by Susan Love/Plain Dealer Homes Editor
Wednesday April 08, 2009, 2:00 PM

INSIDE & OUT
Cleveland, Ohio Home and Garden News, Improvement & Decorating Tips

Last year, I vowed to go all spring and summer without doing a single home-improvement project.

Susan Love

Let me rephrase:

I promised my spouse that I wouldn't ask him to undertake any projects during his teaching breaks last year.

It's a new year (insert evil chuckle). I've tracked down my rhinestone-encrusted black sunglasses, squinted at the front and back yards, then strolled back inside and assessed each room, starting with the dining room.

The list of projects is growing.

Ain't spring grand?

First, the inside plaster problems. As anyone living in an older home knows, plaster walls randomly explode, sometimes taking out small children and pets.

A small chunk of my dining room wall did just that -- buckling without warning and, when I touched it, disintegrating into a 2-by-2-inch dusty scar.

That was sometime last September -- very frustrating and getting harder to ignore.

Last weekend, as I swept under the breakfast nook table, I heard an odd noise, like a heavy rainfall of salt. (Yes, I really did think salt when I heard the noise. I was tired.)

Puzzled, I pulled the table out and, lo and behold, a random plaster burst had occurred, right under the window.

Curse you, plaster gods!

Adding to the to-do list . . . and serial painter that I am . . . I am finally going to admit that the three-shades-of-orange, sponge-painted hallway and stairs I did two years ago is atrocious. Ugly is too weak a word.

I'll only feel better when it is all repainted -- neutral beige.

Outside, the tasks (thankfully) are fewer. For one thing, I'm giving up on the patch of nongrass under our maple tree. I spent $100 last year on groundcover plants that promised a profusion of green and tiny purple flowers. I spent several hours planting them like so many hair plugs.

The result? A few pathetic green sprouts, followed by a mud-turned-dirt barren expanse.

Did I mention the plants cost me nearly $100?

My husband and the mailman (who has witnessed my years of struggle over the bare patch) laughed at me over the plantings. I'm not making this up.

I say: Let the patch remain bare. Forever.

Probably the biggest -- and also the smallest -- outdoor project this year involves a strip of missing siding on the western-facing fascia board of our house. It blew off in a midwinter windstorm. The spot is impossible to get at and, as it turns out, too small a job for a handyman.

I don't have a solution to this problem -- yet. Maybe the mailman has a suggestion.

Yes indeedy, overall project-wise, the arrival of spring is welcome this year.

If you don't have any home-improvement projects, there are other ways to welcome the change of season.

I turned to Hudson interior designer Pamela Bayer -- sought for her advice by clients in New York and Chicago -- on the quickest ways to make small changes with big results.

By the way, if you have specific problems in your home interior, Bayer will address it personally on cleveland.com/insideout. Just send your query to homes@plaind.com, and I'll pass it on, get her answer, and post it on the Web site.

Meanwhile, here are her spring-freshening ideas.

Fresh paint. "Welcome the season with a crisp or bold palette that lightens the mood," Bayer writes. "Main walls in a slightly golden hue, citrus green or light gray-blue are trendy. Fruit-inspired colors such as mango, apple red, lemon yellow, and pumpkin orange are very fashionable for children's rooms, kitchens, pantries and closets. Even a new white paint over an old white coat can reinvigorate."

Wallpaper. "Transform a powder room, guest bath or other small space with a cool pattern, texture or color," she said. "There are so many affordable, modish varieties that are easy to hang on your own. Wallpaper is always in, but styles have changed for the way better."

Indoor flowers. "Orchids are a stunning, low-maintenance addition to a kitchen or living area. They cost about $20 each at Sam's Club and can bloom beautifully for a year or more. Keep your eye out for them; they sell fast."

Pillows and window treatments. "Change your couch pillows to springlike finishes and tones," said Bayer. "If you sew, the designer fabrics at Calico Corners are a great value for new drapes. If you don't, Target has some of the most cost-effective, ready-made curtains and curtain accessories around. You may even be tempted to buy a few seasons at once."

Photos and frames. "Display new photos, and change the look of older pictures with new frames. Jo-Ann [Fabrics] has very interesting frames in gloss white, pale green and yellow. Pier 1 and Crate and Barrel are great sources for affordable collections, too."

Spring cleaning. "Embrace the ritual of a top-to-bottom wipe-away of winter. Open the windows, and let out dead air and germs. Dry-clean window treatments and pillows if you don't plan to switch them. Change sheets to fresh, crisp white, and swap in a lighter-weight, machine-washable duvet cover. Consider new matching bed pillows and shams. Well-priced, quality deals can be had daily on Overstock.com."

Towels. "Put away dark, winter-colored hand and bath towels, and usher in pastel blue or other nature shades," she advises. "Restoration Hardware has a lush spectrum of plush choices. Add decorative paper hand towels to guest baths."

Candles. "Shelve the weighty spice, pine and clove scents, and light up your rooms with the fragrances and colors of spring flowers and showers. Citrus and jasmine soy candles from Banyan Tree in Tremont are hypnotic."

So there you have it. Get the projects lined up and freshen up your decor.

I repeat, ain't spring grand?