Complement spring

Sharmila Chand 

Let bursts of bright colours, lively patterns and floral motifs breathe new life in your home décor to welcome the glory of spring season.  

Cheerful hues 

Make your space sunny and cheerful with perky oranges, greens and yellows. Nothing beats the ‘IT colour’ yellow to announce the arrival of spring. These vibrant shades not only generate right energy but also help in uplifting your spirits and mood.  

Let your wall paper, furnishings and accents bring the sunshine in. Choose your bed linen in the palette of yellow, orange or rust. Have your morning tea in bright yellow mugs. Let your dining room have bowls of oranges or lemons. And to top it all, liven up your living room with fresh yellow flower decoration. 

A ray of sunshine 

Spring is the best time to turn your home into a private enchanted sanctuary. Open your windows and let the sunshine bathe all your rooms with cheer. 

Collect simple plants to adorn each corner of your house. 

 Ordinary ferns look regal when tucked in pretty colourful pots. A collection of little sculptures, mini cacti and succulents make an interesting assemblage. A couple of large plants with big leathery leaves look outstanding when coordinated with lamps in corners. 

Decorating with plants is not only therapeutic but also the best way to make a home feel more lived-in and relaxed. So when you spend time in trimming your bonsais, watering your pots, hanging your green baskets,  trying out a vertical garden on one wall, or a fresh spring display in a glass terrarium, you are in perfect sync with the glory of spring. 

Have a new pillow wardrobe 

Welcome spring with a new set of pillows and cushion covers. Replace your silk, velvet and tweed ones to lighter fabrics in brighter shades. Go for breezy fabrics in seasonal shades and prints. You can even use your soft cotton dupattas and stoles to make a new collection. Pillows are the easiest and quickest way to bring in a change in décor. 

Ace accessories

Infuse spring vibes with colourful accessories. Brightly coloured vases, blossoming area rugs, interesting souvenirs, colourful books.  Give your bedding a fresh look with a springtime color palette of yellow, orange and green. 

In the bathrooms have colourful shower curtains with playful stripes, coordinated well with colourful towels and see how easily they transform a bathroom into a vibrant and playful retreat.

Update your art collection with spring on the mind.  

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Embrace florals 

Celebrate spring by bringing in florals and seasonal accents in your home decor.

Sometimes all you need to update a room for a new season is a fresh look at furnishings, window treatments and accents. A pretty, floral-pattern Roman shade can turn a window into a work of art. Wall paper in lovely botanical prints further perks up the theme. Give it a personal touch by adding floral flair of silk flowers and creating your own wall art. 

Also, motifs of birds and butterflies in the lobby or patio is a lovely way to create a spring-friendly vibe in the house. You could take a step further and hang some bird nesting cages for real birds. And there you are with a perfect miniature garden. 

— The writer is a Delhi-based freelance journalist

QUICK FIX

• Bring in some fresh flowers like tulips, daffodils and azaleas arranged in a pretty bunch to fit your centrepiece perfectly and grace the end tables. Not only will they add colour, but also a fresh fragrance to the space.
• Small floral prints — cherry blossoms or chintz add a pleasant vibe to the decor without being over-powering on other elements, so these can be used through wallpapers, area rugs or bed linen. If a big change is not what you have on mind, then some cushions would be just fine!
• Colours like yellow and orange in their most basic shades are peppy and add a very vibrant and energizing feel. Alternatively, softer hues like lavender, baby pink, mint green and baby blue have always been classics for spring.
• Bring the element of water indoors through water fountains and let these fill the ambience with soothing sounds, sure to add a spring to your step. Opting for a nautical theme to remodel a room is also a good idea!
• Take spring cleaning in the most literal sense and stow away all the bulky blankets, velvet curtains and bring out the soft cotton bed linen. Open up those jammed windows to let the sunlight warm up your interiors.

— Prasoon Shrivastava, Founder & CEO, HelpMeBuild