer. You can even get busy when the ground is still cold by seeding your grass. When it warms up, and budget permitting, we take a quick trip to the local nursery to buy a few plants and shrubs. I also dust off the outdoor furniture and wash the outdoor cushions. This year, I plan to make new outdoor cushions using my own outdoor textile. I hope to clean and paint my outdoor urns and planters as well. Since I store my outdoor rugs inside, I bring those out and put them under the pergola.
2. bring fresh flowers into your home - I usually plan one busy day of extra deep spring cleaning where I clean out all the drawers, closets and organize my home with a deep clean. I start with opening the windows, dusting off the furniture, turning on music, and arranging fresh flowers around the house. The mood is set. The open windows are key as it whisks in the fresh air that's been missing all winter long. The ambiance immediately turns to spring!
3. declutter- telling a collector to un-clutter is a challenge. I rethink the objets and accessories in my home for spring. I take everything off the surfaces, sometimes storing even my favorite items safely away for the season. I then look at the empty shelves, tables with a new perspective. Only then do I put back one or two items (where there was most likely several before). A few stacked books, one or two favorite pieces, and the rest goes safely away for another time. This decluttering breathes new life into my home and reminds me of my favorite Coco Chanel quote about fashion that I apply to my home.
"Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off" - Coco Chanel
4. a fresh coat of paint adds wonder- Not every spring, but certainly every couple we get paint and brush ready and add a fresh coat of paint where needed. Here we painted our kitchen island and cabinets with Fine Paints of Europe, Spinnaker White color in their Hollandlac Satin Finish. This year we will paint a chair and table in our guest room, as well as a new bench. Fresh paint adds wonders.
5. splurge on a storage space- A couple years ago we had accrued many pieces of furniture with the idea we would eventually restore them (we are collectors after all). Our home started to feel cluttered so we splurged and rented a tiny storage space in East Hampton. This allows us to shop the flea markets, antique shops and peruse the fairs then have the space to keep our "projects". We bring one piece home at a time and refurbish it.
