Simple Summer Decorating Ideas for your home!

DATE: Aug 11, 2017
|
CATEGORY: TIPS & ADVICE
|
AUTHOR: Elena Economou

BRING FURNITURE OUTDOORS

An outdoor set-up like this shady spot by Stephen Shubel can function as a breakfast room, reading nook or dinner table when the weather's nice.

ADD POPS OF COLOR

Swap in graphic paintings, fresh flowers or vibrant dishes for the fastest possible makeover. "I like all colors — soft, light, shimmery, deep," designer Ruthie Sommers says of her California beachy kitchen. "If you're ever stuck, lighten your lights and darken your darks to create contrast."

AMP UP THE BAR

Fresh and fruity summer cocktails deserve a dedicated station. Whip up a mojito or mai tai at a well-stocked table, like the console in designer Amanda Lindroth's Bahamas house. "Every island house needs a fantastic, spilling-over bar," she says.

FILL YOUR FIREPLACE

You won't be stoking the flames for another few months. For now, stack leftover wood or position candles in your fireplace. Fans of coastal style can frame a hunk of coral like Gregory Shano's Long Island retreat.

RESTYLE YOUR TABLESCAPES

Pepper your coffee tables and bedside nooks with natural decor, like a bouquet of garden roses or beach-combing treasures. In a nautical Nantucket Harbor home, a sea fan sits on the sleeping loft's tiny table.

TRY THE BOHEMIAN LOOK

Vibrant colors, a mix of patterns and flowers everywhere — real, painted and printed — make the living room "cheerful, bright and playful," says designer Krista Ewart of this California beach bungalow.

RECOVER THE HEADBOARD

If flower power isn't your thing, add greenery with a statement piece. The botanical headboard delivers this bedroom's knockout punch.

HANG FLOWY CURTAINS

This Florida home has certainly perfected the idea of outdoor living. Gauzy panels by the pool add privacy, shield the sun and keep mosquitoes at bay.

TREAT YOUR WINDOWS

PAINT THE FURNITURE

Unifying a ragtag patio set is as easy as grabbing a bucket of paint. For a Florida home's oceanfront porch, decorator Tammy Connor coated the antique sofa and assorted chairs in a matching cloudy blue.

FRAME A MAP

Nod to your hometown — or a favorite summer vacation spot — with a personalized chart, like this New York home's Shelter Island print.

MAKE THE TRIM MATTER

Fresh cushions or pillows can change up an entire room, especially if you consider the details. "There's a nautical feeling to things like the trim on the curtains and the piping on the upholstery," T. Keller Donovan says of his Nantucket living room. "I was inspired by the look of lounge chairs on an old yacht and that great old 1930s pool furniture, both of which had contrast piping."

SET UP A COUNTER

If you can't splurge on an outdoor kitchen, an extra-wide window might do the trick instead. Designer Erin Martin extended the marble counter from a beach house kitchen to make al fresco dining easier.

PILE ON PILLOWS

FRAME YOUR FLORALS

Impress guests by hanging your garden, like this chandelier of potted plants in an outdoor dining room. Plus, you'll have extra tabletop space for place-settings and party food.