Highlight spring all year long

There’s optimism in the air. Its origins are many and varied, but one origin that everyone might agree on is the coming of spring. Daylight is increasing by at least two minutes per day. In slightly more than two weeks, we’ll have more minutes of daylight than darkness.

So even if your new home won’t be ready to move into for a few months, why not harness some of spring’s optimism in planning your design and decor?

Add pops of color

Some of the best sources of color inspiration are on display right now all over the hills and mountains surrounding the Bay Area’s valleys and coastal waters.

There’s a good chance whites, grays or light beiges will appear in

some of your cabinetry, doors, windowsills or counters. They should; they’re welcoming and bright.

But because of these more colorless tones, look for accent colors in permanent or transitional pieces around the house. Let those pieces or design elements add liveliness to your overall decor. Consider pillows, throws, frames, indoor flower pots and even office supplies in colors inspired by the native perennials of the Bay Area.

Color choices might include light and leafy greens seen now on the grassy hillsides or in yearround wild gooseberry shrubs.

Other native flowers bloom for several months in the spring or summer in rich shades of orange, as seen in the California poppy. Look for accent pieces in yellow, as inspired by the California buttercup.

California’s native salvia, a fragrant bush that comes from the sage family, grows wildly in our regional parks. Salvia serves up rich hues of dark reds, deep purples, blues and bright white. You also can draw inspiration from our area’s wild, native evening primrose flowers blooming in bright oranges, reds, pale pinks and light purples.

Place the color anywhere that could use some interest. Choose an orange or yellow fleece blanket for the patio. Toss a pink or rich purple throw pillow on a bed or loveseat. Paint an accent wall light green.

You might even discover a bright red espresso maker you can position next to a tile mosaic wall that reflects other colors from the Bay Area’s natural flora.

Make a splash with backsplashes

Speaking of tile mosaics, backsplashes are terrific places to add interesting designs, whether through texture, color or shine.

Subway styles, in all sizes and colors, are still popular for backsplashes, as are more muted porcelain tiles accented by glass tiles. As accents, glass tiles can include several colors when positioned in clusters several inches or several feet apart on a backsplash.

Another option for glass tile is to choose one small wall of a kitchen, a bathroom or even a built-in office space for adding dynamics. Other good places for accents are the wall behind the cooktop and the space above the home management desk.

Fill these sections with color that complements the dominant color in the room. You can do so by choosing solid-colored tile dotted with glass tile accents around it. Also pretty are full sections of glass tile in a complementary color, or a glass or ceramic tile mosaic pattern.

Remember that “complementary” doesn’t mean matchy-matchy when you’re talking color. Every primary color (red, yellow, blue) has a corresponding secondary color (green, purple, orange) that will accent or complement it beautifully, no matter how dark, light or mixed the color is.

Grays, for instance, can land on the warm side, leaning toward tan, or the cool side, leaning toward blues or greens. The same is true of beiges and browns.

The sky’s the limit

Remember to look up this spring. There, at different times of day, you’ll notice various shades of blue in clear springtime skies or on overcast and even rainy days.

Will your new home have a small powder room? Have fun with that space by painting the walls white and the ceiling a shade of sky blue that makes you smile.

Choose soap dispensers or dishes, towels and other countertop items in greens derived from the hillsides or fill bud vases with fresh-cut or dried flowers in native California colors.

Before long, when indoor gatherings resume, the only bathroom that’s regularly used by household members and guests will welcome people with the happy brightness of spring.