Spring colors, décor raise the spirits

Enough gloom and doom.

There’s a new outlook on the home-decor front for spring—a palette of fresh blues, saucy pinks and a veritable laundry line of clean whites.

And let’s not forget yellow, which Pantone chose as its top shade of the year. The company, which provides color standards to design industries, expects the public to embrace many tones of optimistic yellow for the new season. Its vibrant shade—mimosa—conjures up images of the flowers of some mimosa trees as well as the brunch-favorite cocktail.

“It’s the color we need now,“ said Richmond interior designer Patti Ryan, whose office is on Grove Avenue. “Yellow . . . instantly fills any interior with hospitality and a cheerful mood. . . . [It’s] just what the doctor ordered for a case of the blues.“

Ryan suggests “Banana Yellow” from Benjamin Moore because it’s bright and happy with a youthful attitude, she said. She also likes “Sunrise” from Sherwin-Williams, an ocher yellow that’s more contemporary with an antique influence.

The yellow trend started in fashion and has spread to home décor. “The first place I picked up on it was at the Richmond Symphony Designer House” last fall, said Kathy Corbet, who designed one of the rooms. “It was on the women who walked through to tour the house. I saw sweaters, T-shirts, belts and handbags in this sunny mustard color every day, more than once a day for a month.“

Home-goods companies based in Paris and Milan have been heavily influenced by yellow, says Tom Mirabile, vice president of global trends and design at Lifetime Brands Inc., whose portfolio includes Cuisinart, Farberware and Pfaltzgraff.

The color nicely straddles traditional—think of a Williamsburg-style formal dining room—and modern, such as a single statement wall in a cool downtown Manhattan loft. Look for it in dishes, furniture, soft furnishings, even trash bins.

“The antidote to our current economic woes is a good dose of creativity,“ said Ryan, and yellow is just the color to help spark the creative juices.

Meanwhile, the patterns are playful or romantic. It’s the season of renewal, and a great time to fluff up the feathers in your nest.

Louise Smith, color and design manager for Dulux, points out, “This is the year to go wild and express yourself. Since fewer people will be moving, the onus is on personalization and reinvention.“

So if you’ve never been brave enough to dip your toes in the color pool, now’s the time to get wet. Never been a flower child? You may reconsider when you see the new floral motifs—and their mood-enhancing benefits. Look for blooms on casual dinnerware, wall art and soft furnishings, some are feminine, painterly prints while others are bold, contemporary graphics.

But if floral really isn’t your thing, try serene white, either crisp and pure or vanilla-tinged. Gather a group of snowy vases, fill them with white blooms, and place on a textured runner. Spring’s the perfect time to change out a few accessories and introduce some new hues; without spending a great deal, a room can look refreshed and invigorated in no time. So pull off all those dark drapes, hang some white cotton or silk and let the light pour in.

Times-Dispatch staff writer Julie Young and The Associated Press contributed to this report.