Grab a Swatch of Spring

When the weather forecast makes you want to crawl back into bed, here’s an idea that should grab you where you live:  Bring the colors and motifs of spring into your rooms and your closet.  Your mood is sure to follow. I’m somebody who wears fuchsia year-‘round, and I love it just as well in the spring with its complementary color, olive green, as I do in the winter with charcoal gray. You might be one of the many women who recoil at pink of any kind, but for you, coral or aqua or lime might do the same thing fuchsia does for me.  (Do consider using the “makeup tints” of rose and coral tops, scarves and earrings next to your face if late nights up with the croupy baby or the corporate budget have stolen the bloom from your cheeks.)  When it comes to patterns, conventional florals in edgy hues, or modern designs in flower colors can update a soothing, flattering look for today.  Color is a calorie-free way to indulge yourself, so if nothing else, look at Impressionist paintings online for a half-hour, or buy a pink or blue hyacinth plant at the grocery store. One plant will bring the sight and scent of spring home for a week or more. And that’s one week closer to the real thing!

A splash of lighthearted colors such as in the Arabella chair from Sam Moore is all it takes to create excitement and set a color scheme anyone can follow. Add a throw, an area rug, and a few lamps and pillows in your favorites of the solid colors shown here. Or keep the pattern play going with multicolored accents. Satiny ribbon-candy stripes or plaids work just as well as florals, but keep the look watercolor-light, in keeping with the mood.

Watercolor pumps like these by Manolo Blahnik look gorgeous with any solid springtime hue and with quite a few prints, too. Try this pretty abstract pattern with another blurred-edge print, with narrow ribbon stripes, or even a small-scale plaid in the same pretty colors as the shoes.

Pink florals can have a witty edge that works in any room, provided they’re modern or dramatic.  Like you, they’re just a bit unpredictable.  Anchor the look with two more hits of hot pink somewhere in the room.  Soften the hue with rough linen or wicker; sharpen it with a high-gloss lacquered tray, or just add a bunch of bright pink tulips. Easy!

Mirror-image (or what the furniture biz calls “book-matched”) patterns in floral hues are dramatic and edgy, but not over the top.  This Lilly Pulitzer dress is easy to wear and you can change the mood by changing the shoes and cardigan or jacket you wear with it. That’s the fun of prints charming!

Aqua’s been around since ancient times, but its spring-sky appeal never dims.  Choose this classic color (and vine-inspired details) to lighten any look, such as on the Tyfani console by Hooker Furniture.

Your decorating and wardrobe aren’t the only things in your life that could use a refreshing spring makeover. This e-book cover by Vera Bradley at 6pm.com lets you take your inspiration with you in style.

This tender green Spring Garden Chest is sophisticated and versatile. Imagine it adding softness and charm to a chic black-and-white setting — or grown-up depth to a room full of flower colors.  The pale hand-painted flower s are icing on the cake.

If you don’t want to wear a wrap or cardigan but it’s still too cold for bare arms, a long-sleeved dress in sherbet colors like this one from Jones New York will still give you the feeling of spring. The wrap shape is kind to all figures, too; so help yourself to a couple of those chocolate eggs!

Even if you’re sticking with your neutral-hued major furniture pieces like on this sectional from Sam Moore, there’s no denying the happy impact of colorful, nature-inspired accents. And what says “spring” better than butterflies?

A print doesn’t have to be a floral to convey the fresh spirit of springtime. This Marc by Marc Jacobs tablet cover combines two perennial pastels in a distinctive print that goes to work as well as to the park. It’s proof you can and should take spring with you wherever you go!