The shade and cool of winter days are passing for another year as we get ready to bask in the warmth. Hooray! Spring brings a feel like no other season, with fresh breezes, vibrant gardens and lighter days. Let’s embrace the change and take advantage of how spring can lift the spirit of your space indoors. These five quick tips are simple and affordable ways to prepare your space for spring and look forward to summer.

1. A colour refresh

Colour is a really direct way to change the mood of any space. Packing away the warm reds, oranges and darker blues / greens will make way for the lightness of spring. Replace these colours with neutrals like blush, baby blue or sage greens. Colour change can be as dramatic as painting an entire room, or as simple as a new piece of wall art or a few scattered cushions. As long as the balance is weighted to the lighter tones, you will feel the lightness of spring in the air.

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2. A second set of soft furnishings

Cushions, throws, bedding and window dressings tend to get heavy in not only colour, but also texture, over winter. Having a second set of soft furnishings for the warmer months allows you to rotate with the change of season. Linens, cottons and sheers are all soft in texture and mood. The colours they absorb embrace the elements of spring and summer. Store the heavy weaves and knits into space bags after a good wash and they will be ready to bring out next autumn.

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3. Bring nature into the home

One of the best parts of spring is the rejuvenated garden. Bring the outdoors in with fresh cut foliage and flowers in a collection of simple vessels to showcase on your dining table or sideboard. This is a fresh and stylish way to bring some colour and nature to your interior space.

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4. Pack away the rugs

Depending on your flooring, we tend to cover the floors with rugs during the cooler months. Use these warmer days as an opportunity to release the dust and enjoy the open floor. The aesthetic of a rug-free space visually opens the area, makes it feel lighter and changes the look without having to spend a cent.

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5. A Spring clean and reshuffle

During hibernation, we spend much more time indoors, and who hasn’t pondered a reconfiguration of furniture that you just haven’t been bothered to really explore? Use the spring clean as a chance to move the furniture out of its comfort zone, get to the dust underneath and move it  to a new spot. You will be amazed at how much difference a bit of a mix up can make, just rotating existing pieces of furniture. Swap the sofas to opposite sides of the room, maybe bring in a piece of art from another room or swap around some side tables for a new look. It’s like extreme musical chairs, where trial and error is the name of the game.

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So this season, literally take the indoors out and reconsider how and where everything goes back. It doesn’t have to be permanent, and now is the perfect time of year to freshen things up.

If you have a design related question or quandary, jump onto our Facebook page to ask one of our professional designers or find out more tips on interior design.

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Now we look at some top tips to cosy up and create Winter interior decorating in preparation for the extra time we’re bound to spend indoors.

1. Winter interior decorating – velvet and jewels

Preparing for the cooler months can include changing bedding to heavier weights and darker colours, pulling out the cosy throws for beds and sofas, stocking the woodpile, swapping our light, and adding bright homewares for the dark textures.

With a quick look at Pinterest or Instagram you’ll find so much inspiration to achieve a warmer, cosier feel to your home interior styles. The trend this winter is to bring depth and tone to your home  with colours like petrol and teal along with jewel tones (ruby, sapphire and emerald, to name a few).

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Dark painted walls offer a dramatic backdrop to dusty nude furnishings, tan coloured leather and on-trend brass accessories and lighting. Bringing in jewel coloured velvets provides winter tones as well as much needed texture.

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These darker tones are found throughout the natural landscape and bringing them into the home over the cooler months provides a warm and welcoming space. It sure seems to be quite a change from the light, crisp neutral tones of the contemporary interior design styles. Scandi, has swept the globe in recent years, but don’t be afraid to embrace a change. Dark interiors express drama, warmth, cosiness and love.

2. Winter Blues

As well as being a great focal point for your new, darker interior, these warm colour tones can help ward off the winter blues. Find out which colours will work best for you, dress your room in your favourite hues and don’t let winter dull you, or your space.

So after a stark, Scandinavian summer, there’s no reason to resist slipping into a warm, blue-toned winter, accented with your favourite colours.

3. A touch of Lagom

Following the Scandinavian interior design craze, recently the Danish term ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hue-gah’) has become commonly used. Hygge is the Danish ritual of enjoying the simple pleasures in life – friends, family, graciousness. So as we farewell a marvellous summer and settle in for the cooler season, the Swedish term ‘lagom’ seems appropriate to share – not too little; not too much. Just right.

Not sure where to start? Why not get inspiration for creating winter master bedroom designs to keep you warm and cosy until Spring.

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Colour, in all its full spectrum of glory, is one of the most powerful tools we can utilise in the interior design world. It has the power to lift and liven our mood, just as it can calm and subdue us. Most of us will have a favourite or several favourite colours, yet have probably given little thought as to why. You can pretty much be assured that the colours we are drawn to, on some subconscious level, invoke certain feelings or emotions within us. As Claude Monet once said, “Colour is my daylong obsession, joy, and torment”…and there is plenty of science out there to back it up. 

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Interior design tips: Using colour

 When you start thinking along these lines you get a sense of how important it is to choose the right colours when decorating your home, even if you are not drawn to bright punchy colours.

This year one of the main colour trends is ‘Muted’. We may see a similar trend every year, but there are subtle changes. In 2017 we will see blush, beige and camel replace grey as the ‘New Neutrals’, although there will always be a place in any muted interior design scheme for greys and whites.

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 Neutrals have had a bad rap in the past, having been labelled boring, cold, unimaginative…you get the picture. But done in the right way, a neutral colour palette in your home can be absolutely beautiful.  This decor scheme will create a sense of calm, serenity and warmth, all without the use of the typical ‘warm’ colours we associate with a cosy interior.  Bearing this in mind, this palette would work really well in living areas and bedrooms.

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Neutral interiors do not need to be flat and un-inviting – there are so many ways other than just using bold colour to make a space interesting and warm.  Layering a variety of neutral shades in lots of different textures will add incredible depth and warmth to any room.

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Take the layering effect to the next level by embracing another interior trend for 2017. This involves layering rugs of different textures and sizes. 

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 Textiles in natural fabrics such as leather, linen, wool and jute look great in these colours. Woods are better in light to medium tones, maintaining a balanced calm feel.

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There is a big shift away from mass production this year and towards the more artisanal pieces. Ceramics such as lamp bases and decorative pieces will look great if textured or ‘unfinished’.   

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To add more interest you can include items picked up on your travels such as a leather Moroccan pouffe, or add some playfulness with a fluffy Mongolian lambswool cushion. 

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Your bedroom should be a place of rest without the stress of work or the over stimulation of technology. With winter fast approaching, days will become shorter, light will fade to dark, and weather will become
unpredictable. This results in a shift from the outdoors to interiors and you begin to feel the urge to cuddle up under the covers with a cup of cocoa and a great book. Here are some easy master bedroom decorating ideas that will create a cozy, welcoming sanctuary that you won’t want to leave.

1. Master bedroom bedding

Look for quality bedding, thick textiles and soft natural fibers such as wool, down, linen or flannel. Wool can make the perfect quilt cover or throw, and down is very lightweight but warm. Linen has high air permeability and heat conductivity properties, meaning it’s a breathable fabric that makes you warm in the winter and keeps you cool in the summer, not to mention it’s great for people with allergies while also having the benefit of being eco friendly.

Flannel, while not as stylish as the others, is ideal to use as a bottom sheet. It helps trap your body warmth, which will keep you snug during those chilly mornings when you don’t want to get out of bed. Layer your sheets, quilt, throws, runners and cushions similar to the way you add jackets to jumpers. Dress your bed with a big, fluffy quilt and cushy pillows. By piling on the different textiles, your bed will look like something you could sink into. Layering can increase your physical comfort, please the eye, and change the ambience of your room.

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2. Window dressings

Window dressings will help keep the warmth in, and the cold out. They can be used both as a decorative element of the bedroom design while also being practical. ‘Hard’ window treatments such as plantation shutters and roller blinds can offer varying degrees of insulating protection for chilly drafts. ‘Soft’ window treatments made of fabrics such as floor to ceiling drapery panels, gently frame your window and absorb sound, softening and completing a room. Custom window treatments are an important design element. Bare windows can feel cold and uninviting.

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3. Rugs

If your home is covered with floorboards or tiles it may feel rather cold and bare during winter. A rug in your bedroom will create a welcoming feel, providing warmth and softness underfoot. The bigger the better! It will also help to anchor your room’s décor and colour scheme.

While we’re on the topic of rugs, why not add another? This is a great way to cover a large space without investing in a room-sized rug. It’s also an easy way to subtly but effectively break an open space into zones, adding extra depth and interest to your room. Choose contrasting textures or patterns for a unique look that’s truly you, or alternatively you could add sheepskin or faux fur rugs on top of an existing carpet, rug or floorboards to bring extra warmth and comfort for your feet in the morning.

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4. Lighting

Be sure to pick bulbs with warm tones for your bedroom. White globes are generally used to stimulate the brain in workplaces and this is certainly not the feel you want when you’re trying to settle down for the night. Your bedroom lighting could also benefit if controlled by dimmers, which will allow for various effects.

To add some more warmth to your room, consider some low, soft lighting such as a bedside lamp with a low-watt bulb (40 or lower) and a softly diffused shade. Candles are also one of my favourite winter warmers. They create a beautiful ambience, smell amazing and help add warmth on a cold winter’s night. If you’re feeling bold go neon artwork.

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5. Fresh Flowers and greenery

With our lifestyles moving indoors, we continue to want to feel connected with the outdoors to offset our busy lifestyles and ever-growing dependence on technology. This has encouraged the trend of letting the outdoors in. Spoil yourself with some fresh-cut stems or live greenery! Nothing brings a breath of life to a drab wintry day better than elements of nature. If you’re not a green thumb, why not opt for a framed print, cushion or realistic artificial plant?

Getting your bedroom ready for winter starts now. With these five master bedroom decorating ideas, not only will you have a little head start to get the look you want; it might give you a few extra cups of cocoa, if you’re lucky.

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Elise Finnerty is an interior decorator and stylist. She is passionate about beautiful spaces that are accessible and affordable for everyone. She has appeared in publications such as Yours magazine, Sunday style and more. You will find her working from her home Office or for Designbx “Australia’s online interior design solution”

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Without lowering ourselves to the use of terms like nudge nudge, wink wink (oh dear, too late), it’s obvious the master bedroom is the setting for decadence whether it be intimate moments, post party lock-ins (drawn curtains and movie marathons) or pure unadulterated laziness (mmm, laziness). As long as the kids don’t invade your lair, you can enjoy some deserved self-indulgence.

After completing your hectic schedule, the bedroom is your ultimate escape. It only needs to be relevant to you and your partner, which gives you the freedom to express who you are and reflect the room’s primary use. We won’t speculate as to goings on in your room (we don’t judge here at Designbx) but we suggest you select colours, pattern and textures that appeal to your senses.

With that in mind, here are some of our fave brands. What tickles your fancy?

Hunting for George is an adaptable choice that suits most styles, with throws and accessories completing the look. Brand Director Lucy Glade-Wright believes the key to the perfect choice of linen is a style that has longevity. “Choose something that you love and will continue to love years later,” Lucy suggests.

The other key factor is colour selection, which is a key consideration for the company’s designers. “Colour is like music. It can trigger an emotional response that prompts memories and ideas. Colour is often the first thing we look towards for inspiration,” says Lucy.

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As for the kids, getting linen selection right can create a captivating world that is comfortable yet stimulating. Be daring, have fun and tap into your child’s imagination. You’re not the only one who should have a haven that expresses your personality.

Top kids’ linen brand, Little Ones, recognises the fact that children are developing their own styles from a young age. The designers specialise in Retro and Modern Eclectic styles with explosive colours and energetic patterns. The wonder of a fair can be enjoyed in the safety of a kid’s hideaway.

Cleverly relevant to both genders, Little Ones delivers escapism while optimistic colours create a reassuring environment. A key to the brand’s success is meticulous attention to the most important details, ensuring materials are of the highest standards of quality and safety, including being Oeko-Tex certified.

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Looking to cut down on shopping time? Kip & Co.’s Boho, Modern Eclectic and Coast styles are designed for everyone in the family. Their bright boutique bedding offers dazzling choices for folks with their eyes on bold choices, and the brand’s styles encourage customers to layer and mix patterns.

“The Stardust collection has something a bit fantastical and magical about it,” says Hayley Pannekoecke, of Kip & Co. “It’s also got a very feminine soft colour palette that works with the season’s stone fruit, soft rose, burnt brandy, grape and silver.”

They even do bassinet sheets, pyjamas and overnight bags, so Kip & Co. can be on the go with you! For adults and kids alike, it’s comforting to connect bedroom styles and adventures in the wide world, especially with beautiful leather or canvas bags. According to Hayley, “They’re the perfect accessory for the memory-making wanderer.”

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Probably the most exciting new arrival to the Kip & Co. range is velvet. Hearing Hayley explain the sensation of sleeping on velvet makes it an easy sell. “Velvet pillows have basically changed my life!” she insists. “There’s something about the depth of colour and texture of velvet. As we move into winter, it’s the ultimate friend to keep you snug at night.”

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A ‘forward-looking approach’ gives the designers an edge, and while they are capable of extravagance and daring colours, customers can also enjoy subtle, muted textures. Experienced globetrotters but proud of their hometown, Aura insists ‘yes, it’s little bit Scandinavian, a little bit Indian, but it’s also a whole lot of Melbourne.’

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Specialising in Coast and Industrial styles, Sheets on the Line probably wins the prize for best brand name. The idea for the business was hatched over a cup of coffee in Steve & Deb Clifford-Ames’ favourite café. Remarkably, by the end of the day, the light bulb moment had expanded to become a grand scale and vision.
Filling a void left by traditional manufacturers’ failure to deliver daring, affordable products, the couple not only provided a vibrant array of alternatives but also provided a more environmentally friendly option.

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Like Designbx, these brave businesses are part of the design revolution that gives every Australian an opportunity to express their personality through design. Whether you’re creating a stylish boudoir or creating a fun world for the kids, there’s no shortage of quality bed linen.

Designbx  |  Between the sheets- choosing the right bed linen  |  designbx.com

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