February 2021
Valentines Day is nearly upon us. A day that to some means everything, but to others simply signifies that first promotional calendar event of the season. Being someone who often shuns Valentines Day, this year, I will be embracing it, not as a day for mushy romance and hearts, but instead as a day to celebrate the lengthening of daylight hours and the announcement that despite the snow that we are experiencing in parts of the UK, Spring is doing its upmost to make its way into our lives.
Like many people around the globe, I have never spent so much time in my own home. We have now lived 4 seasons, largely indoors. The arrival of Spring often signifies the beginning of ‘new’ and historically has been an important time in the interiors industry, with new collections and styles being launched. This year, the world of fashion and interiors have had to move with the challenge of the times. Trade shows and appointments have been held online. The impact of Brexit has been felt by everyone, with goods held up on both sides of the ports. Yet despite these challenges, the world of interiors continues to move forward, with new and exciting brands launching, firm favourites reinforcing their status in the market-place and significantly more and more brands embracing sustainability through their work.
As many of us have spent more time in our homes this year, we have been able to assess areas that may need some TLC that we had previously pushed way down the list after buying that new handbag or those new shoes. Sadly, the shoes and bags are gathering dust in the wardrobe for another few weeks, but the house can become a home. The rise of home organising businesses has seen teams, armed with label makers and plastic boxes entering the lives of those who need to sort the calm from the chaos. Cupboards have never looked so uniformed! Walls have changed colours in homes and grey has been knocked off the list of the go to colour after Magnolia finally died with the 90s. We have been experimenting and enjoying it, and the interiors industry are loving it. Hygge has been a hugely popular choice, along with neutral tones favoured by the Queen of neural interiors, Kelly Hoppen, and pampas has been entering homes and vases as quickly as ‘tie-dye’ has entered wardrobes. Instagram and Pinterest influencers’ pictures are beginning to migrate from the cozy vibes of winter to the fresh look of spring.
Spring Clean is not just a term, but a metaphor. When we spring clean our homes, we spring clean our minds and lives, and this has never been more appropriate than this year. So rather than looking at the calendar on the 14th February and seeing yet another missed event to go out for, I will be looking this year at what I will be doing around the home to prepare for spring. I will be starting by changing my artificial flowers as this is the quickest and quite a reasonable way to update a space. I also find that during spring, I would rather have less ‘clutter’ so my thick and glamorous arrangements featuring jewelled tones of merlot and burgundy (flowers not wine, the wine stays!), will be swapped to something lighter and airier. My walls are already quite dark with navy in one room, pine green in another, gold in another, (you get the picture, I like to embrace bold), so swapping my cushions for a lighter colour and fabric is going to also help. Out with the velvet until the Autumn and in with the linen. Your wardrobe can have a seasonal look, and so can your home. I will continue to provide ideas over the coming weeks of spring styles.
The heavy casserole dishes may still need to remain nearby for a few more weeks and I am certainly going to embrace the last opportunities of using my fireplace in the Autumn, but as I sit here writing at nearly 5pm and there is still daylight outside of my window, I can certainly see light at the end of this long winter tunnel.
Keep safe, keep well,
Love and Light
Gemma