Using Garden Decor Indoors for a Spring Family Room

In this post: A wonderful way to bring spring decor into your home is by using garden decor indoors. Here are 5 ways to use garden decor in your spring family room.⇒

Have you ever been to the Macy’s Flower Show?

Each spring, Macy’s Herald Square, the same store that puts on the Thanksgiving Day parade, transforms the first floor of their New York flagship store into a veritable botanical garden. There’s a different theme every year, but always the underlying concept is flowers, flowers and more flowers.

I worked in the fashion industry nearby for many years and have always looked forward to the flower show.  It’s on par with, if not well above the level of the Fifth Avenue department store windows at Christmas.

To me, this display of flowers, along with the celebration of all things garden, always felt like the unofficial beginning of spring.

So, the natural first step to decorating my home for spring similarly starts with an ode to flowers in the garden.

Today I’m joining with my favorite group of bloggers to bring you the first of our spring decorating series of blog-hops. The series will run well into March with a different topic each week, which is why we needed to get started early. Since our goal is to inspire you in decorating your own home, we leave plenty of time for shopping and ordering, or for DIY-ing the projects that require it. Please be sure to visit the rest of the posts linked at the bottom of this one. Then return each Tuesday for the next month or so for the other topics we have in store for you.

Today we’re looking at mantels and vignettes, so I’m sharing spring decor in my family room.

I believe the one thing that makes flowers look even more beautiful is the juxtaposition with vintage pieces from the garden. Bringing the outside in is a wonderful way to enjoy spring early in the season when, let’s face it, it’s way too cold in most of the country to revel in the actual garden outside.

Below are 5 ways I utilized garden decor indoors to welcome spring into our home.

Vintage Garden Urns

This is one of my more recent obsessions but I’m crazy about collecting vintage garden urns. They are deliciously curvy and opulent in shape which contrasts sharply with their rugged patina.  I love this dichotomy and how it underscores the beauty of the refined and delicate flowers. Hence, for me, the chippier and more rusted the better!

I would add French jardinieres to this category, as well, and there are many options to be found online. I’ve linked some below but be forewarned, the more authentic the pricier they can be. Still, size matters when it comes to cost, so you can save by going smaller and collecting over time, and then grouping a few together.

Working beautifully with the urns I enjoy garden statuary, particularly those depicting putti or cherubs. These are harder to find when searching for true antiques so I happily mix re-pros with vintage. On the mantel below the cherub on the right hand side is an authentic aged cement piece. The pair playing on the left instead are made from resin and are easy to purchase new. Add a little crown on each for a bit more charm and to add cohesion to the mix of old and new.

Faux Flowers and Branches

At this time of year, the selection of flowers may not be as plentiful as when we get further into the season, so I feel perfectly comfortable using some faux flowers to round out the lush presentation.

The key with faux flowers is to find the most realistic looking ones and to keep them limited to certain varieties.  Branches work well, especially with small buds, as there’s not a huge expanse of silk fabric showing.  I’ve also been impressed with the ‘real touch’ flowers available now and the best of them can truly fool you.

Fresh Flowers

Of course, ultimately, nothing can replace the real thing and it’s always great to mix in some fresh flowers. The extra bonus with real flowers is the lovely aroma they bring.

Sometimes all it takes is one small hyacinth to add a heavenly scent wafting through your home. (I actually have no hyacinths in this room but I have one upstairs and it still mingles with the other scents in the room.)

Dried Flowers

Another option for enjoying flowers early in the season, or even just to extend their shelf life at any time, is including dried flowers in the complex mix. Again, certain varieties work better than others and for me, hydrangeas are among the best. And before you insist you hate dried flowers, I think most of us can agree that dried lavender is a delight to add to your home, especially as the weather starts to warm.

The array of garden elements and their accompanying blooms has added a genuine sense of awakening to my family room. I walk into the space and immediately feel an uplift in my spirits that takes me back to the way I felt when I would attend the Macy’s Flower Show.

And now I have a little challenge for you, since you were all so great at picking Woody Allen out of the photo in my post last week. For today’s post, let’s see who can guess which flowers in the photos are the fresh ones.

(And while I didn’t reply to the comments right away because I wanted to give everyone a chance to guess, I did go back and answer all the comments and was impressed with how many people got the answer right!  If you missed the post or want to see the answer you can find it HERE.)

Spring Decor Resource List

To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided many similar options. 

(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)

Please be sure to visit all of the spring mantel and vignette posts below:

Designthusiasm | On Sutton Place | Shabbyfufu

 

Maison de Cinq | StoneGable | Southern Hospitality

 

Town n Country Living | My 100 Year Old Home | Sanctuary Home Decor

 

Rooms for Rent | Craftberry Bush

 

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