Pictured Above: (Left) Cane Line Indoor Curve Natural Accent Chair and (Right) York Wallcoverings Beige / Coral Wildwood Wallpaper, both from TopModern
As of March 20th, Spring had sprung, weather had warmed and many Americans began venturing outdoors. Though we are ready to emerge from the cold winter months and embrace all Spring and Summer have to offer, our homes might not be. Living rooms might still be dressed with heavy drapes to block out drafts. Bedroom corners might still be filled with folded down comforters and quilts. Some of us might even have left Christmas lights on the eaves or pumpkin spice candles on the coffee table. Either way, adjusting the decor and design schemes of our homes to the new season of Spring takes a bit of effort but is very much worth it. Follow below for nine ways to organize and update your space for Spring — just in time for the Easter and Passover holidays!
Bring the outdoors inside with floral arrangements and houseplants galore. In her article “How to Update Your Home for Spring” for The Spruce, Ashley Knierim writes that “one of the easiest ways to update any room is to add a bouquet of fresh flowers” to your home. Knierim recommends “bunches of daffodils and tulips [or] sprigs of eucalyptus and hyacinths.” Many will be available at groceries and drug stores in your area if time does not permit a trip to the florist. Ashley Knierim suggests sprinkling such bouquets around your home — from “centerpieces and nightstand-friendly bud vases” to bathrooms and home offices. As for houseplants, we particularly love big, leafy plants like the Fiddle Leaf Fig — a small tree with wide, deep green leaves — and the Peace Lily — which blooms around this time of year.
The COVID-19 pandemic put the kibosh on many of our Spring and Summer travel plans last year, leading to cabin fever and restlessness over the last year. As such, this year’s Spring Breaks and Summer vacations hold extra weight. Inspire yourself and your guests to embrace their wanderlust by framing photos of previous trips abroad and across the country. Arrange these photos in a stunning collage of memories on the wall opposite your staircase, dining table or guest bed to create a beautiful gallery wall. Prints and paintings by your favorite artists are also great additions. Follow a few tips from the article “7 Tips for Creating the Perfect Gallery Wall” in HGTV Magazine to get started. HGTV suggests hanging bottom pieces first and stacking upwards, uniformly spacing each piece from the next, planning the gallery out on the floor before hanging and choosing a theme or color palette before you begin.
To create a sophisticated space for Spring, avoid filling your home with overly thematic elements. Swap out bold sunflowers in favor of lilacs or lilies. Leave behind bedazzled Easter eggs, rabbit figurines and extensive farmhouse decor. Motifs too related to Spring can feel cheesy and inelegant. Instead, add a bit of Spring sunshine with sheer, lightweight curtains and pops of pastel paint. We love the Momeni Anatolia Pink Rectangular Area Rug from TopModern for subtle, sophisticated Spring interiors.
The article “10 Tips To Refresh Your Design For Spring” — a collaboration between Chairish and Forbes — recommends moving furniture around for a fresh take on your floor plan. Quoting Tory Savery — owner of Philadelphia design firm Savery Design — the article notes that “moving furniture placements” can offer a “new perspective“ without spending any extra cash on new pieces. Savery suggests changing “‘the rugs around between rooms or roll[ing] back a rug to expose hardwood.’” Moving artwork is another way to make “a huge impact.” In fact — notes LA designer Marina Mizruh — “change is always a good option, even if it is just shuffling around your favorite things” because “‘looking at things from a different point of view can make items look new.’"
Scent is one of the senses most tied to memory, mood and behavior. Altering a space’s scent profile can affect the atmosphere like few decor and design changes can. In her article “9 Ways to Refresh Your Home for Spring” for Vogue, Jo Rodgers explains that scent — when applied properly — can be the most powerful design element. Paired correctly with a stunning color palette and related textures, scent can change the ways guests respond to a space and refresh the entire interior. Quoting Swedish designer Beata Heuman, Rodgers writes that “‘find[ing] a new scent that you love, bringing that into your home is a nice way to create a different atmosphere.’” Homeowners can do this through “‘scented candles, soaps, even a bag of lavender or lavender water that you can put in your iron to get your linens smelling really lovely.’” Fresh scents are best for Spring, so try to opt for citruses like pomelo and lemon or herbal fragrances like thyme and rosemary. Avoid heavier scents like clove, cinnamon and vanilla.
Chintz, toile, foliage and floral wallpapers are all back in style — with each packing a stunning aesthetic punch in any space. As such, consider a botanical, garden-inspired wallpaper for transitional spaces like a cabana, casual living room or mudroom. To really hammer home the Spring theme, consider advice from Amanda Garrity in her article “26 Spring Decor Ideas to Make Your Home as Cheery as the Season” for House Beautiful. Garrity recommends one “layer empty seed packets or floral-filled book pages along a blank wall to create a botanical statement.” For small spaces, opt for daring, large-scale prints, but consider more muted styles in larger rooms like kitchens and dining rooms. We love the York Wallcoverings Magnolia Home Peel & Stick Olive Grove Olive Branch and the York Wallcoverings Pine Juniper Forest Wallpaper from TopModern. The latter easily transitions through Summer to Fall and Winter.
Though dimly lit spaces with candlelight creating a cozy atmosphere work perfectly during the Fall and Winter, the Summer and Spring call for brighter interiors washed in sunshine. To make small or cramped spaces like entryways, laundry rooms, kitchens and hallways feel lighter and brighter, follow the advice of Jessica Leigh Mattern and Blair Donovan in their article “27 Beautiful Ways to Decorate Your Farmhouse for Spring” for Country Living. Mattern and Donovan suggest homeowners “stock up on mirrors.” Adding “an assortment of reflective surfaces” can “fake the illusion” of a brighter interior, particularly if placed next to or opposite a window or below a skylight. We suggest picking mirrors in charming Spring motifs, like this Caracole Classic Fleur De Lis Polished Silver 27''W x 42''H Wall Mirror or this sun-shaped Jonathan Adler Jack Brass Wall Mirror, both from TopModern.
Organic tones like warm white, soft taupe and sage green add a natural feel to any interior — an atmosphere perfect for the Spring and Summer seasons. Dried plants like pampas grass, dried flowers and stalks of bamboo can create a pretty indoor paradise. In her article “55 Fresh Spring Decorating Ideas to Usher In the New Season” for House Beautiful, Hadley Mendelsohn recommends incorporating rattan and pampas grass throughout Spring interiors. She notes that “though rattan furniture is a fun accent year round, the tropic energy makes it really great for spring.” Pampas grass — found everywhere this season from “under-the-radar boutiques to influencer Instagram accounts” — easily “exudes that signature California-cool vibe.” However, it still “fits in with a modern, neutral color palette, making it perfect for spring decorating.” Best yet — writes Mendelsohn — pampas grass is a dried floral, “which means there’s virtually zero maintenance involved.” To add an organic edge to your home, we love the York Wallcoverings Conservatory Gold / Grey Rattan Overlay Lattice Wallpaper and the from TopModern.
The Spring season represents a shift from months cuddled up by a fireplace indoors to days spent outside in the hot sun and soft rain. As your life transitions from one solely inside the home to one split between the backyard, the beach and the interior of your home, consider swapping out delicate silks and brocades for performance fabrics. Cushions, throw pillows and slipcovers fashioned from performance fabrics will ensure your furniture survives the Spring and Summer seasons — even if children flop down on the couch immediately after playing in the pool. For the best performance fabrics for indoor-outdoor furniture, we turn to Carisha Swanson and Brittney Morgan in their article “13 of the Best Outdoor Fabrics That Will Stand the Test of Time” for House Beautiful.
Swanson and Morgan note that while indoor-outdoor fabrics were once unattractive and uncomfortable, “today’s outdoor fabrics range from hard-wearing linens to shockingly lush chenilles and velvets. The best indoor-outdoor fabrics are “washable, water repellent, fade resistant and mildew resistant,” write Swanson and Morgan. Consider festive stripes, pretty paisleys and fabulous florals when picking out your own performance fabric for throw pillows and couches in your home. For Spring, we love the Ebel 16'' x 16'' Square Throw Pillow in Sparkle Taupe and the Mamagreen Bee 19.5'' x 12'' Rectangular Pillow in Sand.
