A Spring In Your Step & Spring In Your Style

Spring has officially been around for several weeks now… but here in New England, we have experienced Winter, Spring and Summer all mixed together! On April Fool’s Day, the joke really was on us when we received several inches of snow… enough that the plows had to come through and dig us out. On the other hand, Easter Sunday was a delight with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the upper seventies... we celebrated the unseasonable warmth with untraditional lobster rolls for our holiday dinner outside on the deck!

The buds are out on the tree branches, robins are whistling their hearts out, and the forsythia are in bloom… which for me is the true sign of Spring. As an art student in high school, the sign that Spring had genuinely arrived occurred when we reported to the studio to find that our beloved and infamous art teacher, Sister Ignatius, had created her annual still life focused around a beautiful arrangement of forsythia. I am reminded of this special memory to this very day when my eyes glance upon the gorgeous yellow sprays dotting the landscape.

Spring is the time when the cold, hard soil gives way to budding plants. When the hours of daylight get longer and longer. When the color palette outdoors gets brighter and brighter, and the scents get more fragrant. Does Spring inspire you?

We all have a season of the year that speaks to our subconscious more than the others. When we have our colors “done” to help select the right wardrobe, we learn that we look best in certain colors that relate to our season… no surprise, I am a “Summer.” The art of Seasonal Design can be thought of in a similar way. You may not have thought about it, but the colors, patterns, textures, and styles that you are naturally drawn to in decorating your home tend to align with a particular time of the year. Think about it and let me know!

If Spring is in your style, you may call the overall look and mood of your home “romantic,” “country,” “cottagey,” or “Shabby Chic." Sound familiar?

The colors that you love are probably bright & cheery...

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The patterns you gravitate toward are florals...

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Lacey, sheer or floral treatments frame your windows...

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Your china pattern is most likely delicately painted with flowers or botanicals...

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Your favorite floor covering is wood...

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You prefer mismatched furniture pieces rather than cookie cutter collections...

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Your fireplace might have a vintage mantle and above it isn't necessarily a painting, but rather a grouping of antique china, collectibles, and of course flowers...

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This time of year, we all appreciate trading in the gray days, long, dark nights, and cold temperatures of Winter for the more uplifting, brighter, warmer days of Spring. But if Spring is also your personal style, you have even more to celebrate. So, do you detect any “Spring” tendencies in your decorating style? Please share how it shows up in your home!