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Pep up your home with new decor items for spring

It's time to get ready for Valentine's Day, but that also means spring is not far behind. Check out the new items we found for your home that can pep it up almost as much as spring itself.

The folks at Room & Board invited us to see new entries in their collection of classy, made-in-America furniture. It's all a clean, contemporary look, whether midcentury classics like Eames and Noguchi or designs straight from today. Many pieces are available in different sizes or finishes or are completely customizable.

Craig Sullivan, distribution manager in Oak Brook, has been with the company a long time and has some great stories about how designs developed.

For example, we loved the Innes, a walnut or cherry media center with three-dimensional lengths of wood on the front. It turns out this detail was inspired by artwork in the office of the company that makes it in North Dakota.

Room & Board has recently added a new, light finish called “shell” because it's similar to the color of seashells, and some of its cabinets now come in white laminate.

Trend tip: If you tend to choose big, puffy arms for your sofas and chairs, you might consider the Malone for a newer, cleaner look. The arm is not rolled, and the outside is straight, but the inside is still curved.

The tour inspired us to poke around and see what else we could find from other companies and at other price points. IKEA, Kohl's, Crate & Barrel and Target jumped to the challenge.

Here’s a springy scene from IKEA. The two wardrobes are called Pax Fardal. The Palmlilja in lilac as shown or blue and beige will be available in April. Courtesy IKEA
This 14-inch-wide charmer is part of Kohl’s Elle Decor line. No coral reefs were attacked to bring the feel of coastal calm to your home for $35.99. $START_URL$Kohls.com.;http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/zbrandskiosk/decor1/elle_dcor/PRD~961050/ELLE+DECOR+Coral+Decor.jsp$STOP_URL$ Courtesy Kohl’s
If a room needs a touch of traditional style, Kohl’s suggests its Madison Park Orleans chair. The fleur-de-lis brings the French Quarter to our northern climes. It’s also available in leather. The fabric version is about $250, leather just over $300, and the chairs are available only online. $START_URL$Kohls.com.;http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/furniture/living_room/chairs/PRD~906607/Madison+Park+Orleans+Chair.jsp$STOP_URL$ Courtesy Kohl’s
Where would this graceful little piece fit best? Target’s mirrored accent table could work in the living room or bedroom. It’s 23 inches high, 17 inches wide and 15 inches deep for $90. $START_URL$Target.com.;http://www.target.com/p/Mirrored-Accent-Table/-/A-13773870$STOP_URL$ Courtesy target.com
Picture this on a tray for breakfast in bed on Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. The hand-painted stoneware Sweet Heart plate is pretty, but it is also dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe. The price at Crate & Barrel is $4.95. Mugs are also available. Courtesy Crateandbarrel.com
I am always looking for nice dish towels, and while this pair in pink and red from Crate & Barrel for $9.95 is perfect for Valentine’s Day, what’s wrong with posting a little love year round? $START_URL$crateandbarrel.com.;http://www.crateandbarrel.com/valentines-day/set-of-2-valentine-dishtowels/s534059$STOP_URL$ Courtesy crateandbarrel.com
Room & Board presents slipcovers of Belgian linen to enhance the Clive’s mood of relaxed elegance, rather than because designers are looking for that family friendly scheme for houses full of youngsters and pets. The Clive is $1,299 as shown. $START_URL$roomandboard.com.;http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=22314$STOP_URL$ Courtesy Room & Board
Innes media cabinets from Room & Board come in cherry or walnut layered to create the three-dimensional texture on the door fronts. The base is wood or stainless steel, as shown here. The 72-inch wide Innes costs $1,599, and a 52-inch version is also available. $START_URL$roomandboard.com;http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=22153$STOP_URL$. Courtesy Room & Board
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