After months of bleak, blah winter, I’ve been looking at my garden almost daily, hoping to see some signs of spring. I know it will be a few more weeks until spring returns to the Midwest, so while I wait impatiently for Mother Nature to wake up, I’m going to jump start the season by welcoming spring into my interior décor. Here’s how:
Go Green. Take a trip to your local green house and pick some live plants to perk up your decor. In honor of my Irish heritage, I’m going to get potted shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, either placing them in simple white cachepots marching down the center of my dining room table or clustering them in a rustic wooden dough bowl at my table’s center.
I’m also going to tuck pots of flowering spring bulbs into my existing displays. In your home, showcase forced bulbs on your mantel, coffee table and kitchen island. Or, pick up bouquets of daffodils, narcissus or tulips at the florists and use them to brighten the bedside table in your room. Or place a fern on a cake plate to brighten up your coffee table.
Fake it a Little. I once though it was the height of tackiness to use fake flowers in your décor. But that was before faux foliage got so incredibly lifelike. Now, I can’t imagine not using fake greens and flowers in my seasonal decorating. For a simple yet dramatic look in your entry, porch or dining room hutch, fill a tall urn, ginger jar or olive vessel with an arrangement of real fallen twigs and artificial spring branches like dogwoods, forsythia, cherry blossoms or lemon leaves.
Check Out this Season’s Hottest Accents. Every year when I go to the top home interiors markets around the country, I find fresh, new seasonal accents that make my heart skip a beat. This year, I’m absolutely crazy about simple white pottery. These versatile, inexpensive pieces come in just about every shape and size imaginable, are incredibly affordable and can be used over and again in your year-round decorating. Top a white vase with a green moss ball. Fill a white urn with artificial lemon tree branches. Dress up a white compote with tart green apples.
Go to the Birds. In anticipation of the return of the robins, I like to weave bird icons into my décor every spring. Try this idea: Invite friends over for a spring luncheon then create an adorable dining table display that celebrates birds. For a centerpiece, fill a cluster of different sized garden pots with early spring bulbs or wheat grass. Then, nestle a few little eggs in the leaves. Then, top each place setting with a sorbet cup or mini candy dish filled with lifelike candy birds eggs. Or write each guest’s name on a decorated Easter egg and rest it in an egg cup to serve as a place card.
Crate an Indoor Garden. At market this year I also fell in love with faux bois garden furniture. I’m adding it to my list of must-haves for the patio, along with comfy wicker chairs dressed up with interesting cushions and pillows, ceramic garden stools and, of course, garden statues.
Try Some Vivid Accents. Maybe it’s because we’ve had such a gloomy winter this year, but right now I’m drawn to bright, bold, energetic accents. For the first time in years, designers are working with a wide variety of hues, not just focusing on a few colors. That means we get to choose from a rainbow of accents. Pick your favorite spring tone and add it to your décor.