With spring here at last, it’s time to embrace a little bright sunshine colour in your home – and add some tropical touches, too, says Eileen Leahy
If you’ve loved the light and airy feel that a trip to sunnier climes gives you, then why not think about how you can introduce that refreshed, revitalised ambience into your home on a permanent basis?
Or, if you’re not that adventurous when it comes to embracing colour in your decorating schemes, how about adding the odd sunshine touch here and there, and then completing that summery feeling courtesy of a tropical touch or two?
Yellow is currently enjoying its moment in the sun, so to speak, as it’s one of the hottest shades for spring/summer 2018, with lots of retailers and designers incorporating it into their collections.
Currently, you can find anything from yellow statement cushions and pendant lighting to bed linen and plant pots splashed in this most summery of colours.
Using this tone is a brilliant compromise to those more dominant shades, such as hot reds or funky pinks, as it immediately give your home a refreshed and sunny outlook but won’t take it over completely.
You could go down the feature wall route and include a patterned paper or fabric with splashes of yolky or mustard yellow, and this will certainly create a primary point of focus.
John Lewis carries a number of excellent brands, including Harlequin, Designers Guild, Cole & Son and Clarissa Hulse, which all boast a variety of styles to suit your personal palette – from cool geometrics to more raditional blousy florals.
But if this is still too much yellow for you, then give the odd pop here and there courtesy of a bright cushion or two on your sofa, an occasional dining chair (as pictured) or a lampshade.
Complement your yellow fever with a few darker tonals, such as teal or jade green – both partner yellow perfectly and are also totally on trend for this season.
Adding to the mix a few exotic palm leaf prints – another must-have for the dedicated follower of home fashion – will effortlessly help you to achieve that holiday at home feeling.
Just about everywhere, from TK Maxx to Debenhams, Next, M&S and Primark, boast an array of palm-printed goodies for spring/summer, so whichever space you are decking out you will have tons of choice.
But, as with most decorating rules, you don’t want to go over the top with too many prints, as the effect will be overpowering. Instead, stick to no more than two different designs and scale sizes to ensure a successful scheme.
Alternatively, why not treat an empty-looking corner to a real or faux succulent or palm tree? This can also really help to tie a room’s look together for minimum effort and expense.
Complement your theme with the odd subtle added textural interest, such as a flicker of copper metallic – on a lamp base, candlestick or mirror, for example – or how about some wooden furniture, flooring or accessories?
All of these will help you create that all important summer exotic look, so what are you waiting for?
