Swap out winter accessories for lighter materials

[attach]7707[/attach]By age 26, North Toronto based interior designer Evelyn Eshun had already called three continents home.

Eshun, who was born in Wroclaw, Poland and spent her childhood in Ghana, West Africa, says going on to get a formal education at Ryerson University in Toronto was a natural progression, and her background and a love for travel continues to influence her design process.

“Transforming and creating interior spaces has been my calling as long as I can remember,” Eshun said in a recent interview. “Moving furniture around and begging my parents to help me move my furniture in my bedroom was a regular activity.”

Eshun said her goal is to create interiors that are timeless, comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

“The solutions for any building project or interior renovation begin with addressing the functional needs and then the aesthetic element must express a balance between the past and the present,” she said.

Although she jokes that it may be hard to believe given the current weather, she said since spring has arrived people can start swapping out winter accessories for brighter spring pieces made of lighter materials.

“Go ahead and bring it into your home before Mother Nature actually makes it obvious,” she said.

Some ways to do this include changing items such as pillows and rugs. Or, for another fresh change, she also suggests painting a single wall in the entryway.

“You will be happily welcomed daily by the change in your space,” she said.

[attach]7706[/attach]Eshun said there are ways to tailor living spaces to people’s lifestyle, to keep them interesting and expressive of their personality for any budget. Investing in colourful pillows, paint for an accent wall and her favourite addition — flowers — is an inexpensive way of indulging in seasonal trends and being able to express current style choice, she said.

“Items like a classically shaped upholstered sofa should be a neutral high quality material, which will withstand the activities of daily life, while pillows and throws will add that current trendy touch,” she said.

Another way to bring a touch of spring into a home is with the addition of a single large palm leaf in a glass vase.

“It will bring the playful and fresh feeling of spring into your home,” she said. “There is one in my living room right now.

“I love the shape — the tropical energy it brings to my space.”

Although her biggest tip is to keep every room neat and clean, which takes only discipline and consistency, she said decorating with colour, natural elements and on-trend accessories will create a living space that is expressive and current.

While travelling, the globetrotter tends to find a work of watercolour, which expresses the spirit of where she’s visiting, to bring back home.

“Better than a trendy piece of clothing, which can get lost in a closet, art will always take you back to the feeling, the moment and the energy of the place it comes from,” she said.