Toorak – Jasper Road, Bentleigh.
Kat Moore, Boutique Homes Project Designer, gives us five on-trend ways to refresh and style your space this spring, readying it for a lighter and brighter time of year.
Pack away the cosy, heavy blankets and doonas, along with the autumnal tones and replace with lightweight linens in a neutral, soft palette of whites and pastels. Think beachy coastal, Mediterranean styling.
“White on white on white doesn’t have to be boring when you play with texture and tone,” says Kat. Décor on surfaces and shelves are also an easy update to stay across current trends, including organic light white ceramic pieces that align beautifully with easy holiday vibes.
“If you’re planning on updating window furnishings think about how to go from winter to summer, marrying form and function, says Kat. “It might be sheers teamed with shutters, or a block out roller blind, or heavy curtains with sheers behind or sheers with a block out lining, depending on the look you’re trying to create.”
“In a word – biophilia,” says Kat. “Open windows, buy some fresh flowers, treat yourself to some room mist or linen spray with your favourite floral scents, and plants are an obvious way to bring outdoors in – why not try a new potted fig for indoors.”
Natural elements like timber furniture, framed art, accessories, floral patterns and prints in linens or tableware are a subtle way to bring outdoors in, while soft pastels or even textured wall hangings like Macrame work well. Other pieces like woven rugs and baskets can also add to the nature theme. “A clever way of bringing outside in is to place a mirror facing a window to reflect the greenery outside and make it feel like part of the space.”
If you have an outdoor space for entertaining, you can add the interior décor hints to that space too to tie both areas together and blend indoor-outdoor living.
“Colour psychology is often overlooked and after a cold dark winter, and embracing colour is a way to enhance our mood,” says Kat. Lilac has been popular of late – try pairing with bold contrasts of Cobalt Blue, pale green or deep burgundy to create interest or for kids’ rooms, just simple white or butter yellow and lilac create a soft calming palette.
Parkville 31 – Mt Atkinson, Truganina.
Use green to create connection to nature in spaces that don’t have a lot of natural light. “We’re also seeing more colour come through in window furnishing, and playing with scale and pattern with lots of layering of contrasting patterns is a current trend that’s really fun to experiment with.”
There are so many options with bedlinen, towels and cushions which are all easy updates that can have an instant impact on updating a palette and feel. Pale, warm- based tones create stillness and calmness like those seen in coastal and ‘Byron Bay’ interiors that tend to use a lot of whites, beiges and natural elements, linking wellness to our overall mood.
Light is so important to our wellbeing and how we create mood in space, so ensure spaces are well lit to feel larger and airy. The warmth of the light can also help depending on function – cool or natural light can make a space feel larger, while warm light is cosy and more intimate.
“Have a look at the space and see if there are any areas you can add decorative lighting and if you have larger windows, move furniture to allow maximum light to flow into the space,” says Kat.
It’s Marie Kondo season and the perfect time to reorganise, declutter and purge unused and unwanted items. Rearranging furniture can give a fresh feel to your space without any cost.
Take the opportunity to upcycle, sell or donate – it’s not only great for your home but good for the circular economy and your carbon footprint too.
This will help us create a personalised Boutique journey for you