Welcome spring into your home
When it comes to spring, think nature.
Lots of color, flowers and animal designs are finding their way inside homes as spring decorating is in full swing.
“I love this time of year with bright colors and fragrances that come together,” said Steve Neubauer, of NeubauerĢƵ Flowers and Market House in Uniontown.
“Anything that brings the outdoors inside is spring,” observed Charlotte Connors, of CharlotteĢƵ Custom Draperies and Home Fashions in Waynesburg. “People are ready for something that represents new life and brings it into their home.”
Connors said the Pantone Color Institute, a consulting service that forecasts global color trends and advises companies on color in brand identity and product development, has declared “living coral” as the color of the year for 2019. Pantone noted on its website the shade offers a “coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.”
“ItĢƵ such a good color for spring,” said Connors. “It will work with so many other colors.”
Neubauer noted metallics continue to be popular with “matte finished or brushed metallics for spring.”
Flowers remain a favorite for decorating in this season as they are abundant throughout gardens and landscapes.
“Spring really is my favorite time of year,” said Neubauer. “Daffodils and hyacinths are in yards and magnolias look like they’re going to bloom fully this year.”
People are adding that beauty and freshness to their homes by using flowers in a variety of ways.
“They are making it as simple as a single flower in a bottle or glass work or a handful of flowers in a mason jar or vase,” said Neubauer, although noting that people still want formal floral treatments as well.
Flowers accent existing decor, Neubauer noted.
But they can also be a way to add changes.
“I love flowers in fabric because thatĢƵ what I do,” said Connors.
Spring, however, welcomes all forms of nature.
Connors noted, “Birds are big in decorating and fabrics. We have fabrics that feature a lot of birds that look like Audubon prints. They’re just gorgeous.”
These natural-looking prints are finding their way onto fabrics for draperies and pillows, Connors said.
An internet search found birds on towels, shower curtains, dishes and other décor.
Neubauer said, “Birds really never go out of style. And butterflies are becoming popular again.”
He added that bunnies, chicks, lambs and even frogs are also popular, and can be found in figurines displayed as accent pieces on furniture.
“They can be little displays under a cloche on a table or something as simple as putting them on Easter grass with eggs,” said Neubauer. “They’re all colors and textures: glittery eggs, painted eggs. ItĢƵ a great gift or centerpiece.”
Furnishings and home decor are embracing a warmer side.
Connors said, “Rattan is popular with a modern twist of adding color, like in a chair. They’re also doing baskets.”
Lightweight, durable and attractive, rattan is a natural material that is finding itself in outdoor and indoor furniture as well as home wares.
Macramé is also making a comeback, Connors said.
Macramé, a design that includes knot tying, is going beyond wall hangings and planters of the 1970s to show a more sophisticated side today.
“Anything natural and handmade is becoming quite popular,” said Neubauer, noting that includes repurposed wood that has been made into furniture and wall decor.
And sometimes, the beauty of nature can be shown in a fireplace display.
“When my fireplace is done for the winter, I always clean it out and put new logs in it and then clip a spotlight inside the fireplace so itĢƵ lit up all the time,” said Connors, who uses a basket to hide the electric cord. “It always looks so pretty and everyone comments on it.”
Of course, one of the easiest ways to change your house over to spring is to decorate with plants. They add freshness and vigor.
Neubauer commented, “Plants are great. They filter the air. They add fragrance to every room.”
“You can have everything white in your house — curtains, rugs, chairs and then bring in house plants and it makes it come alive,” Connors said. “And itĢƵ healthy for you, too.”





