Pump Up Your Home’s Vitamin C With These Design Tricks
Florida might be known as the Sunshine State, but it’s also Citrus Central.
Agricultural is a huge contributor to Florida’s economy along with tourism, and the citrus industry has a long history here.
According to the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service, Florida ranked No. 1 in the United States in value of production for oranges and grapefruit in 2017. During the 2016-17 growing season, Florida produced 45 percent of the country’s citrus.
That’s a lot of natural vitamin C sprouting from the state’s commercial citrus farms. If you’ve moved here or are contemplating it, enjoying one of Florida’s classic tastes at its freshest, is no small perk.
But you can enjoy Florida citrus in other guises, too. If the fruits’ tangy, vibrant colors and cheery symbolism appeal to you, citrus colors, smells and motifs are fun and easy to incorporate in your new custom Florida home.
Here’s how to use interior design to pump up your home’s vitamin C.
Seek the real thing
Florida citrus season runs October through June, with different varieties peaking during the winter months. If you’ve never enjoyed fresh-from-the-groves citrus before, take advantage.
Find a pick-your-own citrus farm near you, or shop local farmers markets. Even local grocery stores stock fresh citrus from Florida groves, so it’s not difficult to experience.
You might discover some new favorites — or turn yourself or someone in your household from a citrus hater into an enthusiast. A bowl of fresh Florida citrus in the kitchen is always in style.
Try citrus home scents
There’s no denying its tangy, fruity scent. Citrus smells can brighten and refresh stale interiors, mask strong food smells, a baby’s nursery, and even triumph over odorous bathrooms.
Candles, essential oils, spray air fresheners and reed, gel and wax diffusers (which use heat and air to disseminate their scents) are the most common products. Pick your favorite method and give a citrus scent a whirl.
There’s another method to infuse your home with fresh citrus, and it involves using the fruit. Grab some oranges and a bottle of whole cloves from the spice rack. Press the sharp end of each clove through the skin of each orange in whatever decorative pattern you like.
The citrus oil inside mingles with the fragrant cloves for a natural home scent that lasts for weeks. They’re called pomander balls. Display them in baskets and bowls in areas that need an olfactory pick-me-up.
Other ways to get decorative vitamin C
Prefer more permanent citrus cheer? Start with paint. Bright oranges, pinks, yellows and greens hint at oranges, grapefruit, lemons and lime. Coat walls, ceilings and furniture of your choice. Try complementing the bright citrus colors with white.
Also use citrus-y colors in the fabric patterns you choose, and with drapery and bedclothes. And, at least one decorative pillow with a glittery orange!
