Spring will be here soon. The sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer. As you look around your sunny home, you may find it could use an infusion of spring colours to make it more cheery. We've made it through another winter, folks. It's time to lighten up the mood and the decor.
The sparkling colour palette in our feature photograph (courtesy of Moen) is cheerful and optimistic. Although this lovely colour combo of cornflower yellow and light turquoise is featured in a bathroom, it could easily work in any room in the home. The palette has an oceanic feel that is light and breezy, which would certainly uplift the kitchen, bedroom or even a casual living room.
The thing I love about this colour combo is the base wall colour can be used with any number of accent colours. The mid-range yellow wall colour could work with pale green, purple, soft red or blue. It also works well with hardwood flooring and trim that has a red or yellow undertone.
The use of the turquoise accents in our feature photo is unusual, but it's vibrant and optimistic. It would be fairly simple to change the look of the room by simply changing the accessories from time to time.
Inexpensive glass containers, often found at dollar stores or thrift shops, in the right colour can spark a quick and inexpensive update. There's something wondrous about how sunlight plays on coloured glass. The look changes throughout the day as the sun moves around the room. If you have a collection of clear containers, you could simply fill a few with coloured water, which you can also change on a whim. Re-donate thrift store items when you go back to purchase accessories in a new colour.
To keep this rotating decor idea affordable, stick to the basics on the more expensive items. For instance, if you are using this idea in a bathroom, purchase white linens for the most part, which can be used with any colour situation, then purchase only a few new linens in your new colour when you change your accent colours in the room.
Bath mats are pricey to replace so stick to a neutral colour that will blend into the flooring colour. A white shower curtain, in a similar tone to the fixtures and trim, will go a long way as you change and update your bathroom. You can always update the white shower curtain by basting a swatch of fabric in the new accent colour to the hem of the curtain or purchase decorative curtain rings if you find it too plain.
Same goes in a bedroom: Use neutral linens that can work into future colour schemes and inexpensive dresser-top accessories in the new colour. Perhaps you could add a drapery scarf or swag (basically, any length of fabric that will work) in your new accent colour and purchase a few new decorative cushion covers and an inexpensive decorative throw to add the new colour to the bed.
Spring flowers, such as daffodils and tulips, will definitely add a sunny disposition to your home and your day. Fill some of those glass containers with a spring bouquet to give your decor a lift. Add a sense of spring by hanging prints or photographs of flowers, as seen in our feature photograph.
To create a rotating art exhibit, purchase picture frames with glass on both sides. You can then replace the photos with ease when it's time for a change. These frames are great, because you can use varying sizes of photographs in them without worrying if the picture will fit. This gives you freedom to be creative with your camera and your printer to crop or resize images in an artful way.
If you don't have your own photos, you can frame old calendar photos or search for copyright-free images on the Internet. Other springtime images to consider include birds and nests, cute critters, such as a bunny or a fox, or whatever signifies this season to you.
Seasonal spring items now coming back into stores can offer a plethora of fun accessory possibilities. Purchase an inexpensive pair of brightly coloured rubber boots and fill one or both with a spring bouquet or a plant. A rain slicker or poncho in the same colour can hang as an accent on a hook nearby.
Beach items, such as colourful sand pails and scoops, can be used to the same end or use them as decorative storage to hold smaller items. Plastic placemats in a cheerful design (such as daisies) can be used in several ways. You can cut them to an appropriate size to frame, use one under a pet dish, line open shelves in the bathroom or put them on the table, as intended. Other seasonal items, such as colourful kites or wind socks, can add a splash of colour to a child's room or even a porch.
Spring is all about new life, optimism and dreams of the summer to come. Enjoy the heck out of it.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
