I never thought I would be so happy to see a dandelion!
It is so nice to be able to run outside with no shoes on, and grab the mail without getting frostbite and sprinkling ice melt ahead of me. The sunshine is a welcome change, and despite what we might be thinking in the darkness of February, Spring does always manage to find its way back to us.
People are happier, they are shopping, and they are decorating; we are all so grateful to grab onto the feeling of warm, blue skies and fresh, green grass.
Someone asked me the other day what the trends are for the season. It’s a question I get asked a lot, and my answer is to often look to the runway; design seems to follow fashion, and in Spring I think the biggest trend anywhere always ends up being a celebration of life.
I don’t mean in the deeply spiritual way, I mean literally.
After six months of Winter we become nostalgic for what we haven’t had; we want to be less restricted in our clothes, we want softness and color around us, lots of warmth, and we want to be surrounded by things that feel more alive and organic.
So if you can’t find a dandelion, and you need a little bit of design inspiration, here are five of my favorite Spring trends.
MOROCCAN BLUE
Bohemian fabrics, a relaxed style, and the color blue are here to stay.
Not too precious, the slightly worn colors are still saturated enough to be our favorites, but comfortable enough for every day. If you’re not quite ready for a pile of floor pillows on your Living Room floor, why not update your patio or deck with a more temporary take on this gorgeous global inspiration.
A FLORAL MOMENT
Flowers are dominating the fashion and design houses this year.
If you don’t want a sofa covered in daffodils, or a brightly colored floral dress, buy (or pick) yourself a bunch of roses. A very formal flower, they look their best when they don’t look like they are trying too hard; snip them down to a smaller size and pop them into a jar
(skip the baby’s breath).
METAL AND STEAMPUNK
Influenced by the vintage military and automaton trend, steam-punk has gone mainstream; what once used to be on the fringe of the design world is now the perfect way to add a small amount of quirk to your home, without committing to a certain industrial style. I think that every home should have some elements of metal in it, so I am happy that our options are endless and pieces of metal can easily be mixed and matched into any room.
LOTS OF SHELVES
Maybe it’s baby boom nostalgia, but shelves are back in style.
Whether it’s for storing your collection of books, or a place to keep your favorite coffee cup, we now want to see what we have. Of course they are great for organizing, but they are also the simplest way to add personality to your home; why not share your randomly found objects, remember your treasured vacation souvenir, and use your now defunct wedding china. Enjoy what you have, and if dusting all those open spaces is a worry, then don’t dust.
NATURE
The opposite of so many things, a pile of something natural is often the best trend of all.
When I first saw cotton growing in a field, I had to stop the car. It was breathtaking to see acres of pods bursting with pure, soft white balls of fluff. To this day, it is still one of my favorite things in the whole world, and I have a small bundle of it in a glass bowl in my Living Room. Whether it is pine cones, twigs, cotton, rocks, or a fallen, abandoned bird’s nest, adding something raw and organic will always be beautiful, and never go out of style.
Photographs borrowed from: M.inmagine (Dandelion) Houzz (Moroccan) White Flower Farm (Roses) Restoration Hardware (Steampunk), Bookmania (Bookshelves) and Vertboitex (Cotton).
For more by Wendy and the Blue Giraffe, go to: http://www.thebluegiraffe.com/