Bright colors and pastels are popping up in home decor as spring approaches to refresh our spirits and spaces, local designers say.
"I always think for spring people tend to pull out softer but brighter colors, not what you think of in fall and winter," said Jeff Brown, owner of JBrown For The Home in the 100 block of College Drive.
Many people are opting for neutrals in furniture and adding smaller pops of color.
"Color makes you happy and can certainly set a mood," he said.
Those colorful accents can come in through pillows, upholstery and art.
"Pillows give a little punch of something. Some fabrics are so gorgeous and beautiful. A pillow gives you just enough of it as to where a chair would be too much," he said.
Blues are a popular choice, he says.
"We've been seeing more yellows that we have in the past and some greens. I can't say I see any one color standing out. People are still liking water and ocean colors too. Those are going to be strong for a long time because they are peaceful, but still say something," he said.
The pandemic keeping more people home has resulted in a renewed interest and assessment of our homes.
"What people are wanting now are more relaxed and cozy settings. In the last year, people feel somewhat stuck at home and not able to go places. It has made our homes more important than normal. We are seeing them all the time."
Our home is usually our largest investment, and ensuring it is appointed well is key, Jeff said.
"I think people want to have higher quality. People who appreciate quality want to use the best materials they can. I always encourage using the highest and best-quality materials and things you can to stand the test of time, don't be fad-like or buy things you will get tired of too quickly," he said.
Jeff said having neutral countertops and tile in bathrooms are wise choices to allow for adding color.
"I still like to use wallpaper. Some people say wallpaper is out, but I don't think wallpaper is ever out. There are so many different options available. I just love wallpaper. I think that it is something, as long as you select wisely, you will not get tired of," he said.
Jeff added that people are at different stages of their lives and their decor often reflects those shifts and changes.
"I feel like my taste is pretty settled down and in younger years and different times, you go though growth in what you like and refining some of the things you are really going to like for the long haul," he said.
Janet Green, owner of Janet Green Interior Design, said customers are gravitating to neutral furniture now.
"But in the spring, people are using pastel tones like accents in pillows and rugs and then they bring some plants in," she said.
Like Jeff, Janet said local trends are to add patterns or color using artwork and pillows.
Also, customers are preferring color accents in chair fabrics and blue is now a strong color in home decor.
The modern farmhouse look is another strong trend in home furnishings, primarily among younger clients inspired by home shows.
Janet said many people do seasonal decorating, including Valentine's Day, Easter and Fourth of July.
As a matter of fact, she put out some of her Easter bunnies during the snow storm.
"I have a friend who has pillow covers and she changes the pillow covers for every season. She has a gray sectional," Janet said.
With many people unable to change large items like furniture, purchasing draperies and blinds can be a more affordable option to transform a room.
"Shades have become very popular. You can get the woven-type shades you see in the restaurants known as solar screens. It is all natural fibers Roller shades are also good to have. You can get woven woods in top-down bottom-up, which means you can leave the top portion open," she said.
As for plants, Janet said fiddle leaf plant are popular.
Ellis Pottery has predicted that garden plants will be strong sellers this spring. "Trend-wise, bedding plants and shrubbery would be the go-tos for most families. Vegetable plants will let a lot of people work with kids in the garden," store manager Jared Bilbo said. "We have probably one of the larger selections of vegetable plants from tomatoes and peppers, anything you want for your garden, we will carry it."
For the interior of the home, Ellis offers worksheets so people can make their own wreaths. They also carry a full array of grapevine wreaths as well as mesh ribbon accessories and smaller items to adorn the wreaths.
"We also have artificial stems that can tie-in to make wreaths look really good," he said.