As most festivals have a special colour attached to them so has, of course, Easter. In addition to its religious importance, Easter also celebrates the end of the chilly winter season (at least we hope so) welcoming the imminent spring and summer months. The colours which represent Easter and its festive decoration are very much part of the seasons natural habitat especially garden flowers which are suddenly coming alive. Each colour has of course its own significance.

 

White:   Stands for purity and grace

Green:   The colour of grass brings rays of hope

Purple:  This Easter colour is indicative of royalty and is supposed to bring wealth

Pink:     A colour that indicates a fresh beginning

Yellow:  A colour reminding us of the sun bringing joy and happiness

 

Baring those lovely fresh colors in mind I have come up with some last minute pre Easter inspirations.

 

 

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

 

Q:  Is there an equivalent here in Switzerland to the online website Achica, selling good quality furniture and products for discounted prices over a limited period of time, Stefanie

A:  Hi Stefanie, there is a company called Westwing (www.westwing.ch) which offers products for sale in the same way as Achica. They also have a website in France (www.westwing.fr) and Germany (www.westwing.de). 

 

Q:   I am looking for some wall art for my sitting room.  I sometimes find it difficult to imagine how things would look on the wall. Is there any advise you can give me, Claudia.

A:  Dear Claudia, if you are not quite sure what style or period you prefer and like some insight into the “art world” I would highly recommend the Easyart app for iPhone (Easyart.com). This super app makes it really  easy for you to picture what the walls in your home could look like with framed art prints of any period and style. You can either take photos of your own walls with your iPhone or choose one of the programmed room sets and place any of the available art prints. You can choose between 50.000 art prints and a variety of frames. The only danger is that you get rather carried away giving your walls a new makeover all day every day!!  

 

 

SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK / 

                “SPRING INTO EASTER”

 

As we head for the count-down to Easter here are some last minute ideas and products which work well for the occasion and beyond.

 

 

 

Amongst the large choice of tea towls this in one of my favourites. The rabbit would want to “hang out” with you not just over Easter, £13,50 www.notonthehighstreet.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 A very stylish way to offer  Easter treats to family and guests. This Three Tiered Cake Stand  is certainly not just an Easter special as it will look good on any special occasion all year round be it a coffee morning or a tea party, £100,-  www.notonthehighstreet.co.uk

 

 

 A beautifully new and trendy take on a Moorish design. This yellow Lattice Cushion is warm and works really well on a varietey of block colours from green and blue to grey and black, £80,-  www.niki-jones.co.uk

 

  

 

 A refreshing divertion of the more discret coloured and well known “brother”, the Bone Inlay Chest of Drawers in Emerald is a real eye catcher and brings a fresh injection of Spring and Summer into any room,  £1.295,- www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

 

With these  gorgeous cushions, spring is defenitely in the air, £70,- each www.niki-jones.co.uk

 

 

 

 

The different colours and patterns on the Florya Mugs are a bright and fun way to jazz up your Easter table. It is a wonderful mix and match combination which is lovely to use throughout the year, £32,- (set of 4) www.okadirect.co.uk

 

 

 A very easy to put together last minute table decoration.....as long as you can find some decorative bunnies or chickens. If you get there in time before they sell out, a similar model can be found here in Switzerland at Jumbo, www.jumbo.com

 

 

 This would certainly suffice to entertain royalty......as long as all your chickens have been busy laying eggs and you have the staff to put them all “in their place”!

  

  

 As long as you have access to a few twigs of lilac this is a very easy and effective table decoration which looks stylish and gorgeous. 

 

 

 A bright and welcoming way to greet your guests.

 

 

 An easy last minute decorating solution looking good in any old vase or container.....even better if they can be picked fresh from your garden!

  

Wishing you all a very HAPPY EASTER and lots of delicious Easter treats.

 

Isabell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike in London where one season never seemed that different from another, here in Switzerland the four seasons are still very much part of life.

I love the transition and the first signs of every new season, especially if they include special festivals such as Easter. It is such a good excuse to breathe new life into your home and see what is out there to help you add some new touches to your interior.  

Sharing my life with a long suffering husband, who would be perfectly happy with just the minimal pieces of furniture - ideally family heirlooms - and no accessories unless very special, practical or useful - I have my work cut out persuading him that "those new cushions, candles or little trinkets" are absolutely essential to the latest season`s look. He claims that even without our young children our house would not be short of the ever increasing collection of seasonal "essentials" which are taking over our living room....at least for a while!

On this note, for the next couple of weeks, my pre-Easter "pick of the week" will focus on some quirky, bright and fresh looking furniture and accessories and indulge in a few treats for Easter!

QESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q:  What are the rules on wallpaper at the moment? My mother used to re-wallpaper the entire room every few years but I am not sure wether that is still the current trend, Tessa.

A:  Hi Tessa, It varies and rather depends on the room and your choice of wallpaper. If it is something fairly discreet with a smallish pattern, timeless design like stripes or a traditional aspect such as a toile it is still very suitable for use throughout the room. However, wallpaper has had a huge revival and there are an increasing number of statement designs from contemporary to industrial and vintage which create a more interesting and less overwhelming effect if used as a feature on just one wall.

Q:  I have a slightly redundant corner in my rather large sitting room. There are enough tables and chairs in the room, so I am looking for an alternative that can give this area some color and lift, Gennie.

A:  Dear Gennie, I would add a tall plant or potted tree and choose a really nice pot for either. They bring a lovely bright and warm aspect to a room, injecting a "breath of fresh air" to any redundant space.

EASTER TREATS

This Graham & Green "Deep Dream Cotton/Linen Sofa" is one of my favourites. It has a stylish and wonderfully timeless design and will feel quite at home in contemporary or traditional surroundings. The yellow version is one of this years "it" colours and will bring a spot of sunshine into any living room.  However, should you end up wearing sun glasses every time you look at it, this model also comes in a choice of other colours at a price range of £2.050.00 - £3.050.00, www.grahamandgreen.co.uk.

 This is not a suggestion on how to recycle the leftovers of your next Sunday Roast!! This "chick" is one of the "classiest birds" I have come accross. The Duck Feet Lamp from the Porta Romana Collection, is quite unique, stylish and absolutely gorgeous and will certainly not be overlooked by your Easter lunch party guests. This is the one piece which you would not want to "mothball" until the following Easter but love and adore all year round, www.portaromana.co.uk.

This reminds me of one of the first wooden stacking toys my children used to play with. The &Tradition Shuffle Table which features a good selection of this year`s "must have" colours, brightens up any space and is quite an eye catcher. If you have young children just make sure they don`t get tempted to take it apart while your guests are trying to "park" their drinks on it,  £445.00, www.utilitydesign.co.uk.

A lovely way to add a very discreet touch of Easter to your sofas. This cushion is not just for Easter and will look lovely all year round, £65.00, www.niki-jones.co.uk.

This is surely the next best thing to the real "Faberge"! The beautiful egg creation is without a doubt the "icing on the cake" and almost too glam to cut it into edible pieces. Obviously aiming for the same prosperous clientele, the Baroque Cameo Egg Cake comes with the appropriate price tag - but it`s worth every "bite" of it! £225.00, notonthehighstreet.com.

 

 

 

These vintage-inspired "Natural World" bone china plates would make the perfect spring and summer tableware - just imagine how crisp and fresh they look on as part of your Easter table decoration or on a white table cloth.....truly the "bees knees" at EUR 18.00 each, www.anthropologie.eu.

This set of 3 lovely GreenGate Lovebirds Easter Egg Decorations from Occa Home, are beautifully decorated and can`t fail to help create an eye catching and perfect Easter table decoration, £13.00, occa-home.co.uk

A very colourful way to create your Easter table. If you are slightly late with your Easter preparation, for a "last minute" shop this pretty selection of table ware and decoration is still available at Schilliger Garden Centre, www.schilliger.com

I hope you enjoyed this weeks early spring and Easter treats and look forward to all your comments and questions until my next Wednesday blog.

Isabell