As the snow begins to melt, and the stormy, 30 degree skies turn bright and sunny, most people get the itch to redecorate. I often tell clients to style their homes with versatility in mind, especially when they start making purchases. But keep in mind that if you redecorate your home during a particular season, such as Fall, you will often choose fabrics, colors and accessories that are warm in color, and heavy in context.
And if you redecorate in the Spring or Summer, most often you will choose fabrics that are light and bright, furniture that is easy, and colors that cool and calming.
This is perfectly natural. We are attracted to the things that bring us the most comfort. So when it is 20 degrees outside, and we are redecorating, we have a tendency to be drawn to warm colors of burnt orange, warm sage greens, and deep reds. And when it is 90 degrees with 80% humidity we will gravitate towards colors of soft aqua blue, mint green, pink, and white. It just feels refreshing.
So what can you do to adapt your home sinuously into this upcoming Spring and Summer season? Add pops of fresh bright colors like orange, and yellow, such as the photo below did.
Change out dark lampshades, of brown or black, (like the ones shown below) to crisp white, or cream. Choose lamp shades without boning or ribbing to keep them more casual, which is perfect for summer!
Shelly Riehl
Always design with flexibility in mind. Whether you do your purchasing in the Spring or Fall there are things that can be thought of ahead of time, for the upcoming season. For instance, when you purchase a sofa, or a chair, find out if it is available in a slipcover. If it is, you can have two looks for the price of one.
Make custom draperies reversible. This allows versatility for the seasons, and they can easily be switched around for a fresh new look thats blends gracefully into this upcoming summer season.
If you have an open floor plan in your home, can the dining chairs become a part of the family room seating? If so, do you typically entertain more in the Fall or in the Spring? Choose dining chairs that work for the season you entertain in the most. If you do more entertaining in the Spring and Summer then purchase chairs that are light and bright. (such as the captains chairs in the photo above. The side chairs are neutral, but the captains chairs are bright and fun and they would work beautifully in a family room for extra seating; such as the family room pictured below.)
Updating your home for this Spring/Summer season can be easy and effortless. With the help of a few key pieces your room can be transformed in a matter of minutes. My top items for updating a room for this Spring/Summer are as follows:
1) Bright and colorful toss pillows (preferably with down inserts)
2) Add a lightweight throw in a crisp summer hue.
3) Accessories in pops of orange, green, blue and white.
4) Scented candles in fresh scents of jasmine, cilantro, lemonwood, or gardenia
5) Colorful artwork in blues, whites, greens, pinks, and orange
6) Fresh plants such as succulents, orchids, or wheat grass7) And flip those reversible draperies over
Just a few easy items and your family room will look smashing! One of my favorite books that has an enormous array of inspiring photos for spring is the Domino
book of room by room decorating! And Amazon currently has it on sale for $20 bucks! Does it get any better than this? Happy Spring to you!
