To Everything There Is A Season

Looking to liven up your room? Decorate according to the seasons. You can change the appearance of the room with colors and textures for seasonal appeal. After all, a room isn't just a space for living in; it's supposed to be a treat for the senses. Bring in some of the outdoors by making color and texture the focus of your room design.

Most of us associate certain colors with the various seasons. Yellow is a harbinger of spring, while gray or purple are suitable for winter. Summer is light green, and fall is pumpkin and terra cotta. These colors still evoke the seasons, but the current vogue is to use them in deeper shades.

Golden Shimmer

For example, in summer, go for the shimmer of gold or bronze with forest green and rust. In autumn, bring in the richness of caramel and the spice of nutmeg and cinnamon. Spring is for lush apricot or peach, and warm buttery yellow. When winter comes in, be dashing and use lots of dark chocolate with aqua accents. No need for winter doldrums—winter will fairly hum with colors like these.

Autumnal Attitude

In terms of texture, trade in those stiff summer linens for some autumnal attitude by using heavier, earthier fabrics to cover sofas and chairs. Chenille is very popular right now as a fabric for furniture. But the newest chenille is very different than that of your grandmother's bedspread with the little balls hanging off the edges like tassels. The new chenille has a more compact weave and wears much better.

You can choose accessories to give texture and complement the colors of the room so as to pull that room together, stat. A neutral paint color gives you much leeway here. You can reserve seasonal color for accents that can be changed according to the time of year thus providing a bit of room refreshment. Pillows, tablecloths, candles: all can be used to add both color and texture without becoming permanent fixtures of the room.

Think about your walls, too. You'll want to consider what should be displayed on these surfaces to best effect. Some choices include: wall hangings, diplomas, fine art, photos, and pictures. Or bring in some "bling" by displaying metal fabrications. This celebrity-home trend is trickling down to the masses.

Glass is another way to achieve shine and glitter. Any light reflecting, clean glass items will do the trick. Glass lamps are big right now. Or you can pile a plate with clear glass spheres. Glass brings glamour to the plainest spaces, making the room go from blah to wow in moments.