If you’re wondering why spring doesn’t yet feel like spring, the answer probably lies in your indoor spaces. Just like the changing nature outside, your rooms also need a charming seasonal makeover to make a huge difference in your outlook and mood. The living room is that space in a house that’s the center of all activities. So, start with your living room this season by adding these simple wow factors to the space without making your purse lighter.
Pop Up the Dullness With Bright Yellow
Celebrate the season of spring by adding pops of yellow to your living room. Bright yellow is a perfect shade to boost the mood. It offers fresh energy and a sense of joy to any neutral indoor area, making the space feel like a warm hug. To stylize your room, incorporate a subtle buttercream yellow hue on the walls and then display an array of yellow shades with accents like cushions, candles, flower vases, etc.
Use Little Adjustments to Make the Room Inviting
Just a few small décor adjustments are enough to freshen up your living room by signaling the arrival of springtime. Make the space more welcoming by adding cushions and throw pillows in a mix of checkers, dots, diamonds, and other playful prints. Match or contrast the color shade of the room while choosing the pillows and repeat one or two prints for a cohesive pulled-together look. Also, toss a lightweight throw on a seat or lay down a striped center rug.
Use Simple but Effective Decorations
You don’t always need to break the bank to revamp your outdated-looking living room. To make your space smart, stylish, and streamlined in look and feel, renew the bookcases or shelves with any bright-colored chevron stick-on wallpaper backing. Pretty prints or geometric patterns work wonders here! To make a big impact without much effort, accentuate a wall by displaying crisp focal frames. The trims and moldings should be in a contrasting shade to the wall.
Add a Fresh Flair With Indoor Plants
If your living room looks a bit lifeless, why not freshen it up with a touch of nature? Invite the beauty of the outdoors into your indoor space with fresh greenery, vibrant blooms, and even fresh fruits on display. It’s a simple way to infuse life into any indoor space by perfectly echoing the natural beauty. Just hang indoor plants on hanging pots, insert vibrant flowers in pretty vases, pop backyard greenery into glass jars, pile bright limes in a colorful serving bowl, and so on.
Martha Stewart Shares a Flawless Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Macaroni and cheese is always a crowd-pleaser, full of delicious cheese and the right combination of spices. Martha Stewart is the one many people turn to for amazing housekeeping tips, fun and useful crafts, and scrumptious recipes. This mac and cheese recipe is fail-proof and guaranteed to deliver a truly satisfying dish!
What This Recipe Requires
For 12-servings worth of Martha Stewart’s macaroni and cheese, you will need:
- 1 pound of elbow macaroni
- 2 cups of grated Gruyere
- 4 and a half cups of grated sharp cheddar
- A quarter teaspoon each of cayenne pepper, black pepper, grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- Half a cup of flour
- 5 and a half cups of milk
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- Six slices of white bread – crusts removed, torn into half-inch pieces
Mac and Cheese as Made by Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart recommends preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish. Set it aside. In a medium bowl, put the torn-up pieces of bread and set them aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Pour the batter over the bread. Toss to coat. Heat the milk in a saucepan at medium heat. In another high-sided skillet, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and mix in the flour once it bubbles. Mix and cook for 1 minute.
In the flour-butter mixture, add the milk slowly, whisking constantly. Stir in the prepared spices, 1 and a half cup of cheddar, and 1 cup of Gruyere, whisking to make a creamy consistency. Set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the macaroni a few minutes short of fully cooked. Strain and rinse the macaroni in a colander under cold water. Mix the macaroni into the cheese sauce and transfer to the casserole. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and the bread crumbs. Bake for about 30 min. Let it cool for 5 min before serving!