After last weekend’s snow (no más until next winter?) we’re thinking about sprucing up the house for spring.

Sprucing might be a good way of describing it. According to Rob Amend of Red Ginger Home, in Red Bank ( www.redgingerhome.com) the colors of nature are dominating interior décor. Cozying up indoors with the outdoors means the use of lots of unstained wood in accessories.

Rob e-mailed us a picture of a carved burlwood vase, that really brings the outdoors inside. He also suggested a pillow with a motif of ostrich feathers. Surround these natural elements, he suggests, with colors like forest green, or ocean blue. He calls it “comfort decorating”… you use nature to create a habitat that inspires security and tranquility. It’s the opposite of what you face every day outside.

That stress-less theme carries over to your new paint job. Amy Wax at Your Color Source Studios (www.yourcolorsource.com) in Montclair says neutral is the new neutral. Stone, taupe, beige, cream, ivory walls, highlighted by deep greens, dark reds, and orange.

Amy’s crews paint up to fifteen homes a week. She questions homeowners to see which palette matches their personalities. Apparently, the more laid back type B’s are dominant.

Or maybe Type-B wannabes.

By the way, it’s time to pack it in for all you pack rats. Rob says clutter is out. Picking items with significance to surround yourself with, is in.

It’s time to separate the good junk from the rest of your junk. So sort out your stuff, and after you’ve made the space, reward yourself with a new beige paint job, leafy pillow, or a carved wooden vase. And don’t get stressed over it; when life feels like a jungle, hang out in the woods.