Welcome spring into your home
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
MetroCreative
When it comes to spring, think nature.
Lots of color, flowers and animal designs are finding their way inside homes as spring decorating is in full swing.
鈥淚 love this time of year with bright colors and fragrances that come together,鈥� said Steve Neubauer, of Neubauer鈥檚 Flowers and Market House in Uniontown.
鈥淎nything that brings the outdoors inside is spring,鈥� observed Charlotte Connors, of Charlotte鈥檚 Custom Draperies and Home Fashions in Waynesburg. 鈥淧eople are ready for something that represents new life and brings it into their home.鈥�
Connors said the Pantone Color Institute, a consulting service that forecasts global color trends and advises companies on color in brand identity and product development, has declared 鈥渓iving coral鈥� as the color of the year for 2019. Pantone noted on its website the shade offers a 鈥渃oral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a good color for spring,鈥� said Connors. 鈥淚t will work with so many other colors.鈥�
Neubauer noted metallics continue to be popular with 鈥渕atte finished or brushed metallics for spring.鈥�
Flowers remain a favorite for decorating in this season as they are abundant throughout gardens and landscapes.
鈥淪pring really is my favorite time of year,鈥� said Neubauer. 鈥淒affodils and hyacinths are in yards and magnolias look like they鈥檙e going to bloom fully this year.鈥�
People are adding that beauty and freshness to their homes by using flowers in a variety of ways.
鈥淭hey are making it as simple as a single flower in a bottle or glass work or a handful of flowers in a mason jar or vase,鈥� said Neubauer, although noting that people still want formal floral treatments as well.
Flowers accent existing decor, Neubauer noted.
But they can also be a way to add changes.
鈥淚 love flowers in fabric because that鈥檚 what I do,鈥� said Connors.
Spring, however, welcomes all forms of nature.
Connors noted, 鈥淏irds are big in decorating and fabrics. We have fabrics that feature a lot of birds that look like Audubon prints. They鈥檙e just gorgeous.鈥�
These natural-looking prints are finding their way onto fabrics for draperies and pillows, Connors said.
An internet search found birds on towels, shower curtains, dishes and other d茅cor.
Neubauer said, 鈥淏irds really never go out of style. And butterflies are becoming popular again.鈥�
He added that bunnies, chicks, lambs and even frogs are also popular, and can be found in figurines displayed as accent pieces on furniture.
鈥淭hey can be little displays under a cloche on a table or something as simple as putting them on Easter grass with eggs,鈥� said Neubauer. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all colors and textures: glittery eggs, painted eggs. It鈥檚 a great gift or centerpiece.鈥�
Furnishings and home decor are embracing a warmer side.
Connors said, 鈥淩attan is popular with a modern twist of adding color, like in a chair. They鈥檙e also doing baskets.鈥�
Lightweight, durable and attractive, rattan is a natural material that is finding itself in outdoor and indoor furniture as well as home wares.
Macram茅 is also making a comeback, Connors said.
Macram茅, a design that includes knot tying, is going beyond wall hangings and planters of the 1970s to show a more sophisticated side today.
鈥淎nything natural and handmade is becoming quite popular,鈥� said Neubauer, noting that includes repurposed wood that has been made into furniture and wall decor.
And sometimes, the beauty of nature can be shown in a fireplace display.
鈥淲hen my fireplace is done for the winter, I always clean it out and put new logs in it and then clip a spotlight inside the fireplace so it鈥檚 lit up all the time,鈥� said Connors, who uses a basket to hide the electric cord. 鈥淚t always looks so pretty and everyone comments on it.鈥�
Of course, one of the easiest ways to change your house over to spring is to decorate with plants. They add freshness and vigor.
Neubauer commented, 鈥淧lants are great. They filter the air. They add fragrance to every room.鈥�
鈥淵ou can have everything white in your house 鈥� curtains, rugs, chairs and then bring in house plants and it makes it come alive,鈥� Connors said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 healthy for you, too.鈥�