Spring is on our doorstep and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the longer days and warmer weather that calls to us to throw open the windows and doors to let in the fresh air and sunlight. Naturally, we all have the urge to start anew, tidying up and ushering in the new season with open arms.
Since we recently spoke about our top tidying tips in our new monthly look book, I thought it only proper to dive into a few easy ways you can quickly transition your abode into the perfect springtime sanctuary
Psst… If you haven’t joined our monthly look book yet, you should really get on that. It’s full of all kinds of practical design advice and design inspo. Join here.
Where to Start
With any project, it’s good to start small and with a realistic timeframe for completion. That way you can get a finite sense of completion and maintain your wherewithal to move on to the next task or project.
With your springtime spruce up, why not start in the entryway of your home? Typically your entry should offer a sneak peak into the rest of your home’s overall feel, but it needs to also offer one or two elements of surprise so guests are excited to see more. There’s nothing more bland than walking into a room and knowing exactly how it will look.
If you’re only going to spruce up one space, the entry is my recommendation. It is already set up as a ready-made vignette, so swapping out a flower arrangement and a new candle to greet people as they come in the door will offer a reinvigorating change without a huge investment in time, effort or money.
Tidying is a good place to start, but don’t feel like you have to stop there. Remember, every surface is an opportunity to tell a story. If your entry table is covered with junk mail and old receipts, what story is it telling?
If your entry table tends to be a catchall, consider adding a fun decorative box where you can stow mail. Just make sure it’s not too big so you’re encouraged to sort it out regularly.
We recently ditched our double-drawer console table for an open, terraced glass number. It took me ages to come to terms with losing the drawers and the “storage”, but ditching the junk drawers was one of the best things I’ve done for my psyche. Now we have two canisters that are just large enough to hold essentials like keys, sunnies, and card wallets. And a box on the lower shelf for items like umbrellas.
Making this a welcoming, organised space is for the benefit of your own psyche more than anyone else’s. When you arrive home it should be your sanctuary. You should feel like after a long day of you against the world, there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. So let that moment of finally arriving home be one of reprieve, not additional anxiety.
Add a New Scent
One of my favourite things about living in Sydney is that it’s like a garden of eden all year long. There never seems to be a time when trees aren’t flowering. So be sure to embrace the smells of the season. During the cold winter months, the craving for warm earthy smells with cedar notes are real, but by the time spring rolls around, just as our human craving for colour kicks it, our need for lighter invigorating scents seem to join in tandem.
If you haven’t tried Diptique’s Mimosa candle yet, this time of the year is the perfect time to treat yourself. It is so aromatic with its light floral and citrus notes that delightfully fill the air without being overpowering. Even though its price tag is a bit on the hefty size, it is luxuriously fragrant even when it's not lit so it ends up being a pretty decent value.
Why stop with candles? Essential oils offer a refreshing alternative. Fill up your aroma diffuser with a few drops of eucalyptus oil for a calming start your day. Add a few drops of lavender to a tissue or washcloth and place it in your pillowcase to help you fall into a refreshing slumber. Since many of us might still have a few more weeks of using the dryer before hanging our clothes outside to dry, add a few drops to a clean washcloth and pop it into the dryer for a dried-in springy scent to your clothes.
Let Food and Nature Guide You
Nothing says spring in Australia like barbecues. If there’s a national pastime here, it has got to be backyard barbecues. Try a new recipe and let it guide your tablescape.
This cedar-grilled halibut is beyond gorgeous. We tried it last week with a few tiny modifications, swapping cedar for smoked applewood and trading halibut for barramundi, since halibut isn't a fish we have here in Australia.
The jalapeño, fennel and preserved lemon chutney makes this the perfect easy springtime meal. It's light and zesty and the jalapeño offers just enough heat to stave off any lingering winter chill in the air. We even had enough chutney left over to add it to a risotto the next day, and it was just as delicious.
Swap out your napkins and plates for something a bit more colourful, and clip a few flowering tree branches to add to your centrepiece. Crack open a nice rosé and invite your friends over to celebrate ushering in the new season. Hey, it's spring. that's reason enough to celebrate!
Swap out your Accessories
Ok, you might not be ready to stow away your faux fur blankets just yet. In our home, ours is lovingly referred to as the “wolf blanket” and my guess is that it will still reign supreme for the entire family for the next few weeks at least. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be bringing out those lighter throws too, especially as the temperatures swing between hot to chilly from one day to the next.
Natural linen is in light colours is the perfect transition cover and can be good for the bed, sofa and outdoors by the fire at night.
Inject some springtime colours into your accessories, by swapping out a few cushions for lighter or even pastel hued ones. Change out artwork for a few vibrant prints. With so many cool online options, this can be a really affordable swap that will put some spring in your home’s step in no time.
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