Freshen up the bed linens when you start the transition from closed-in homes during locked-down Winter towards a brighter and warmer Spring season.

Just as busy as the birds and the bees outside as they make their nests and stock their hives, the bedroom décor comes alive with all the vibrance of Springtime colors and activity just by switching up the bedding color scheme.

Put away those woolly warm quilts and darker toned blankets and place the lighter and happier motifs of Spring front and center on the largest piece of furniture in the room, the bed.

Beautiful flowering blossoms outside the window can be drawn into the room by way of lively and colorful patterned sheet sets and duvet covers in florals, or prints with birds and bees, or all three. The bigger and bolder the better; pick an over-sized Japanese chrysanthemum print on a cool mint green background with all the typical Springtime elements, like birds on branches, bees gathering pollen from plump pink and yellow buds and cherry blossoms swaying in the breeze.

Or take a traditional Regency boudoir stripe like this pale pink and deep rose ones that are in alternating widths, punctuated with delicate ruby-breasted hummingbirds in a vertical repeat pattern, perfect for blankets and throws.

If country or farmhouse style is your desire, these gossamer-winged bumblebees encircled with wreaths of wildflower leaves in an off-beat colorway of cornflower blue or celery green look at home with distressed woods and other cottage paint-effects used in rustic or shabby chic décor.

Hand-painted watercolor prints of rose blossoms or bluebells on branches are another timeless and classic pattern for sheets and pillowcases. The dark moss green and bark brown of its leaves and stems pair nicely with these patterns and are sure to make the next transition if you change the color scheme later into the Fall season.

Easter is peeking around the corner and our thoughts turn to pastels—those pale shades of baby yellow chicks, bursting lilac-colored crocus, tender green sprouts in the garden and angel skin pink buds on branches. Soft and airy, pale pastels shades remind us of renewal and rebirth, or the newness of life.

Along with a good, old-fashioned Spring cleaning—out with the musty, wintry, smoky candles and home scents—we look for florals and signs of Spring in our décor. A hyacinth in a glass bulb vase, a few forsythia branches sheared from the bushes in a container, or a garden-fresh flower arrangement, make us breathe in the season.

For the Spring holidays we seek out those soft and gentle tones in our table settings too. For gatherings like Passover or Easter, an inviting palette of pastel colors like pink, baby blue, mint, lilac and pale yellow can be achieved by way of a floral tablecloth, table runner or table mat with contrasting napkins.

These items can be ordered ready-sewn, or, if there’s a sewing machine to hand, easily run up by buying fabric yardage where you can mix and match the patterns and colors. Try an ombre shaded fabric in these pastels, and then buy the same coloring range in a coordinating stripe or spotted napkin. For double duty, make the runners two-sided in contrasting prints of the same color family, and flip when needed.

Pick pussy willow or flowering branches for subtle and soft table accents, using the same pastel coloring for center pieces or place markers. Easter eggs dyed in these same colors make perfect bunnies when napkins are tied around them into ears.

With these paler colors and touches of spring life, any table setting is sure to communicate the Spring season.

 

Ah, Spring! Nothing is stopping us from going outdoors once the weather permits. After more than a year of social distance, quarantine, lockdowns, closures and curfews, we are all running outside for the great outdoors life.

Never before has making our green space and fresh-air living areas been more inviting or important—indeed, the patio and porch are now, in some cases, the only safe spaces where we can meet friends and family.

To that end, we are clamoring for comfort and color out of doors. Enter the brightly colored couch pillows or the boldly designed floor cushions. Even an older, weathered wicker chair in want of a fresh coat of paint stands out with some on-trend neon accent pillows lined up against its tired reeds.

Boho tribal prints or strong geometric patterns make great floor cushions to place around a seating area on a patio to form ‘safe’ and distanced seating. Order these in a tougher wearing fabric, like canvas, or even denim, for the wear-and-tear they will get. Floor cushions are perfect for extra seating and casual entertaining, especially when space on a porch or patio is at a premium.

Simple metal or wooden garden or deck furniture seems to come alive with a row of brightly colored printed pillows placed on it. These accents are affordable and come in a myriad of designs and colors, from formal damasks to modern and splashy florals to moody and artful psychedelics.

You can even mix it up or change the colors and styles with the holidays or season. For Memorial Day and Fourth of July go all out with red, white and blue stripes and stars; then soften the colors for end of summer as harvest season begins to pale golden yellows and greens, ending with autumnal shades of pumpkin and rust, ready for some spooky Halloween themed pillows before the weather turns.

For a temporary and removable solution to an empty wall or dark, dead space that needs vivacity, order several panels of pre-pasted removable wallpaper with fresh and bold designs to liven it up.

There are now numerous options to buy wallpaper lengths online, with some offering their own proprietary designs, while others allow self-designed print-on-demand services.  Most of these sites also have a tool that helps you gauge the amount to order.

All you need is a tape measure, preferably the metal one with a tang to attach to the end wall, and a mechanical pencil to mark or jot down the measurements. Height and width are all you need to record.

Panel lengths usually come in 2-foot widths (most wallpaper printing machines seem to only have rollers that employ a 24-inch width bed) so if you want to ‘go big’ on an over-sized pattern like a damask or floral, think of the pattern repeat in terms of 24 inches for each motif.  The height of the wall or room gives you the footage per panel. If it is an uneven measurement, even if only a few inches more than 2-4-6-8-10 feet, then you will need to purchase another full length and cut it to fit.

Most of these print-on-demand sites allow you to purchase lengths of 3 feet, 9 feet and 12 feet.  For any wall that is exactly 8 feet wide with a 10-foot ceiling height, you would need to order 4 panels of the 12-foot length, and trim to fit.

For a more permanent design, order unpasted papers and apply carefully. There is also a pre-pasted yet removable option that is activated by water to the adhesive, giving a smoother finish. Depending on the surface and the use intended there are various choices for making an accent wall pop.