2010 Spring/Summer Decorating Must haves

Spring has finally arrived and summer is just around the corner, so I thought I would share with you 5 of my favourite ways to update my home decor for this summer season.

Anything Turquoise!!

Pantone, the leading expert on color influence for the design world proclaimed Turquoise as 2010's color of the year.  This color has been popping up in clothing and home décor in the last few months. I'm sure you've seen a girlfriend wearing a gorgeous set of turquoise earrings...or maybe a large flowery ring - it's everywhere. My best advice in decorating is to use the color in your accessories and accents throughout your home. I currently love the colour combinations of ‘turquoise and coral' and turquoise and apple green'. I updated my family room by adding 2 new lamps in turquoise with white shades, a vibrant blue throw for the sectional, and six new cushions with a gorgeous Moroccan patterned mixture of turquoise, coral and green. I also purchased a couple of turquoise coloured mosaic glass vases for a splash of colour on the fireplace mantle and voila, my room has been instantly updated without changing one piece of furniture or breaking the bank!

Birds of a Feather

All things bird-related are popular this year. From owls to parrots, we can't seem to get enough of this exquisite natural motif. These exotic and whimsical accents are the perfect dose of spring for any room. I personally love birds and have many throughout my house arranged in groupings of 3. This season I have added 2 white mini birdcages that will be arranged with one of my bird groupings. For an upbeat mood in my foyer, I have faux eggs in a shallow bowl arranged with another grouping of birds on the console table.

Enormous Prints

With the continued focus on earth-friendly living, I like to embrace natural motifs in a big way. From big bold flowers to stylized branches and fronds, the scale of prints has gone on steroids this season. I updated my master bedroom by purchasing a white duvet cover inlayed with a motif of large silvery and brown tree branches....it's very organic and definitely lightens up the room. Home accessories featuring floral prints are popping up everywhere that will create interest to boring rooms. I will be adding this in the way of new boldly flowered cushions to create impact in the guest bedroom.

Sticker Style

Peel-and-stick wall decals are a quick and simple update for any plain surface. Dress up any wall or plain pieces of furniture with delicate wallpaper decals or vibrant shapes. I just purchased a set of 12 white butterfly decals that I will be placing on the first wall you see when you enter my young daughter's room - it will add an unexpected fanciful touch when you walk into her room. When she gets sick of butterflies, we'll just peel them away and the paint will stay intact. (Tip: The easiest way to apply them is to slowly peel away from the backing while smoothing the decal on the wall.)
Keeping it Real

Nothing says spring more than fresh flowers. Make sure to be consistent with creating arrangements. Choose a color scheme, like all white, instead of mixing bouquets, and use the same type flower in one glass container with a beautiful white satin or grosgrain ribbon wrapped around it. By now you should know that I love groupings of odd numbers, specifically groupings of 3s and I plan on having bunches of fresh blue hydrangeas in my 3 square cut vases evenly spaced along my dining room table all summer long.
So what should you take away from my list -- "It doesn't take transforming the entire room to freshen up your look, just add an accent piece or two to liven up your décor." Remember, you are only limited by your own creative style. "If you do only one thing this summer, please add a touch color to your surroundings."
How will YOU update your home this season.....I would love to hear from you!

Christine Da Costa, Decor by Christine Interior Decorating & Design