This time of the year everybody is a bit over winter and eagerly awaiting the first warm sunny days of spring!  We’ve cocooned ourselves over the chilly months, creating cosy spaces in our homes. Now it’s almost time to open up the house and embrace the outdoors again!

Bring the garden into your home with green – the new colour movement across all home wares.  If you are confident with colour, mix different shades of green with white – a simple but stunning combination!  Or, begin with a rug, and then layer your room from the floor up. Bring softness into your home with fabrics – curtains, upholstery, cushions, throws.

Sheer curtains filter the bright summer light, creating a restful ambience and look gorgeous with the gentle breeze softly billowing the hems….

Scaled up florals are ideal for bringing nature indoors. Use them also on a statement chair, ottoman or bedhead.
As always comfort is key; tactile fabrics enhance the experience. Cushions with embroidery detail provide a tactile and folksy touch.

You don’t have to completely redecorate to achieve a summery look – be selective and choose one colour that will inject new interest into your room. Repeat the colour in various shades and patterns.
Mix up the patterns in the same colour palette for an original décor, team large scale floral print curtains with a bold chevron stripe on an ottoman or cushion – the effect is Wow!

Orange is still a strong decorating colour – team with naturally warm timber tones.

Fifty shades of blue – from royal, marine and cobalt to pastel, sky and powder – blues are perennial favourites and never go out of style.  Classic blue and white works so well in Beach Hamptons style décor. For a masculine touch work the blues together with sleek, modern feature pieces in black.

My secret ingredient for redecorating has always been to have at least one piece of furniture with a provenance. It provides an intriguing talking point and anchors the room with a history that brings intangible layers to your décor, to create an inviting and welcoming home. A room with brand new everything is not relaxing and inviting. Redecorate slowly. Try moving pieces from room to room. I have a dressing table that has done duty in bedrooms, living area and a hallway!

If you need any guidance with selecting fabrics for spring / summer decorating – we are here to help! Call Spring Crest on (07) 55922200

By Coleen Radford

From Babies To Young Adults

Need help to create a special place for kids? Here are some ideas to help you to achieve a look that your child can grow with.

We all want our newborn to have the perfect nursery; but how to cover all bases from baby to teenager? Unless you can afford to change the décor every couple of years; you are most likely looking to decorate with a décor your child can grow with, and use temporary decorating tricks like adding removable wall decals as their interests change. (Think love hearts, butterflies, super heroes, sports stars.)

If you want smart and timeless you can’t go wrong with a  black and white base theme.  For small windows use white Roman shades framed with black window architraves then add combinations of black and white furniture; finished off with pops of colour in scatter cushions and upholstered pieces. For a full length window use a plain neutral light coloured fabric for curtains and toning slimline pelmet.  Or use a combination of roller blinds for blocking out light teamed with full length sheer curtains.  Remember that a child’s bedroom may amass lots of toys in bright colours that will add the colourful element to a neutral décor.

This neutral room can easily be changed as your child grows…

Cover a wall with a big picture mural, vinyl decals or posters. Add décor that reflects your child’s interests or where you live.

A beach theme always looks fabulous for coastal living and suits both sexes. Blue and white is not gender specific, is easy to live with and always fresh and crisp. Add oars and bold stripes for a masculine look. For a feminine look add a chandelier light fitting – little girls and big girls love them! Then just add favourite colours in cushions and accessories.

Your teenage daughter may not want the cute pink and purple love hearts and butterflies she used to crave…how about a chic sophisticated Parisian look? A sleek Roman blind in black with some diamante bling along the lower edge, teamed with sheer black side drapes pulled back in a dramatic sweep held in place with a gorgeous tassel tieback –maybe puddle the sheer on the floor for added drama? Add a glass top desk, acrylic Louis chair, chandelier light and some French poster prints – Voila!
Prefer New York? Change the posters to the Manhattan skyline, Times Square or any other iconic Big Apple image. Add a picture of the iconic Yellow Cab and some splashes of yellow in scatter cushions.

London? Add the Union Jack as a scatter cushion, posters of a red London Bus, red telephone box…you get the idea!

When your teenage son has outgrown the Super heroes and Thomas the Tank Engine look, he needs a very cool but masculine and stylish room! Striped Roman blinds with a pelmet in a plain fabric (pick out one of the colours in the stripes) is a look that is timeless. A bedhead or headboard in a coordinated fabric finishes off the décor.
There are heaps of fabulous geometric and retro prints available too – you will be spoilt for choice!

Teenagers need their own space; and how to incorporate a study area as well as some casual living space can be a dilemma in a small bedroom.

Think about using a day bed that can double as a hang out area.  For a corner space use two simple upholstered bedhead panels attached at right angles to the walls to provide something to lean against; add some funky cushions and you have an instant chill out area.

Upholstered Bed Heads are a fantastic and very inexpensive way to make the transition between ages.  I regularly changed the bed heads in both my children’s bedrooms for a quick and easy facelift. If you keep the window coverings neutral then you can go all out on the bedhead – bright bold stripes, pretty soft dimity prints, dramatic animal prints – anything at all will go with a neutral base décor. As the fabric required is so minimal, an expensive fabric can be used without the finished product blowing your budget. If you want the room converted to a guest room, just replace with a stylish bed head and add coordinating scatter cushions.

Happy decorating!

By Coleen Radford

Have you ever thought about redecorating your home? Adding some timber venetian blinds, new curtains, cushions or throw rugs can be a good start, but getting a complete 'look' can take a little more planning. Start with your furniture. What pieces do you want to keep? Base this choice on what you want to keep, not what you think is fashionable at the moment. Obviously the piece has to be the correct dimensions for the room, but the actual look of the piece can be easily changed. Furnishings are recyclable; heirlooms blend. The rigid rules of the past are gone. Have the style you want and put your own individual spin on it. Here are a few popular modes of decoration to jump-start those creative juices!

Traditional

Traditional decorating no longer adheres to period styles. Traditional style has come to translate pieces from any number of periods and countries. Many young families have created a newer, fresher take on traditional by using lighter colour palettes for walls, and window dressings become tailored curtains, sheers, Roman or roller blinds. The family heirlooms and older furniture marry perfectly with this new updated look – no need to go and buy all new furniture!

Country and Shabby Chic

"Country" has evolved into an all-encompassing term of American, English, Shabby Chic and French styles.

American country: let the breezes tug at the hems of simple window treatments. Roman shades in natural fabrics like cotton and linen are alluring. From seat cushions to table napkins, you will find simple patterns work best. For instance, look to plaids, checks, and stripes, in hues like sea-blue, lime-green, and butter-yellow.

Oooh La La - How could French Country - also known as French Provincial - be anything less than charming? France is renowned for all things romantic including its well-loved 18th-century toile de Jouy (commonly referred to as just "toile") patterns peppered with endearing images of pastoral life.

Today, in a rainbow of colours as well as hip black and white, toile is available as everything from wallpaper to drapery fabrics and accessories. (Toile fabric looks fabulous on an ottoman.)

Create a typical French-country window with whimsical fabric patterns and repeat in furnishing details – chairs, ottoman, cushions, throws.

Parisian Chic when toned down is often married with the country look to give a soft but elegant look. Think chandeliers, black, white and silver, mirrors – teenage girls love this look in their bedroom! Teamed with sparkly silver or charcoal sheer curtains in front of a blackout curtain (double tracks or poles) creates a sophisticated and fun look.

Shabby Chic style is everything vintage, recycled, distressed furniture – team it with curtains in pretty feminine florals and dainty prints, Roman blinds in pastel washed out coloured stripes,  floaty sheers in whites and creams.

English country style is chintzier – use lots of patterns but in co-ordinated colours. Mix stripes, plaids, florals to bring this look together. Dress the window in a Roman blind, side drapes, tassel tiebacks, pelmet; then add cushions to furniture in same fabric story. The more pattern the better! But the trick is to layer the patterns in co-ordinated colours to avoid a messy look.

To Read on to Part Two of my blog CLICK HERE
By Coleen Radford

Keep a look out for Part II of this Blog "All About Choosing Window Coverings and Soft Furnishings" from Spring Crest Curtains and Blinds Gold Coast