coffee + cre8tive {aug 1 '06}
It's August, time to start thinking about how you'll update your space for the Fall/Winter season, especially since stores are starting to mark down summer merchandise and will soon be adding (some already have!) Fall items. Summer calls for light airy prints, lots of linen, canvas and breezy cotton, cooler tones, and lots of fresh flowers. Fall is a bit different, you start mixing in warmer tones, introduce heavier textiles (velvet, lined silk, layering your drapes), and infuse your space with that special Autumn glow through various metals and textures.
How do you add fresh touches to your space without spending a lot of money? For me, it's always pillows, fresh seasonal flowers, a wool or felt sofa throw to replace the current cotton one, stacking new design books on my table with spines that coordinate with the darker tones in the room (filing current ones back into the bookcase), changing my table linens, and layering my drapes (currently, I have floral sheers, I layer these with panels in the cooler months).
Of course, I also live in New England, and up here, the seasonal change is very obvious. We're more motivated to alter our design each season. Our trees slowly start to display vivid tones of red, orange, yellow... The air becomes very cool and crisp, the smell of warm spiced pumpkin and baked apples seem to float along in the breeze. I know, sounds so quaint and charming, but honestly, it is (smile). New Englanders anticipate Fall, we love the harvest months for the beauty and change, and for me, a it's a nice time to refresh my space. If you live in the southern states (I grew up in South Carolina on the ocean), you may not feel the need to alter much when it comes to your space, especially when you have palm trees 365 days a year that are always green and perky.
Any tips you care to share on this topic - seasonal updates? We'd all love to hear what you have to say! How do you refresh your space for the Fall/Winter season?
Happy August!