DIY Spring Spruce Up | Home Lighting Makeover

I don't know about you, but when I flip the calendar to March, it becomes Spring in my mind. I yearn to shed my winter coat, and freshen up my house for sunshine and warmer weather.  With budgets tight, buying new furniture or renovating may be out of the question. But something as simple as changing your lighting (yes - light bulbs) can bring out colors and patterns that otherwise go unnoticed. As part of my partnership with GE, I received coupons for GE light bulbs, however all opinions posted about my GE Lighting experience are my own.

I have two major seating areas in my living room, and my lighting forms a traditional triangle. As part of this campaign, I went to Walmart to purchase light bulbs - specifically, GE Reveal Light Bulbs. I also picked up a few decor items to help in my DIY Spruce Up. After my shopping trip, which you can see in detail on my Google+ Album, I set to work.

The first step in a good DIY project is cleaning and tidying up. So I pulled off the cushions, vacuumed and wiped everything down. A little trick for keeping furniture smelling fresh? Tuck a dryer sheet between the cushions. I also dusted the lamps and removed the old bulbs, in preparation for the new GE Reveal Bulbs.

After cleaning, I picked up anything that didn't "belong" in the space and put it where it goes. I also cleared out all decorative items, so I can put my new items in and see what they work with. Don't be afraid to shop your own stash for decor. I put some old with the new to maximize my impact and minimize my cost. Also, moving things from one room to another can give a fresh perspective.

Once I had a clear pallet, the first thing I did was put in my new bulbs. When I tell you the impact and difference was INSTANTANEOUS I am not exaggerating. I put the first new bulb in my side table lamp, and turned it on. I thought I must be dreaming, because a single light bulb could not possibly make that big a difference.

Here is my first seating area i tackled. It's boring and a bit cluttered. This is the favorite reading chair for all of us (Before):

And here it is (After) with new, brighter and clearer light. We have yellow walls, and there was a fair amount of sunshine, so the picture doesn't do a fair job of showing you how clear the lighting is:

The second seating area hides a toy area in our living room (before). It has great light during the day, but as the sun moves around the house in the late afternoon, the room gets dark. The floor lamp we have there provides decent lighting, but it didn't do anything to brighten the space.

And here is this cozy spot (after).  Even with sunlight coming in, the new lighting makes everything brighter. I love how the new pillow goes so well with the styling of the pillow I already had. I sat here the other night, and the lighting is so much better to read by.

It is hard to capture in pictures the way the new lighting changes the "mood" and "feel" of the room. It brings more energy to the space and even makes our stuff look nicer. That awful "yellow" cast is gone, and everything looks so much more crisp and bright. The only yellow in the room now, is the color we put on the walls.

As a blogger and a crafter, I take a lot of pictures in my house. I would always need to take pictures during the daylight and I hate how they come out yellow and dark. But not anymore with my awesome new lighting from GE! Now everything looks crisper and clearer.  I changed the bulbs in our chandelier to GE Reveal bulbs and now I can actually craft at night, because I can see the detail enough!

Changing the lighting has truly made a world of difference in our downstairs living space.  My husband comments on it every night when he comes home, and the kids say they can see their toys better at night too. I like how much easier it is to read and craft, plus my space just looks "better".

Hoping to do a little Spring DIY project at your own house? Try a home lighting makeover and see the clean, beautiful light transform every room in your house! You can check out more information on GE Lighting on Twitter and Facebook.

catch you soon -

note - I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensate as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and GE Lighting #cbias #SocialFabric. As always, all opinions are my very own.