Spring Greens

Is it too early to be talking about Spring, I wonder? The days are certainly drawing out, and as I sit in my office, overlooking the churchyard, the afternoon light is definitely changing. The exceptionally mild weather has tricked the bulbs into bursting into flower in January and I even saw a Magnolia tree in bloom at the weekend.

The High Street is coming alive with new collections as the sale rails are repositioned into the dark recesses of the stores.

My attention was drawn to this new colour trend by a couple of articles published in Homes & Gardens featuring Farrow & Ball’s new colours for 2016. There are nine in total ranging from the palest chiffon pink through to the deepest, darkest teal.

Visit www.farrow-ball.com for an up to the minute preview.

Marks & Spencer, Laura Ashley, House of Fraser and Anthropologie are all flying the green flag with their new ranges of bedlinen, soft furnishing fabrics, china and glass. The M&S collection of bedding seems to have taken on a Designer Guild style with lots of dense floral patterns and delicate silk butterflies. Laura Ashley have an incredible range of industrial style furniture and lighting which is set against a background of the palest green wallpapers, fabrics and paint finishes.

House of Fraser are championing their Linea collections of tableware and bathroom accessories whilst Antropologie’s collection of glazed plant pots and beautifully illustrated books has the look and feel of a botanic garden.