We all kind of wade through March grasping warm days and dreaming of short sleeves and tops down on convertibles. We get some winter mixed in with some spring and we savor the sun, which brings it all together. Today is a cloudy day after two days of rain. But the week is supposed to be gorgeous. I find that the season of spring and rebirth influences everything I design. The rebirth of nature and it's possibilities cannot help but rub off on all that we do. To bring in the optimism of spring one can easily embrace the "greening" of design. Natural materials, recycled products, and reclaimed accent pieces are good design elements, but especially for spring. Bamboo is clean, clear and fresh looking in an interior. Smooth bamboo floors can be softened with season area rugs that can be light and airy or cuddly and warm. Bamboo reacts to both very well. Using faux finishes to create a wall detail to enhance bamboo is simple too. We are using alot of real lime infused Ventian Plaster lately. We love the look. Burnished, it is clear and bright. Textured it is olde world and imagination brings history to the design forefront. I love combining faux finishes in green ways. It is non toxic, if the right products are used. It even kills bacteria if original formulas are used. (those Europeans knew what they were doing in using faux to create interior and exterior drama)
Recycling from your own home is also a great design trick. The fussy end table inherited from Aunt Helen can be painted in a matte color paint and is instantly tranformed to a funky new design element. Don't just go safe with white or black. Choose lime green, or lemon yellow. Aunt Helen may be watching, and I bet she is pleased. Digging through a client attic is more fun that a thrift shop. These things actually meant something to a dear client and deserve some thought going into them. Pull it out, dust it off and consider the possibilities of using it in a new way. Old radios, children toys, large baskets, large porcelain pans, old ceramic tureens and bowls, and of course old textiles. Reusing these elements in a new way can insure an interesting environment that actually tells time.
So reach out for spring. Find it in your interior with a fresh approach. Feel the suns warmth in how you approach a space. But most of all get outside and breath it in.
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