Interior Designer Spring Cleaning Checklist: A Refined Guide to Refreshing Your Home

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to reset your home.

But at Joshua Allen Design, we don’t believe spring cleaning is just about dusting baseboards and wiping down counters. It’s about refining how your home functions, flows, and feels.

Here’s our interior designer–approved spring cleaning checklist — focused not just on cleanliness, but on creating a more intentional, elevated living space.

Step 1: Clear Surfaces with Purpose

✔ Remove everything from countertops, consoles, and coffee tables

✔ Evaluate what actually belongs there

✔ Restyle using the rule of three (varying height, texture, and scale)

✔ Store daily clutter in concealed storage

Designer Tip: If your surfaces constantly collect clutter, it’s usually not a cleaning issue — it’s a storage design issue.

Intentional storage and refined detailing keep everyday surfaces clean, functional, and beautifully uncluttered.

Step 2: Edit Your Décor Like a Designer

✔ Remove heavy winter textiles (chunky throws, dark pillows)

✔ Rotate in lighter fabrics and brighter tones

✔ Remove 20% of your accessories — negative space makes rooms feel bigger

✔ Reassess artwork placement and alignment

Spring is the perfect time to reassess whether your décor still reflects your current style.

Step 3: Deep Clean the Often-Ignored Design Details

✔ Dust crown molding and ceiling beams

✔ Clean light fixtures and chandeliers

✔ Wipe down cabinet fronts and hardware

✔ Polish mirrors and glass tabletops

✔ Vacuum upholstered furniture and under cushions

These architectural and design elements are focal points. When they’re clean, the whole room feels refreshed.

Step 4: Reevaluate Storage Zones

✔ Empty entryway consoles and mudroom storage

✔ Declutter closets by category

✔ Assess pantry organization

✔ Identify items without a designated home

Ask yourself:

• Are your closets working efficiently?

• Are built-ins maximizing your wall space?

• Is your mudroom functional or chaotic?

Spring cleaning often reveals what your home is missing.

Custom built-ins create designated storage zones that prevent everyday clutter from accumulating.

Step 5: Optimize Furniture Layout

✔ Pull furniture away from walls slightly

✔ Check for proper traffic flow

✔ Rebalance room symmetry

✔ Remove unnecessary pieces crowding the space

Sometimes what feels like clutter is actually layout imbalance.

Thoughtful furniture placement improves traffic flow and creates a more intentional, inviting conversation area.

Step 6: Refresh Scent and Atmosphere

✔ Open windows for airflow

✔ Replace HVAC filters

✔ Add subtle spring scents

✔ Introduce fresh greenery

A refreshed home should engage all five senses.

The Designer Perspective: Cleaning Reveals Design Opportunities

If you’ve cleaned, decluttered, reorganized — and still feel like something isn’t working — it’s often a structural or storage issue, not a cleaning one.

Spring cleaning frequently highlights:

• Lack of custom storage

• Inefficient closet systems

• Underutilized wall space

• Poorly designed mudrooms

• Overcrowded kitchens without smart cabinetry

And those aren’t DIY fixes.

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Ready for a Smarter, More Beautifully Organized Home?

If your spring cleaning has revealed that you simply don’t have enough functional storage — or that your home isn’t working as beautifully as it could — we can help.

Contact Joshua Allen Design today to explore custom storage solutions, built-ins, and thoughtful interior design tailored to your lifestyle. Get in touch with us here.

Let’s design a home that stays organized long after spring.

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