Embracing Spring in your Home
Don’t you just love the start of spring? Winter begins to melt away, and new life sprouts from the ground. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and everything seems to be revived as the world awakens from its winter slumber.
This season is when we begin to break out of our own winter gloom, bringing that same invigorating feeling into our homes. Just as the joy of this new season comes from the world around us, so should we embrace spring in our homes, bringing in warmth, life, and light.
Spring Senses
I will be taking you through two exercises before I explain how to bring spring into your home. Take the time to really engage here, immersing your mind in the season itself. Here are the steps we will take, in-depth:
Step 1: Find your vision of spring (exercise 1)
Step 2: Give your vision life (exercise 2)
Step 3: Bring spring into your home
Step 1: Your Vision of Spring
I have an exercise for you, the same one I have for each season. The purpose of this is to get you to visualize spring and what connects you to it. Close your eyes, and envision yourself in spring. Now go through each of your senses. What do you notice? What do you smell, taste, hear, feel, and see? Now write these down on a list.
You can make a short description like the table below.
| Scents | Tastes | Sounds | Touch | Sights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Laundry |
Fresh Produce |
Birds |
Light Fabrics |
Tree Blossoms & Flowers |
|
Floral |
Vinaigrettes & Herbs |
Flowing Streams |
Warm Sunshine |
Baby Animals |
Step 2: Give your Vision Life
Let’s write a small paragraph for each of your senses. Think about how these things make you feel. In the section below, you will find my own description of spring, to paint you a picture of what you are looking to achieve here. Of course, your vision will be different from mine.
Scent
What does spring smell like to you? I find spring to have a very subtle aroma. The smell of fresh laundry and light florals come to mind. To me the scents of spring are not bold and engaging like the scents of winter and fall. Instead, they are light, fresh, and just barely detectable.
Taste
Spring is a mix of warmer and cooler days. Because of this, I tend to make meals that include pairing both hot and cold foods. We cut back on the heavier dishes and begin adding in lighter alternatives. There are more salads and fruit on the table. I start replacing the starch-based side dishes with healthy greens. This is the time when I begin cooking more with fresh herbs and using light vinaigrettes.
Sounds
Spring makes me think of waking up in the mornings to the birds chirping. It’s like a warm greeting each day as you come out of your slumber. Spring is when we start hiking every weekend, seeking out streams with their sparkling clear water. The flowing sound of a creek is something I always relate to this season.
Touch
The feel of spring. The sun begins to warm our skin, and we open our blinds to let this warmth into our homes. Curtains and other fabrics become lighter, while still soft to the touch, as we transition towards summer.
Sights
I see birds in the trees, flowers sprouting from the ground, and life beginning all around me. This is the time that spring festivals are held, where you can see the adorable baby animals at the farms. The trees are budding with tiny green leaves and, if you are lucky, you will see spring blossoms. I picture apple and cherry trees with their brilliant white or soft pink flowers, making a beautiful display that can only be enjoyed for a few weeks out of the year.
Step 3: Bringing Spring into your Home
So, now you have your vision for the season, let’s discuss how you can bring these feelings into your home.
The Scent of Spring
Fresh Linen
The smell of fresh laundry is one I strongly relate to spring. Thinking of clothes drying on the line. Well, you can always run a fresh load in your home, or there’s another quick option that is especially good before guests arrive. Take some dryer sheets and rub them across your furniture. The couch, chairs, pillows, and throws. This will add a light laundry-fresh scent to the living area.
Added Aroma
I like to use Mrs. Meyers Geranium during springtime in our home. It smells like roses, adding a bright scent to any room. Having this in multiple cleaning products (including our hand soap, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaner), makes for a nice universal aroma that ties it all together. The scent flows easily from room to room.
What aromas remind you of spring? Perhaps it is a floral scent like honeysuckle or a fresh herb such as rosemary or mint. You may prefer something more unique such as the light aroma of white tea. Whatever these scents may be, use these throughout your home this season.
The Taste of Spring
The freshness of spring can be tasted in the food that we make. More ripe produce is available during in season, meaning there are more flavors to enjoy. This is the time to change out the heavy sauces from winter and replace them with lighter options that enhance natural flavors. Fresh herbs, flavored oils or vinegar, these all make great pairings to produce this season.
The Sound of Spring
What sounds make you think of spring? I really enjoy instrumental music during this season. I feel it helps me to relax and clear my mind. I tend to gravitate towards light piano music, sometimes accompanied by the sound of birds or water.
Spring is also the season that many of us deep clean our homes. Consider making a spring-cleaning playlist to get you motivated for these chores. Compile upbeat tunes that encourage you to work quickly and efficiently.
The Feel of Spring
In Utah, springtime can bring sunny days or the occasional snowstorm. Since this season is a mix of warmth and cold, I often slowly begin to replace my winter décor. Airy curtains are hung on the windows while thick throws are kept on the couch. I begin bringing more fresh flowers into the home while still turning on the fireplace for that cozy ambiance. Since spring transitions winter slowly into summer, consider this same slow transition in your own home.
The Look of Spring
Added Life
Spring is all about life, so bring some of these reminders into your home. Fresh flowers, live plants, or even preserved plants are a great way to bring some subtle vibrancy to a space.
Think about planting something this year. It can be some bulbs in a pot that you keep inside, or a planter of seeds you will watch spring up on your patio. Gardening can be a very relaxing and rewarding activity. Consider this as a potential way to destress at home this season. Watching the plants pop up from the soil can bring a feeling of accomplishment and appreciation.
Picture the Season
Consider changing out the photos in your home for ones that fit the season. Look at your favorite spring memories. Pictures with the baby animals, a spring hike, the trip you took to the botanical gardens. Put these in your picture frames for the next couple of months.
Focused Areas
I like to have a few main focal points for our Spring décor as I do for every season (you can learn more about creating focal points here), but I tend to decorate less during this time of year. I embrace a clutter-free space, adding in little accents here and there. I love that just a light touch of décor is all my home seems to need during this time!
Think about the best spots for you to place small touches of spring décor in your home. Just 2 or 3 is all you really need for this season. Consider how you can keep your space simple while still embracing your own style during this time of year.
