Houseplants can provide instant shot of freshness
Continued from HP1
A TOUCH OF PINK
Blossoms are one of the first signs of spring — a welcome sight after a long, cold winter. The colour pink is said to give hope and inspire warm, comforting feelings (a few things I think we all need right now). Pink isn’t always a colour that we think of when decorating a main room, appearing more often in children’s bedrooms. But adding a pop of it with accessories, a singular piece of furniture or as a contrast colour in printed fabrics can give a soft, pretty appeal to a room’s overall look. Does your decor have a lot of brown tones? Choose coral-based pinks, with their tinge of yellow/orange, to blend with the warm toned browns. If you have more grey in your interior, go for a cooler pink with a slight blue undertone to keep the cool colours blushing.
VINTAGE INSPIRATION
The reason spring is one of my favourite times of the year is because of the yard, tag and church sales that get me out of the house on Saturday mornings. And on weekdays, I love to explore the charity shops in any of the cities I visit.
Vintage is one of those decorative styles that’s always popular, and with the current need to create a comforting environment at home, the trend is especially all the rage. But vintage style needs to be curated carefully, otherwise your home will look like you’ve been beamed back to 1972.
The secret is to blend in vintage: top a charity-shop porcelain lamp with a modern shade or reupholster a curvy Deco chair in a trendy bouclé. Those are on my tofind-and-fix list this spring, along with antique area rugs. I have my eye out for silk Chinese rugs in 1980s colours — maybe with some pink and blue? The look is fresh and modern again!
PLANT POWER
In Canada, who knows when spring will finally arrive, so why not fill the house with foliage and get into the spring mindset? The many versions of the colour green have always blended beautifully in interiors, especially when trying going for an outside-in look.
Spring is the perfect time to plant seeds in small pots, share clippings with neighbours or incorporate house plants into your decor. Houseplants create an instant boost of freshness, and caring for them is a lovely, calming hobby. It’s a trend we last saw in the 1970s, with hanging spider plants, crocheted and macramé plant holders and a variety of small green plants lining windowsills and bookshelves. It’s an easy spring trend that doesn’t cost a lot and gives you that inside-out look that’s so on trend. Not a green thumb? Choose an ‘everlasting’ (faux) plant or hang some leafy patterned drapes or framed art for instant green power.