I recently read a brief excerpt from a garden website that suggested in so many words it is absurd to change your decor and your fashion to follow the color and style trends.
Design trends are so much more than the color du jour. Design is about being in tune with the season and your surroundings. Now it just doesn’t make sense when you think about spending more money to remove perfectly good beautiful and expensive design stock. However, from a commercial and consumer point-of-view, in order to get your optimal ROI for your design, it’s vital to stay in tune with the season and your environment.
Let’s specifically talk spring with April upon us. Spring symbolizes new beginnings and rebirth, and provides us with the perfect opportunity to breathe new life into our surroundings – hence the term ‘spring cleaning.’
Interior color trends are not changing as rapidly as in previous years. Instead, businesses are making an investment in well-made pieces that last.
You can easily update your surroundings to fit the spring by changing a plant and container, artwork, or accessories. All of the ideas listed below are small items that can be bought with little effect on your budget but make a big impact.
1. Colorful flowers and containers
When someone enters a room and is greeted by fresh flowers their mood is immediately lifted. An elegantly arranged floral display emits a sense of calm, comfort and relaxation.
Use crisp clean colors such as pure green in the containers and vases you pair with indoor plants. Fill more modern containers with varieties of grass or even small sprouts of assorted lettuce or mound moss. To inject a bit of color into a room, employ yellows and pinks which can be found in plant species of decora and aglaonema. You can also use bright colors by way of flowering bulbs and annuals such as daffodils, tulips, kalanchoe, mums or orchids.
For the outdoors, Ranunculus calendula, poppies, forsythia and dogwood are all plants known for their striking colors.
The cleanliness and purity of white (perfect for spring) is easily achieved with lilies, tulips and orchids.
2. Change the scent
Do not underestimate the impact a scent can make on your interior. Of all the 5 senses, smell is often cited as the one that triggers emotions & memories most powerfully.
While during the holiday season you may use cinnamon and peppermint scents, in the springtime use scents such as fresh-cut grass, crisp linen, or cherry blossom. A scent with a light flowery note will remind visitors of nature teeming with life and the promise of spring.
3. Rotational program
Another great way to spice up your interior for spring is to invest in a rotational program. For a number of my clients, I will rotate both cut flowers and containers for the season. For example, instead of replacing a white orchid with another white orchid, it’s nice to have a refreshing change.
You can also use an art rotational program where you rotate pieces that reflect the different seasons. Something as simple as rotating one painting in your reception area can make a big difference.
4. Textural accents
Textural accents can be achieved with eggshell and terra cotta containers as well as spring branches swelling with new growth and springtime blooms. Try colorful glass pieces or fabrics like linen and crisp cotton. Art pieces that involve birds, nests, blossoms or the colors mentioned previously are also a nice touch this time of year.
There’s no need to change your entire environment by repainting every season or every year. Don’t kill your quarterly budget in order to attract clientele or show appreciation to employees. Follow your natural instincts to change your environment with the season but do so without costing yourself a small fortune. It’s easy and fun!
Visit Laura’s designer website to view case studies, testimonials and an online portfolio of her design work.
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