I’m delighted that spring has finally arrived in Seattle. Trees are blooming, bulbs are pushing up through the soil, and the sunnier, warmer days (between the windy, chilly, rainy ones) are inspiring fresh ideas. Recently Birch Lane invited me to join their Spring Refresh campaign along with four other bloggers. I’ll also be taking over Birch Lane’s Instagram feed for a day, so please drop by and say hello. I’m sharing four ways we refreshed a corner of our basement for spring.
If you’re new here, we moved into this 1950s house six months ago. Leaving our mostly finished house was difficult, but being closer to family in Seattle has turned it into an exciting new chapter. You can read more about our move and view a video tour of the house on my blog.
Our first major project in this house wasn’t glamorous: we replaced the sewer line. From there we replaced a cracked driveway and improved a neglected side courtyard. Now that those exterior repairs are underway or complete, we’re finally ready to focus on making the interior feel like home. That’s why this spring project felt especially timely and fun.
A few days ago I shared photos of our empty basement. Our plan for the lower level is a family gathering space. Long-term goals include new flooring, blinds, paint, trim work and fresh furniture. We sold our navy velvet sectional with our old house, so much of the seating will be new. This Birch Lane Spring Refresh was the perfect jump start to help set the direction for the room.
Starting a room from scratch can feel overwhelming. If your space already looks good, a spring refresh can be as simple as swapping pillows and accessories. When you’re furnishing a room from the ground up, though, it helps to begin with a single piece you love and build around it. That’s exactly what we did.
We chose one favorite piece to anchor the refresh, so the rest of the room could grow in the right direction.
We fell for a blue-green Larson nailhead trim chair from Birch Lane in the “Bryant Calypso Textured Slub” fabric. The chair and matching ottoman arrived and exceeded our expectations for color, comfort, scale and quality. Having this focal piece helped me visualize the space even before painting or flooring updates.
Most of our future upholstery will be neutral, so this chair’s color will feel special against softer tones. It establishes the color palette and the fresh, fun mood we want for the room.
When the chair and ottoman arrived, it was such a joy to finally glimpse what the space could become. Before this, the lower level was a random collection of items. Adding a single well-chosen piece made the area feel intentional and inviting.
Because we plan to replace the carpet with hard flooring, we used a neutral striped rug placed over the existing carpet to ground the seating area. This solution looks great now and will work when the new floor is installed.
Jack approves of the ottoman—his little paws make me smile.
I love the nailhead trim; it adds a touch of elegance and detail that lifts the overall look.
The scalloped pillow cover from Birch Lane adds a subtle spring vibe and gives me ideas for how different pillows will change the chair’s look through the seasons.
We’ve used Birch Lane lidded baskets for years and they’re very useful. I keep one in my bedroom for extra pillows and blankets; in the basement it will hide remotes and small clutter. With a tray on top it also doubles as a small side table.
I’m drawn to statement lighting, and this floor lamp felt like the perfect finishing touch for our reading corner. Floor lamps are versatile, easy to move, and tuck neatly into corners when you rearrange.
Four simple tips we used for a spring refresh
1. Use color to update the room. A fresh spring hue can transform the mood and provide a focal point. A bold upholstery color can act like a neutral in terms of flexibility, allowing you to change the look with pillows and throws seasonally.
2. Bring in texture and tidy up with woven baskets. Baskets contain clutter, store blankets or magazines, and keep remotes out of sight while adding warmth to the space.
3. Start small—begin in a corner. You don’t have to redo an entire room at once. Create one cozy, well-designed spot you truly love, and let the rest of the room evolve around it.
4. Update lighting to add personality. Every seating spot benefits from nearby light. A floor lamp completes a reading nook, provides flexible task lighting, and can be moved as your layout changes.
Thank you to Birch Lane for providing the chair, ottoman, lamp and pillow for this refresh. Their pieces helped us visualize the direction for this lower-level gathering space and made a small corner feel like the start of a cozy, seasonal room.