Home Decorating: Seashells by the seashore

Posted by Diane on July 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment

As we can all tell by the weather, summer is really just beginning and it is not too late to add to your summer decorating. Nothing spells summer to me more than pretty seashells collected on the beach and piled high in a hurricane jar. But there are many ways to bring this iconic symbol of summer into your home decorating.

The stores are full of mirrors, candlesticks and lamp bases covered with real or faux seashells. Check out this lamp from Lamps Plus. How pretty on a bedside table! Pottery Barn even sells bags of shells for those of you who do not live near a beach (or just don’t like sand stuck between your toes) as well as lots of other sophisticated beachy accessories.
Fabric is a perfect way to add a touch of sun, sand and shells to your home. Fashion a couple of pillows from this Robert Allen fabric for a cool summer feel. Quick and easy summer projects such as easy to sew window valances, a border on bath towels or crisp summer bedding can all be made from fabrics featuring shells and other symbols of the sea.
Furniture with shell motifs can add a whimsical as well as traditional touch to any room. In fact, the shell is a very popular symbol found on Queen Anne and other furniture styles.
Accessories are a fun and easy way to highlight any season, including summer. Place a large conch shell on top of a stack of books to remind you of that vacation at the beach. A fun project with the kids is to glue seashells around picture frames for photos of last year’s trip to the Bahamas. Or you can simply fill large jars or hurricanes with all the shells you have collected over the years as a fun reminder of past trips.

Replace all of your 4th of July decorations with this symbol of summer and your home will be decorated for the rest of the season. That leaves plenty of time for you to visit the beach to collect more shells!