Unmistakable harbingers of spring are popping up in wardrobes, gardens and shops this month, so why not use them to banish winter from your house, too? From fresh interior décor to technology must-haves, three local experts weigh in on how to bring the season's best trends home.
* Like April's early blooms, bright accessories liven up a room and quickly transform a tired neutral color scheme. "Adding fun pops of color is a practical way to transition the house from winter to spring," says Sophie's main designer, Wheeler Lewis. She suggests adding a new lamp, rug, pillows or table top accessories to easily incorporate splashes of your favorite spring-inspired color and new trends. Pillows and rugs can come and go with the season, lightening the vibe of a room. "Bright blues and greens and geometric patterns are trending right now," says Lewis.
* Nothing draws your attention to outdoor living spaces like the first few warm days of spring. Steve Nicola of Smarthomes Chattanooga has just the thing to spruce up your outdoor gatherings - and it effortlessly transitions inside, too. "A very relevant system that is building traction with people, and certainly our clients, is Sonos," says Nicola. "Sonos is a music system for the home that is simple to use and fun to own." Affordable at $199, the Sonos Play1 is a wireless speaker that can go any place with a power outlet. "Ease of use is important, because it means you will use it more," Nicola says. "After a tough day at work, hanging out with friends or just preparing a meal, music soothes us and makes us happier. For more sophisticated systems that cover your entire home, it might make sense to hire an expert like the pros at Smarthomes Chattanooga."
* Of course nothing brightens an outdoor living area like fresh flowers, which are surely more evocative of the season than anything else. Nancy Talley, landscape specialist and co-owner of Botanica Chattanooga, routinely offers clients ideas for the garden that are low in effort and high in returns. While she loves tulips and crocuses, the lesser-known Greek anemone (Anemone coronaria) is her go-to for an early bloomer. "If you want to add something new to your beds, this one is easy to grow, full of color, and also a classic cut flower that you can bring into your home," she says. "This year, many of our clients are requesting more native plants to be incorporated into their landscapes," she adds. "Some of our favorite spring native flowers include Virginia bluebells, woodland phlox and celandine poppy." Talley suggests finding these low-maintenance beauties on a woodland trail.
* "Edible, yet ornamental plants are also popular," says Talley. "The spring-flowering serviceberry is a gorgeous multi-trunked tree that can be used as a specimen, or incorporated into landscape beds. Serviceberry fruits ripen before blueberries to give us an early taste of summer's sweetness." Alpine strawberries are another early producer that Talley likes to use at the foot of a wall as a ground cover or blended into a garden bed. "It produces tiny, edible strawberries off-and-on for several months, and is a European classic for tarts and other pastries."
* What's great about the décor, gardening advice and tech ideas offered by these experts is that none of them require permanent changes or too much effort. Remember to let your own personality show through in whatever trends you take on, and apply them with a light hand to take your home from dull to delectable.