Spring is upon us although it doesn’t seem so to all of us. We are all looking forward to Spring, Summer, brightness, better interest rates, lower petrol and diesel prices.  Let’s look beyond the doom and gloom and brighten our homes. 

It is easy to invite Spring and brightness into your home. It could mean only small changes but could make a huge difference in everyone’s mood.

Add flowers and greenery

The most obvious is to add flowers – anywhere.  There are no rules.  I believe my house should always have flowers and I love all flowers – even stink Afrikaner flowers has a place. 

A small posy to uplift a dark corner or an arrangement in a windowsill, in the hallway, next to your bed, on a shelf or even on your drinks trolley. 

Don’t be afraid to add fruit or vegetables to your arrangement.  Weird, but different, and it will add texture and different shades of colour.

But you don’t need to only buy flowers.

What about adding a wall of flowers in the form of wallpaper? 

Or changing your scatters with floral printed one’s. 

A floral printed wall hanging is an alternative to the usual wall art. 

And a floral duvet cover in your bedroom. You won’t believe the difference! 

A floral table runner or tablecloth will also uplift your mood while having breakfast in the morning. 

There are many different styles and ways to use florals:  vintage; old master paintings; subtle ice cream colour tulips, roses, peonies; bright as the sun Sunflowers, Crimson Amaranthus, Dahlias. Dare to explore.

Have a look at what we’ve done:

Paint

Yes, I love paint.  My husband jokes that I will paint him if he stands still for 5 minutes. Using paint is an affordable way to instantly freshen and uplift the mood in a room.

Picture your house with a bright yellow, green, orange, or blue door…. You will be smiling every time you enter your house!

Your stairway or old bookshelf might do with a lick of paint.  If you are afraid of bold colours, then start gently with a few pastel colours.  Ever thought of painting the knobs of your chest of drawers in a bright colour?

Add a punch of colour in your living room by painting an accent wall.  Pick one of the bold colours in the fabric or scatters or a colour in the same family, just a little brighter or darker.

Paint a chair in a happy colour and re-upholster its seat with a design printed on natural linen.

Maybe your garden bench also needs some tender love and care after the cold winter.  Paint it in a daring colour and add a printed scatter cushion or two. 

White

I used to say that I love a white wall as it is ready for me to add any colour to it, but the interior designer, Leanne Ford’s signature is a “white on white” aesthetic.  And yes, the way she does it, is absolutely amazing and made me fall in love with white walls too. As with other colours, there are many shades of white and doesn’t necessarily need to be “true white”. 

White paint looks good in matte or high gloss depending on the style you want.  It adds brightness and freshness.  White can be warm and cosy if you combine it with other natural colours and use greenery with it.  Picture this:  worn-in wood, wicker, leather, olive branches in a clay pot, white walls, and natural linen.  Fabulous!

Artwork

A large bold piece of art or a group of colourful framed pictures will add colour and change a room’s personality totally.  You don’t necessarily need to buy new ones, rearrange it by using artwork from other rooms in your house.  Or reframe it…

Artwork is a useful “tool” to introduce colour and personality.  It doesn’t need to match the rest of the room but needs to be complementary to it. 

There are no rules in the type of artwork that you display in a room.  You just need to love it!

 Let us know how you change your home to invite spring and summer in…