March is a strange month especially if you are living on the East Coast – the month that’s suppose to thaw out the frost around us, ends up with Nor’easters or atleast a snow spell followed by a bone chilling week. How are we – the generation of social media that posts mandatory ‘Welcome Spring / March’ posts with cherry blossom or tulips supposed to feel the spring in the air when in reality we’re layered upto our eyes? The official day of spring season being three weeks into March there is enough wiggle room to scrape off that ice on our driveways and speed into planting the seeds for a summer bloom. Towards the end of February when the winter has got the better of you rummaging through home & lifestyle blogs or the cascading images on Pinterest offer better ideas, inspirations to warm up the tones of your walls, brighten the upholstery and linens. Deck the furniture with natural botanicals or sometimes faux and give yourself that leisure stroll into the most eagerly awaited season of all four. Unlike the past blog post where I shared the decor ideas for every room, this year I am going to categorize the decor into elements that work for every room in the house. This year I focus on celebrating rebirth and rejuvenation as core theme and work around the elements to adhere to this theme.
Floral
Fleur is the focal point of everything Spring – blessed with a garden space, the topics of conversations around this time of the year are centered around gardening and floral decor at my home. For the last two seasons, we have planted bulbs back in October that bloom in early Spring – mostly tulips, daffodils, gladioli, and cala lily. This spring season we have added a fresh patch of daffodils and tulips but supplemented them with other perennials like phlox, geraniums. This year Queen Elizabeth roses, Peonies and mophead hydrangeas are going to make their appearance in the front garden. I truly believe having fresh flowers on your dining table or your entrance hallway is a true luxury and this spring I wish to decorate my home with bouquets of peonies and hydrangeas with tulips and daffodils. But if you aren’t able to get the fresh cut flowers indoors there is always that faux option and they do brighten up an empty space. My faux peonies shaped a wreath last year but this year they may be placeholders on the dining table till the real ones bloom in the garden.
Decorating the entryway console table with white and purple hydrangeas complimented by eucalyptus leaves – sprayed with eucalyptus oil perfume the entrance to the house. A spring wreath with tulips or daffodils is quite ‘Pinterest typical’ and some experimenting would add more value and depth of creativity to just a wreath that goes up in Spring. Decorate a basket of wild flowers or golden forsythia or pink astilbe and hang it on the door in place of a wreath. A bunny shaped floral decoration with single or double flowers could be more creative.
Botanical
One of the first task to open the Spring season indoors is a splurge on the botanicals and their planters. If you are looking for a quick fix to add some leafy character indoors and spring it up this season but also need it to be picturesque indoors – you know for those spring party selfies, then I would recommend Fiddle Fig Leaf, Monstera Deliciosa, Palm tree. I am going to have either an avocado or a lemon tree indoors this year since my greenhouse would be filled with other plants besides blueberry plants and peach tree. A lemon tree bearing fruits indoors couldn’t be a better sign of keeping it zesty indoors. There are other plants that would be useful apart from adding vanity to the house – these are known to clean the air inside and serve clean air during those closed window cold seasons of autumn and winter. Check out the list of these plants here.
Fertility and Rebirth
The season of rebirth and fertility – yay Spring! While celebrating spring season we usually think of color, fresh green leaves on the branches, fresh new grass in our lawns but spring is the season when nature is getting …. Well pregnant so to speak. Animals, birds, and trees are all getting ready to bear the fruits of their next generation. Its breeding season and we should be celebrating mother earth for giving us this opportunity to witness such a miracle first hand. Bring the concept of fertility and rebirth into your décor while decorating the house for spring – with some colorful faux eggs in a large centerpiece bowl or in a tall glass cylinder, add a tall stem of a cherry blossom or hydrangea. You could also get a faux nest with eggs and place it by the fireplace with ceramic or stone animals like rabbits and squirrels or even the chirpy birds. Faux butterflies fluttering on the entrance wall can add to the imagery of the décor. Decorative accents help with the placement of symbols of spring like fresh fruits, botanical, eggs, birds and animals.
Decorative Accents
Home accents like vases, jars, centerpiece bowls, trays, bookends, art pieces cumulatively accentuate a home’s interiors and raise to the next level. Chinoiserie has sprung back en vogue and as an ardent fan of chinoiserie jars and vases I want to keep a few in my collection. William Sonoma, Frontgate, Pottery Barn have chinoiserie vase, jar and pots collection that is worth the attention. Couple a tall vase with a round or asymmetric bowl on the dining table. Place a bouquet of freshly cut flowers like peonies, yellow tulips or white florals in the vase while fill the bowl with Easter eggs or fresh fruits.
The entrance console table could use a lamp which has a chinoiserie base or a shallow bowl that can double as a deep platter to put the keys away as you walk in your home, a brass or wooden tray could hold – a mid size vase with flowers, candle votive or candle holders with scented candles and a spring season related art piece or a small jar with decorated eggs or pot-pourri. Place a wicker or rope basket under the entryway table for wet umbrellas. Alternatively you could have a tall chinoiserie umbrella holder by the door or by the entry table. Books make for a great décor accent along with bookends. The coffee table could use a tray with a shorter vase with flowers, candles and a centerpiece. Place an art piece like a paper weight over the stack of magazines on the coffee table or some hardcover books. The credenza or sideboard in the living room could have two identical tall lamps with bright spring colors or a chinoiserie base or it could hold tall ginger jars. Alternatively credenzas, dressers and sideboard could hold just one mid size or tall vase with tall floral arrangements and botanical.
Fabrics and Linens
Spring is in the air and you can smell it when fresh off the laundry and pressed linens dress up the bed or the thick drapes from the last season give way to the light, bright and textured curtains. Light as a feather, colors like ivory, peach, living coral ( Pantone color of 2019) and sunny sky blues are the usual suspects during Spring season. This year a particular favorite has emerged among all home furnishings retailers and its (drum roll please) Chinoiserie and Paisley patterns. Spring is the perfect time of the year when you could marry colors with patterns and have fun with it. When it come to the living room there should be flow of energy that plays host to a convivial setting with comfy pillows with print or patterns like corals, birds, tropical foliage, petals that breathe life into the space a welcome departure from February and early March’s curling up while the snow storm hit the panes.
If you are refurbishing your living space with new furniture ensure the upholstered sofa or sectionals have removable seats and backrest cushions. This allows you to change the upholstery every season or every few years without having to reupholster your furniture. I have exposed dark wood furniture and hence my upholstery is either light gray / blue on the sofa or neutral on the armchairs. The neutral or lighter fabric of the upholstery plays a canvas of sort to play with colors of the season and patterns as well. Throw in the mints, blush pinks, peach and turquoise or lilac shades with pillows and cushions on your sofa, chairs and chaise. Enliven the space with fabric like cotton, silk, blended fabrics. Bedrooms are the best space in the house to display your luxurious fabrics with the beddings and sheets complimenting the season. Paisley is hitting the charts on the trends for spring this year and so is marine life. If you ask me the best place to begin the day and end it is the comfort of your bed and true luxury begins in this area. The soaring thread counts on your bed won’t be enough it’s left to the emptiness of white sheets. Patterns and textures on the pillow covers, duvet and throws are enticing every decor loving shopper out there to spruce up for Spring season.
Luxury Meister 