Spring Home Tour

Spring in the north is always late compared to the rest of the country, but that just makes us even more jubilant when it finally does arrive! Although I confess, as I watch my Instagram feed fill with pictures of tulips and fresh cut grass, I look out my window and see brown grass, naked trees and flower beds now free of snow but still black with dirt. I actually just this weekend (yes, April!) was able to take down the Christmas greenery from my front steps. (It finally thawed so the pots weren’t a block of ice.)

But with spring at least a solid month away and temperatures still flirting with freezing in the evening, there are no flowers to take their place yet on my front step. So I filled the pots with dogwood branches and last year’s dried hydrangeas. It looks more fall than spring, but what else can a girl do?

Well, she can start getting springing INSIDE. That’s what she can do!

I thought I’d dedicate this weekend’s blog post to my spring home tour. I started about a month ago welcoming spring inside and here’s a peek at how I’m continuing the trend in a few of our main living areas, starting with my kitchen.

This window above our built in buffet is a place I love to display fresh flowers. I’ve been buying tulips at my local grocery store weekly for the past few weeks and plopping them absolutely everywhere. (If you follow me on Instagram @_grace_1972_ you’ve seen me posting tulips in just about every picture).

I also picked up some soft teal bowls at HomeGoods that I thought made a springy statement. (If you’ve been to my shop, Grace 1972, you’ll know that this is one of my absolutely favorite colors. I’m a sucker for it.)

Here’s a few more shots of my kitchen with some spring tucked into corners here and there.

The next room that is much more spring like now is my formal dining room. I took drastic measures here switching out the captains chairs from a dark wicker to a white slip covered look. Here is a view of our home I posted a few weeks ago where the dark wicker chairs are visible:

And here is our dining room now with the updated chairs and a few other spring elements:

Isn’t is amazing how changing one element of your room updates the entire look? These chairs did that.

I also added a church window from Pier 1 Imports and a wreath from HomeGoods. For the center piece, I shopped my house and pulled pieces out from other places. I decided to also move my Joshua scripture sign to above my piano and place a chippy chalkboard above the dry sink that used to be in the parlor. (Notice the white tulips on the dry sink – told you I was going tulip crazy for spring!)

I love how this room is coming together! I plan to update the curtain panels with fantastic DIY curtains made from drop cloths – yes, drop cloths! Google it – it is the coolest look ever. I’m also considering a soft area rug for this space as well as having a cushion custom made for the window seat to soften the room even more. We’ve lived here a year so far – these things take time and are always evolving.

Note: My dark wicker chairs are 3 years old and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, they’re still wonderful! I just wanted to change my look. I am selling them at my shop – $50 each or both for $90. They were $275 each at HOM Furniture only 3 years ago, so if anyone wants the deal of the year on fantastic wicker chairs, run don’t walk to Grace 1972. They’re all yours! 

Our next stop is the main living room. Yes – the magical tulips were placed on the mantel here for your inspiration. But I also staged one of the rag garlands available at Grace 1972. I have several and this one absolutely says “spring!” I see people display these often on mantels as well as on hutches, buffets, and headboards.  They’re really versatile and can add a touch of spring to any room.

In addition to real flowers, I’m also big on high quality faux florals. These displayed on our ottoman on a wooden Magnolia tray are the perfect spring statement next to a few ceramic birds. (Note to self – paint that brass black already! Man, I can’t believe I haven’t done that yet . . . !)

The final stop on my spring tour is my sun room/ home office. If you’ve been following my blog you’ve read my pieces on the evolution of this room  from a man cave to a girl nest – and my several month quest for a new office chair!  Well, I am happy to report – one of my spring updates for this room was . . . a new office chair. Finally!

Even Mr. Kip approves.

I was a little hesitant as I have no navy blue in this room, but the color is a muted navy and the pattern has plenty of cream. Blue is a big part of the color scheme so I’m within the pallet. My plan is to add some additional muted navy blue in throw pillows to the sectional to tie it all together. (I know – more pillows?!?!?) I am going to look for new covers for the Pottery Barn pillows I already have. That is the great thing about Pottery Barn, once you have the fillers you can always just buy a new cover. And mine are about 6 years old so I am excited to freshen them up a bit with new ones.

So there you have it – a little spring tour of ye old homestead. Some tulips, a few new pieces of furniture and some florals and I think I’m on my way!

Thank you for stopping by! If you follow me on Instagram (@_grace_1972_), I post updates of both Grace 1972 and my home often. (I posted an Insta Story walk through the Grace 1972 showroom floor and several new treasures just today.)

Happy “springing” and have a blessed week, friends!

Peace, Joy and Blessings,

~Audra

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

Song of Solomon 2:11-12