For some, spring cleaning entails not much more than a good shake of the carpets. For others, it’s an excuse to update room decor.

Here’s a sampling of this season’s new palettes, patterns and styles:

Colors

Neither boring nor drab, new neutrals are about bringing home a sense of calm and comfort. Some pastels are chalkier, such as sorbet that’s been given a whisk of cream. Then there are the organic hues of earth, sky and water.

We see neutrals most often in minimalist decor, such as an unglazed, branch-shaped pitcher at CB2 the color of a stormy sea, or Ikea’s trim Mostorp media unit in a soft, rosy hue.

Even Le Creuset is offering its signature cast ironware in pale pink and lemon.

Los Angeles designer Joy Cho’s new collection at Target is filled with fun, frothy pieces such as an acrylic side table covered in polka dots, animal figurines in little party hats and printed throw pillows and wall art saying, “You’re okay.” Warm neutrals – peach, blush, putty, mint and charcoal – contribute to the airy, feel-good vibe.

Kirstin Hoffman, merchandising director for online decor retailer Dot & Bo, says hot pinks are trending: “Whether they’re incorporated in an accent chair or a planter, the look instantly adds energy to a room.”

A range of new baking items and dish towels at Crate & Barrel come in a yellow as cheery as a sunny-side-up egg.

And you’ll be seeing lots of lush, green, tropical motifs for spring and summer. Beautiful blues – sapphire, navy and a variety of turquoises, teals and pale blues – are strong players on the spring palette.

Boston Interiors’ Conrad chair is upholstered in a watercolor-blue abstract, while Farrow & Ball has added some lush hues, including Vardo, a teal, and Inchyra Blue, a dramatic blue-gray.

White – which Benjamin Moore named color of the year – also is trending. The timing’s perfect, says Kimberly Winthrop of Laurel & Wolf: “Bright white is spring cleaning in its truest sense. There’ll be a lot of focus this year on incorporating whites with natural elements and textures into one’s space.”

On the surface

Surfaces are the focus in distressed rugs, textured throw pillows and relief-patterned and pin-tucked textiles and wall coverings.

Printed, dyed velvets with flora or fauna-inspired patterns are luxe and painterly; Kevin O’Brien and Beacon Hill have collections.

Some furniture designs play with layers and lines. West Elm has a mirror named Tree Ring that fuses mirrored glass with a slice of Vietnamese hardwood. An Indian pouf at the retailer is crafted from chunks of jute and cotton like a 3-D rag rug.

Cork has popped up in lots of new decor. Accessories in particular lend themselves to the sustainable material’s pleasant feel, but it’s in furniture now, too. Ikea’s new Sinnerlig collection from London designer Ilse Crawford includes stools and benches with cork seats, as well as coffee and dining tables.

Metallics aren’t going away, says Chicago interior designer Mikel Welch. But warmer versions are overtaking the chillier chromes and silvers.

“This spring, we’ll begin to see a twist added,” he says. “From warm, rich, metallic upholstery and galvanized wallpaper to shimmering coffee tables, luxurious metallic finishes in pewter, gold and bronze will command attention.”

A member of the yak herd at Bijou Basin Ranch. Bill Radford, The Gazette