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February 26, 1999/10 Adar 5759, Vol. 51, No. 22
Spring into action
Change of seasons can inspire new look
MICHELLE ACKERMAN
Staff Writer
You're driving along in your automobile, windows rolled down to let in the warm breeze, as a 1960s classic from The Byrds, inspired by Ecclesiastes, starts playing on the radio: "To everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a season, turn, turn, turn. ..."
As you hum along you realize that, indeed, the season is changing. While we may not have as distinctly defined seasons here in the Valley as Midwesterners and Easterners enjoy, the air does start getting warmer (O.K., hot) come March, spring flowers bloom by the roadside, and summer Bermuda replaces winter rye grass.
Suddenly you're motivated. You feel the urge to go home, and well, do something. A little spring cleaning perhaps? Should you weed through the closets? Maybe plant some flowers? What would make your home look a little different and a little lighter?
According to Patti McCartney, a designer at Mehagian's furniture store in Scottsdale, the least expensive way to give your entire home a quick spring or summer lift is to fill rooms with fresh-cut flowers.
"If you're looking for just a casual springtime look, go for something temporary and something that you can change back easily," she says. Fresh flower arrangements not only brighten a room, but also freshen the air and give a room a "summery" smell, she notes. Flowers currently in season include irises, sunflowers and roses. Placing a few dishes of floral-scented potpourri around is also a low-cost way to bring the smells of the season into your home.
But don't forget to take care of your silk plants, cautions Judy Marshall, an interior designer at the Scottsdale Robb & Stucky furniture store. Spring is the perfect time to refresh them with a thorough cleaning, and replace them if needed.
In the bedroom, the easiest fix is to change your bedspread and linens. Designer Dina Satisky, with Krause Thomas in Phoenix, recommends white eyelet, white canvas or linen fabrics. She suggests using those same fabrics as slipcovers for your sofas or dining room chairs, "although that can get a little pricey."
If you are attached to your current bedspread or sofa fabric, try introducing canvas or linen throw pillows. A chenille throw, placed across a bed, sofa or chair, can give a room a new look as well.
"Just make a quick change. ... You don't want to change over everything," explains McCartney. She tunes into the season by introducing light, bright-colored accessories around her home. Place an armload of sunflowers in a bright yellow vase, or change your wooden picture frames to a thin metal, she suggests.
Satisky suggests changing your lampshades.
"Handmade paper lampshades, with leaves or flowers pressed into the paper, have a very summery feel," she explains.
A more permanent option is to paint your walls in light summer tints of pale yellow, pale green or pale blue, or rich summer shades of coral, sandalwood brown or gold.
"Just look at colors that you have in your room and your furnishings and what would complement them," suggests Marshall.
All designers caution protecting your furnishings against Arizona's summer sun. Marshall explains that, although it can be tempting to keep the blinds open and enjoy the sunshine, "The sun can be very strong and fade your fabrics really quickly, even a reflection of light can (have that effect)."
One way to avoid the problem is to install sun shades - a screen installed on the outside of a window to filter the sunlight, while allowing the window to be kept uncovered, even when the sun is the strongest. By blocking out the sun, sun shades can also work to cool a room.
Another trick Marshall recommends for cooling your home is to remove your throw rugs, allowing the underlying cooler tile or marble floors to stand alone.
"The trick is to lighten your load (while) trying to cool it down," she says.
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