Spring Inspired Designs to Devour

Spring is the perfect time of year to freshen up any aspect of your life- new hair color, new clothes, new lip gloss, new furnishings.  The bright colors we all associate with Spring seriously provide a jolt to your surroundings.  This thought does not mean you need to paint every wall in your home a crayon color, but does suggest that you add a bit of personality with a few colorful accessories.  The tried and true pairing of neutrals with a pop of color will never go out of style.  In your home, toss a bright pillow here and a patterned throw there, and Voila! The perfect place to relax and rejuvenate.

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A fun example of pairing neutrals with pops of color can be found in this space.  An easy transformation such as changing the drapery and side chairs will give this whole room a different feel, if you begin to tire of your accent colors.  A punch of raspberry paired with chartreuse oozes modern chic design.  The contrast between these unexpected pops of color with the traditional furniture lines creates instant impact.  If you want a weekend project, I am sure you can find pieces almost exactly like those in this inspiration image at your local estate sales, thrift stores, and flea markets.  Add some fresh upholstery to your finds, maybe a fresh coat of paint, and you will have a Spring Chic space to call your own. 

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The same room as the first inspiration, this living room arrangement is a bit unorthodox.  Pairing two upholstered chairs and ottomans in front of the fireplace with a large circular table may not be the most practical furniture grouping, but the fun use of color was my first focus when viewing this space.  Again we see chartreuse and raspberry elements sporadically placed throughout.  By wisely dispersing your pops of color throughout a space, your eye will easily travel around the room and never be stuck focusing on one single focal point (if you take the time to design a space, you definitely want your guests to absorb all aspects of your room).  I really enjoy how this space has a feeling of elegance but playfulness at the same time.  Adding too many pops of color can become a bit hokey, a few pops can enliven a space.



Check out these other colorful ideas for your spaces:

Click to Enlarge- Fuchsia and Tangerine

Click to Enlarge- Sky Blue and Marigold

Click to Enlarge- Sky Blue and Marigold

Good Bye Winter Blues, Hello New Life

As you finish packing up all of your cherished holiday decorations in the next few days, start to think about how you can freshen up your home for the post-holiday season.  We are talking about continually embracing the natural comfort you receive from your Christmas tree and fresh garlands by re-purposing that concept into fresh plants and greenery acceptable after the holiday season.  Nurturing plant bulbs or infant plants into their full glory not only adds s bit of purpose to your day, but can shake off the feeling of winter blues.  We all know how the grays, blues, whites, and dead brush of winter can make you want to just cuddle up in your bed with a good book, but including fresh plants and greenery in your home will instantly give you a jolt of life representative of Spring and Summer.  I will be honest, I personally do not have a "green thumb," but the idea of having a few potted plants to enjoy is definitely not a difficult commitment. 

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Imagine this stunning group of hyacinths adorning your living room... what a wonderful way to accent winter whites with a jolt of fresh green.  Adding the natural moss to the soil level of this urn aids in preventing soil transfer as well as adds more green variations to keep you cheerful.

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Even with the snow fluttering outside, this sun room utilizes left-over holiday greenery in an arrangement embracing nature.  The addition of decorative, glistening pine cones keeps with the nature theme as well as pulls the white from outdoors in.

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Adding wildflowers and rustic floral clippings to a room is one of The Great House's favorite methods to add natural charm to any space.  There is always a sense of nostalgia associated with wildflowers along with the casualness of an asymmetrical grouping.  In the winter, when the elements may attempt to get the better of us, these rustic arrangements give you the idea of running outside with in your sun dress, clippers in hand, on in a ninety degree summer day. 

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After removing your holiday splendor, you may want to embrace a more casual appearance for your home.  This is an easy way to center your life for the new year.  An interesting grouping of succulents, river rocks, branches, and candles adds zen quality.  I can imagine a grouping like this on a dining room table or in a master bathroom.  Keeping with the neutral grays and blues of the winter season, a zen grouping will not overpower any space, but instead accentuate most any color palette in your home.

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Keeping with the concept of adding life to your winter home, the addition of vegetables, greens, and fresh flowers are an inexpensive way to add life to your home.  We all go to the grocery store, and one extra lap around the produce department is no sacrifice- you can even cook the left overs.  If you are selling your home, fresh produce is always an easy staging trick to immediately have buyers envision living and functioning in the home.

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The inclusion of carrots, eggplants, and green beans accentuate the rustic design of this kitchen.  If you love your neutrals, adding pops of color with fruits and vegetables is a cost effective, and easily replaceable, addition to your kitchen.  For those of us who are not the most accomplished of chefs, this is also an easy way to convince your friends otherwise.

We at The Great House hope you can add a little bit of nature into your homes as you settle back into the routine of the year.

"Less (color) is More"

Spring is in the air!  Could be wishful thinking, but it certainly does make us want to decorate!

Look through all your favorite magazines and figure out what style you want to attach to your personal space.  Re-upholstery is a quick fix to give some of your favorite pieces a new life.  It's always a great idea to add a few fresh new pieces to what you already have to inspire new ideas.  Money spent to make your "Nest" your favorite place is an investment you will not regret.

Exploring new color schemes, changing wall colors and addressing your windows with some fabulous new drapery lends an immediate re-do vibe to any space.  The monochromatic wall is a recent design trend that will not go out of style.  It's fresh, it's clean and it goes with everything.  Out are the days of golds and reds and in is the Ahhhhh of creams, grays and simple neutrals.

 

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Add touches of color in your accessories, and your walls simply act as a canvas for the room to be designed around.

Bring the Outdoors in by having fresh greenery and flowers, growing plants and potted herbs in rooms where it may be unexpected.  This freshens any room's personality and makes you feel like you deserve it.

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Enjoy, and don't take yourself seriously.  When it comes to decorating, it's all about how it makes you feel.