Signs of Spring On the Maine Coast — Inside and Out

Floral prints, fresh colors, and simple decor. Green grass and yellow buds. Early signs of spring in and outside our coastal Maine home.

Spring on the Maine Coast

We have had temps below freezing four nights in a row this week.

Spring certainly arrives late here on the Maine coast.

But if you look closely outside you will spot early signs of the season.

The light has shifted, greeting us in the morning through the side windows instead of the back.

And while we don’t have leaves on the trees yet, a carpet of green is unfurling across both the shoreline and the meadow.

With spring starting to make an appearance outside, I decided it was time I put away my indoor winter decor.

In fact, probably past time…

So, away with the sheepskin throws, wool blankets, cozy chenille slipcover, and furry throw pillows.

In with bright blues and whites, light cotton throws, and of course my blue and white striped slipcover.

Let’s take a quick tour to look for signs of spring — inside and out!

Don’t forget your jacket and mud boots — it is still chilly and wet here!

Spring Living Room Decor

First stop, the living room!

Slipcovers

The blue and white stripes are back!

I do like the pale blue chenille slipcover for the loveseat. It is particularly lovely at Christmas with pops of green.

But I always look forward to the return of the blue and white striped cover.

There is something about that combo that holds my heart.

Maybe because it has come to herald the arrival of my favorite doors-and-windows-open time of year!

A few weeks ago I also swapped the floral slipcovers for the cozy fleece on the swivel tub chairs by the fireplace.

These covers were new last year, so it was particularly fun to pull them out again. They felt brand new all over again!

Pillows

Of course the easiest way to refresh a space is to change out the throw pillows.

The starting point this time was the white lumbar pillow with the beautiful blue embroidered flowers.

I purchased it at HomeGoods in the dead of winter, and have been looking forward to putting it out ever since!

To go with it, I pulled a variety of covers from my “throw pillow cover library”.

I tried out various combinations, taking into consideration pattern size, texture, primary color, and pillow size and shape, eventually ending up with:

• One solid blue
• One blue and white stripe (the same fabric as the loveseat slipcover)
• Two matching with a dark blue small all-over floral print — one lumbar, one square
• One mid-tone blue and white with a medium-sized all-over seaweed print
• One “novelty” print pillow — dark blue seagull silhouettes on a natural background
• And for something “not like the others”, a beige pillow with white embroidered flowers.
• On the striped chair opposite the loveseat, a dark blue lumbar pillow with large embroidered lighter blue flowers.

Pro tips:

Somehow I seem to have accumulated a lot of pillows with tasseled corners. I obviously have a thing for them that I was not aware of. But I limited myself to one tasseled pillow per sofa. More than that and it got a little wild-looking! Too bad — I put some lovely covers back in the drawer…

I like one lumbar per sofa. And the square pillows should be a variety of sizes.

I prefer an odd number of pillows.

When choosing which pillow covers to use, lay them out on top of the pillows you already have on the sofa, to get an idea of how they look. Try out different combinations until you come up with something you like. Then put them on the pillows.

Throws

I put the two sheepskin throws and the wool blanket away for the season.

I wanted to keep things relatively simple, so I opted for one folded quilt on the ottoman by the fireplace and another on one arm of the loveseat.

Done!

Shop pillows and throws:

I got several of the pillows from HomeGoods. That is always luck of the draw, so unfortunately I cannot link them here.

Two pillows and one quilt I got from Etsy. That is my most reliable source for pillow covers. I will link some others that I have saved too.

And one pillow I got from Serena and Lily. They are a beautiful source but on the pricey side. I always wait for a sale to order anything from them.

Generally my intention here is to show pictures and explain the thought process behind my designs to inspire you to create your own design with your colors, style, and budget.

The seagull and seaweed pillows (and also the lampshade on the wicker basket lamp) are from Maine small business Alice Kate by Design.

Coffee table decor

Continuing with the idea of simplifying, I removed the florals and candle from the coffee table and replaced it with a delicate wire tray holding a quirky collection of decoy heads.

Yes, your heard me right. I call them quirky.

Some might say slightly macabre.

Did you know that decoy heads are generally carved separately from the bodies? I did a quick google search to learn why, but I didn’t find anything. Do you know?

I am aware I went against my styling guideline to include something natural and a candle in your coffee table display.

What can I say? I am allowed to ignore my own advice.

So are you, for that matter!

It just felt right to me.

And no matter the trends or how-to’s, when it comes to decorating your home, you should only do what feels right to you. You are the one who lives there, afterall.

That is advice you should always follow!

That’s it for the living room at this time! I am still enjoying the seagull print on the mantel.

I will change that next month. Maybe when I bring out the white slipcover for the sofa!

Spring Dining Room Decor

On to the dining room!

I made just a few changes in here.

A beautiful blue and yellow floral block print tablecloth tops the dining table.

Pro tip: Tablecloths are a great way to add some color, pattern, and softness to this room, which is usually full of a lot of hard wooden furniture.

I kept my usual stack of wooden bowls in the center of the table, but added a striped pottery bowl full of yellow pansies.

On the mantel, I planted the big antique blue and white mugs with the loveliest little purply-blue and white viola plants.

Pro tip: I always prefer to use live plants instead of cut flowers. You get a lot more bang for your buck, since they last much longer. I also love their natural look.

And think outside the box when you choose vessels for both plants and flowers!

That is all I did for spring in the dining room.

Remember – small changes can have big impact, while keeping things fresh!

On our way outside, let’s make a quick pit-stop in the hall bath…. to see the decor changes in the there…

Shop tablecloths:

My tablecloth came from Etsy, direct from India!

I have linked it here, as well as others I think would be lovely for spring!

Spring in the Hall Bath

In late winter I put away the green and blue plaid sink mini-skirt.

In its place, a skirt I made from a vintage embroidered tablecloth several years ago. It has such a sweet scalloped edge!

I like to find unusual ways to showcase antique linens, as they are usually beautifully embellished by hand with love and care.

Faux forsythia branches fill the blue glasses on the vanity and a vase on top of the toilet tank.

I find yellow to be the springiest of colors!

Okay, now we are ready to head outside!

Signs of Spring Outside

I wish I could swap out some throw pillows and add a tablecloth to make it immediately look like spring outside.

Especially after the flooding and rain we have had, the mud situation is still going strong.

I have to wash off M&C’s paws pretty much every time they come back in the house.

But while there are still no leaves on the trees, if you look closely, there are signs of hope.

The Shoreline

I am encouraged to see green return to the shoreline, as the marsh grass starts to sprout.

This area was completely covered by sea water three times over the winter.

To watch the grass grow back is like seeing a wound heal.

A reminder that the power of regeneration is great.

The Meadow

We have the meadow mowed once a year, in the fall.

After that, it lies brown and dormant all winter.

You can read all about our wildflower meadow in my post Natural Landscape: Our Coastal Maine Wildflower Meadow

Recently, though, I have noticed patches of green replace the brown, as the grass starts to grow once again.

And, most gratifying of all, towards the top of the hill, many of the lupine plants have broken ground. In early June, this part of the field will be covered in large purple blooms.

They are a sight to behold in fields, yards, and roadsides across Maine.

A sure sign that spring has come. And summer is not far behind!

Forsythia

Two springs ago I planted six forsythia bushes along the driveway.

They are one of the first plants to bloom here in the spring, and I anticipated that happy swath of yellow greeting me as I pulled down the drive.

Alas, last year, their first, they did not bloom, due to a bitterly cold arctic blast we had when the buds were setting.

So this year, I have been watching them with a mix of trepidation and hope.

I can happily report that they are now covered in little yellow buds.

I keep thinking they will burst into bloom any day, but maybe our cold nights recently have caused a last-minute delay.

Soon, I know. Soon!

This Week Into Next

You just heard from me here a couple days ago.

Are you tired of me?

I hope not!

If you missed it, on Thursday I shared a rare mid-week blog post with step-by-step directions for hanging a perfect gallery wall, with no extra nail holes. This is a great post to bookmark for the next time you take on this task. I promise my guide will make it easier for you!

And last Saturday I wrote about my meadow-and-marsh-inspired bathroom with a vintage botanical print gallery wall.

For more spring decor inspiration, check out my recent blog post A Spring Bed Nook Refresh Inspires Sweet Dreams for Guests.

The spring Brimfield Flea Market will take place Tuesday May 14 – Sunday May 19. I am still trying to decide if I will go. I am toying with the idea of making a quick one-day/one-night trip down there. It was so much fun last year! (I found those “quirky” decoy heads there, among other treasures…)

Are you going? If so, or if you are thinking of it, you must read my blog post from last year Let’s Go to the Brimfield Flea Market Together! I share everything you need to know to plan your own trip.

I binge-watched Queen Charlotte this week. It is part of the Bridgerton series. I loved it! Sad, but also so sweet. I highly recommend!

Bridgerton season 3 is coming soon! It will be split into two batches of 4 episodes each. Part 1 will premiere on May 16 and part 2 on June 13. Can’t wait!

Things are heating up In Zoe’s Kitchen this week! She is sharing recipes for Spicy Baked Pasta with Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe and Cauliflower Shawarma with Spicy Tahini.

That’s all I have for you this week!

I hope you are seeing signs of spring where you live!

Be well, friends!