Dressing your windows for Spring

BY Abi Clewley

Published: 02 March 2022 Updated: 12 September 2024

Inspiration
Tags: Shutters, Blinds, Trends

Window dressing with spring colours

Spring feels like the start of new things, full of new green shoots and positivity, so it's the perfect time to take stock of your current window treatments and bring new life into your home. When it comes to styling for spring, there's two main ways that you can really signify spring; one is with specific colours, and the other is with pattern, and specifically, florals. Whether your style is classic or traditional, a floral pattern can help lift the mood of an entire room, and using spring-associated colours can help recreate the outdoors indoors.

Moodboard of spring vibes in shades of dusky and deep pinks, with fabric swatches in plains and patterns, brass and steel curtain rings and dried roses and stems.

As human beings, we're predisposed to react in certain ways to certain colours – red for danger, for example, an association that's everywhere you look, from road signs to warnings on anything electrical in your home. But individuals can also have reactions to colour that are specific to them, often linked to a memory or experience that can influence how certain colours make you feel, so don't be afraid to throw away the rule book if it doesn't seem to resonate with you in the same way.

Ts 2021 Harlequin Shutters Positano Cameo 01

There's a colour for everyone in spring, whether you prefer bright and fresh colours or something more subdued. If you prefer the latter, then you can choose from a wide range of colours, under the guise of pastels. Soft shades of pink, green, blue – pretty much any colour can work as a pastel and the gentle touch of colour can be just the touch you need to bring spring warmth with your window treatments without overpowering with strong colours. Our Harlequin range of coloured shutters feature several pastel hues that will create a classic yet contemporary look, such as these Positano shutters.

Much like the flower that heralds the season's arrival, daffodil yellow and leaf green are two of the most popular colours associated with spring and they're beautiful, bright and bold colours. Yellow hues also evokes thoughts of sunshine and generally uplift your mood too, and when used carefully they're not as overpowering as you may at first think, even as a block colour, like this Calista Chartreuse Roman blind, with small touches of yellow accessories. If yellow is a little too bright for you then think about the green of daffodil leaves. The fresh green sits right in the middle of the spectrum, perfectly balanced in temperature and bringing just the right amount of crispness into play.

Colour your way

If neither yellow nor green appeal to you and you feel they're too strong, then you can always keep a more neutral palette in the room and use one or other as an accent colour, which can work much better in period properties where more modern window dressing ideas would look out of place.

Hallway with wooden floor with round jute rug under folding card table with vase of blue flowers, white stairs to left and window dressed in roller blind with large blue flowers and green foliage

Floral patterns can definitely be synonymous with spring, but the devil's in the detail, so keep it restrained with small sprigs rather than bold floral prints, which are more of a summer theme. Of course, you have more than just a simple print option available, although you'll find some beautiful sprig prints in our fabric just like this Roller blind in Beckley Indigo but you'll also find fabrics that feature texture, rather than print, or even embroidery that creates a delicate sprinkling of buds and shoots in a wide range of colours.

Spring window treatments

So we've looked at colours and patterns, but are there some window treatments that work better in spring than in other seasons?

Wooden love seat in front of a tall window dressed in a deep blue duette blind, raised with dark blue velvet curtains, open.

At the first signs of spring it may be tempting to cast off those heavy velvet fabrics of winter but the old saying "ne'er cast a clout til May is out" is worth remembering for a reason. The sun may be showing some of its natural light but there's still very little heat to it, so you're still going to need those heavier Roman blinds for evening when the new season feels more like the winter one just past. You can opt for a layered look for the best of both worlds. It's not yet time for sheer fabrics and wide open windows, but you can compromise a little until it is with a mix and match window treatment, such as a luxurious Roman blind layered over lightweight blind.

Spring cleaning

The change in season can be a good opportunity to do some spring decorating to get your window treatment ready, so take down those curtain poles and check their integrity, verify all the curtain rings run smoothly too, and any eyelet heading or cords are intact or any blinds fixings or shutter hinges are fully functional across all your home interiors.

Living room in pale corn yellow with tall window dressed in full height shutters in salmon with sofa in pale peach with contrasting peach and salmon cushions.

Shutters are such a fantastic year-round window treatment. Ideal for battening down the hatches in stormy cold winter, and flung wide open in summer to let the light pour in they're a real gift. And in spring and autumn, with its ever-changing weather, where you can have too much light one day but need more light the next, the easy-to-tilt louvres give you great light control. Shutters can also be a real focal point in a room and you need to consider how the changing levels of light affect the rooms you spend most time in through the course of a whole day, such as living rooms or kitchens to get a full idea of the best choice for your windows.

Close up of a living room with dark grey upholstered chair in front of a window dressed in a deep blue Duette blind three quarters lowered.

A popular choice in winter because of their thermal benefits, Duette® blinds may not seem ideal window coverings for Spring but there's a couple of things to bear in mind. Firstly, those spring nights are more often than not just as cold as the winter nights so you're probably going to be glad of the heat saving properties, especially if you live in an older house that can take a long time to really soak up the heat from the sun into its walls. Secondly, there's a variety of fabric finishes in Duette® blinds including semi-sheer, so you'll enjoy higher levels of light with these even when they're lowered.

Neutral lounge with L shaped sofa with accent cushions in soft pink and floral matching two Roman blinds at window behind with medium sized pink and beige flowers, accent grey knot-shaped cushion on sofa.

While Roman blinds have an "all or nothing" vibe, they can still be a great choice for your spring décor not least because there's a huge range of fabric options available, allowing you to choose from bold colours, decorative embroidered touches and floral patterns for seasonal window dressings in any space. Plus you can add cushions crafted from fabrics that match in a living room or bedroom too for total co-ordination.

Dining room country chic style with white wood round table and two chairs, white vase with yellow foliage, ochre walls and window dressed in roller blind with grey and yellow leaf pattern

Much like Roman blinds, Roller blinds either cover the window or they don’t; but their slimline profile and enormous choice of colours and patterns can bring a breath of fresh spring air to your home, ready for you to welcome the spring light.

Bedroom with pale grey window wall, off-white wall behind bed dressed in blue bedding with wooden chair in left corner with blue cushion and two windows dressed in stone-coloured wooden blinds.

Wooden blinds are a great option for Spring window dressings. You get the best of both worlds - that visual solidity on colder nights when the blind is fully lowered, but then by day you can tilt the louvres to let the gentle Spring light make its way into your room. Available in a wind range of natural and colour stains and paint finishes they can create a warm and welcoming or a cool and airy look in any space.