Updating for Warmer Months

by : Lara O’Donnell | Head Designer, Tailored HQ

The thoughts of warmer climes and days at beach start creeping in. How do you transition your home to these warmer days without disregarding existing pieces?

1.Botanicals

Freshen your space with botanicals. Nothing says Spring more than gorgeous florals throughout your home. This doesn’t have to be only in the form of fresh flowers though. We’re seeing a lot of beautiful and bright wallpapers come through, with our clients in particular loving Palm Springs style palm leaves in soft pinks and greens. We’ve got table runners, cushions, wallpaper and bedheads all being made in this design. We’re loving seeing the colour come through and have great clients who are wanting to play with it! We’re also loving utilising non-florals for a point of interest. For example, we recently picked up a branch of cotton from a florist on Hunter St, and this one piece in a tall vase brings such joy whilst being such a simple way to create an effective vignette.

2.Layers

Spring is coming, we can feel it some days, but not just yet. For these transitional times between seasons, you need to layer to give you the greatest versatility. For the nights, consider a quilt and blanket combination. A quilt can have different levels of wadding in it. In our climate, we don’t need the really heavy quilting, so a cotton, bumpf or 70 gram fill is all that’s required. For the added warmth, put a large blanket underneath. As it warms up or we get a chilly night, having these layers makes it much easier to adjust overnight. Did you know you can have quilts made? We’re custom creating quilts for clients, fitting those larger sizes in particular, to suit higher mattresses, lower bases, drops to the floor. Having a quilt also makes it quick to make the bed – pull it up and you’re done! Make them in a fun fabric to add colour, pattern or texture to the space and, as a sneaky addition, pick a different fabric for the underside and you have two quilts in one! Seasonal transition couldn’t be easier than flipping the quilt.

3.Coat of Paint

Paint can be utilised as a great and affordable way to freshen a space. The entire house doesn’t have to be done (however sometimes it is worth getting it all done at once). A new colour on the walls will give a new life to your home, with white being the clean option, especially in a more modern home. Have you thought though of just redoing the trims? We’ve seen a lot of properties recently where the walls and trims – doors, architraves, skirting boards and window frames – are all painted the same colour, in the same finish. If the wall paint is in decent condition, why not pick out these trims in a high gloss white. Not only will there being a textural difference, but also a smarter, more upmarket finish to the space.
Paint can also be used on furniture pieces. A lot of our clients have furniture pieces they have inherited. Using these sentimental pieces in your home is a lovey way to pay homage to those the pieces belonged to previously. They can just need a little help being brought into a modern home. The frame and fabric may just need an update to fit in with the overall scheme. Be bold – paint the frame, use a big pattern fabric – make it a talking piece. These items are where you can have fun with colour or pattern. Think of the era they were made and ensure you respect the design.

4.Bring in an Interior Designer

Using an interior designer can help you create a finish that you may not have had the confidence to achieve without them. An initial consultation, usually just an hour or two long, may be all you need. This is where you receive their thoughts there and then on the ways to spruce your space from a professional. A step further would see you get a visual guide in the form of a mood board with specific pieces you can include if you wanted more direction.