Tag Archives: summer

Home Decor: Summertime and the livin’ is easy

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Happy Memorial Day!  I hope it finds all of you relaxing and looking forward to all the good times summer has to offer–barbecues, picnics, long bike rides, lazy days on the porch, swimming and warm summer breezes that allow your window treatments to billow in the wind.  But let’s not forget why we celebrate Memorial Day,  so find some time to visit a local military cemetery, drop some cookies off at the USO or just say thanks to a service man or woman in your community.

It’s been a tough winter and spring throughout our country so here’s a little summer eye candy to get you dreaming about summer

cute summer bicycle by Nan Lawson for Grow your Beauty
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I could sit and relax in this chair all day long..how about you?
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Swings are just part of summer, aren't they? (photo courtesy of HGTV)
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wildflowers galore
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So take some time to help the kids set up a lemonade stand; finish a book in one day, drink some sweet tea and gather with friends as often as possible.  And don’t forget some summertime decorating…summer decorating tips to follow…..

Fabric: How to use gingham in your summer decorating

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Not sure exactly what gingham is?  Remember the blue and white checked apron/dress Dorothy wore in “Wizard of Oz”?  That is gingham.  And in days past it was used to make little girl dresses or picnic tablecloths.  However, this fresh and crisp fabric is making a sophisticated comeback in the interior decorating world.

How can you use gingham in your decorating?  Well take a look at some of these ideas that are guaranteed to add a light, summery feel to your home.

  • We are all familiar with the red and white gingham used in picnic baskets, outdoor tablecloths and napkins.  How about surprising Yogi Bear and making your “picanick” (as Yogi would say) a bit more sophisticated with a black and white gingham basket and linens!  Green gingham will provide a fresh and cooling feel to your picnic.
  • How cute are these gingham plates?  They will add a summery feel to any meal.

    photo by Geoffrey Sokol
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  • Replacing those thick and heavy chair cushions with a gingham fabric for the summer is a sure way to lighten  the feel in your eating area.
  • Gingham curtains are a staple in a country interior but they can add a lighthearted feel to a bath or kitchen area in any style home. 
  • As you can see by the plates in the photo, gingham is available in many colors from soft pastels to urban chic black and white.
  • How about  a crisp black and white lampshade like this one offered by Ballard Designs.  You could use this in an informal eating area, a relaxed family room or even a covered porch area.

Gingham is a very affordable fabric so if you try something and you don’t like it, no need to panic.  But I am confident that you will enjoy the light and fresh feel this summery fabric will add to your home.

Sail away with a nautical theme for the summer

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Blue sky, warm sandy beaches, weathered wood and sea air…..I want to be at the beach right now!  If you are land locked, as I am, you can still enjoy the feeling of a beach house in your own home.  A nautical theme will provide you with a crisp and inviting space that will make it seem as if you are on vacation.

Check out some of these easy ways to incorporate a nautical look into your existing decor.

  • Shiny brass elements will make you feel as if you are onboard a luxurious yacht.  Replace lamp bases, hang a brass framed mirror or place a brass tray on top of an ottoman. 
  • Add a white slipcover to your existing sofa or chairs for an instant summery look. 
  • Replace your current accent pillows with ones fashioned out of large blue and white stripes or solid navy blue with crisp white piping.  A sky blue can be just as inviting especially when paired with red.
  • Seek out nautical items to use around the house.  An old porthole window is fun when hung in the powder room.  How about a large boaters knot for a doorstop.
  • Put that wool rug in storage and add a natural fiber rug made of sisal…better yet choose an indoor/outdoor rug to make it easy to clean up all that sand you track in.
  • Items that depict life at sea like lighthouses, ships wheel, sea creatures and shells and signal flags add a bit of interest and ambience to any setting. 
  • Bring the outdoors in by adding plants or simple cuttings from the bushes and trees in your own yard.  A clear glass hurricane holding one large palm leaf creates a very sophisticated centerpiece.
  • Baskets can be placed just about anywhere to hold remotes, books and magazines, items in the kitchen, tissue in the bath, etc.
  • Speaking of the kitchen, use your fun outdoor dishes and flatware during the summer.  Clean white plates on your dark mahogany table are very “yachty”.

These ideas are all simple and inexpensive and can be put away when the seasons change.  But for now why not enjoy a little beach getaway in the comfort of your own home.

Decorating recipe for a summer party

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The unofficial beginning of summer is here .  Time to summerize your home in preparation for all those backyard barbecues, pool parties and casual gatherings that can last long into the warm nights.  While the food is the star of most parties, your home decor is certainly part of the recipe.

Add a pinch of this and a dash of that and you have a home that is ready for summer entertaining.  Here are some quick and easy seasonal changes to turn your ordinary home into a summer retreat.

  1. Switch out your artwork.  Replace your normal paintings and prints with black and white photos of past family vacations.  Frame inexpensive posters of sailboats, beach scenes or gardens in bloom.  Better yet, pull out the watercolors and have the family create their own artwork for a one of a kind gallery.  What a great way to create fun vacation memories.
  2. Sew or purchase lots of inexpensive throw pillows in bright summery colors and pile them high on your sofa and chairs.
  3. Fill glass hurricanes with shells and sea glass and place them on the dining room table.  This centerpiece will last you all season long.
  4. Even the kitchen can use a touch of summer.  Glass canisters filled with old fashioned candy is a tempting way to add color and whimsy to your countertops.  And yummy too!
  5. Invest in some wonderful outdoor dinnerware that can last all summer long.  Today’s colors and patterns look like real china.  You can choose a patriotic red, white and blue that is always appropriate or opt for a sophisticated Tuscan patttern in mediterranean shades of orange, olive green and blue. 
  6. Slipcover your furniture.  You can sew your own or have them made.  The money spent is worth not having to worry about suntan lotion, messy spills and dirty hands and feet.
  7. Add some wicker in the form of baskets, casual furniture, even lampshades.
  8. For chilly nights around the firepit have a selection of summer themed blankets and quilts.  Look for patterns that depict summer scenes or choose luscious colors like ocean blue, raspberry pink and sunny yellow.

Once the house is ready for summer so are you.  All that is left to do is plan a menu and invite friends and family over for a day or evening of relaxation and fun.  Isn’t that what summer is all about?

Home Decor: Summer Quilts

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We are all familiar with the cozy look and feel quilts provide during the fall and winter months.  Nothing is better than curling up with a good book or a loved one under a warm quilt.  Well that same feeling can be had during the summer months as well.  Lightweight quilts are perfect for use on those chilly nights or as a buffer from air conditioning.  Here are some other decorating ideas.

  1. Replace your normal comforter or duvet with a matelasse coverlet.  (matelasse is a lightweight quilted blanket) The room will feel summery and cool and the weight of the blanket is just right for summer nights.
  2. Stock the family room with laptop quilts (about 50×60′) in summer patterns and colors.  They make great cover-ups for family movie night.
  3. Quilts featuring summer patterns like sailboats, sunflowers, patriotic colors, birds and beach toys will add just the right touch to your family room.  Pastel colors will keep things light and airy.
  4. Quilts are easy to pack and carry as a picnic ground cover.  Keep them in the trunk of the car for those spontaneous stops.
  5. Pack a couple of quilts to keep warm during the concerts under the stars that are so popular during the summer.
  6. They make bright and cheerful tablecloths that are easy to wash later.
  7. Place one at the foot of the guest bed so summertime visitors can curl up when the air conditioning kicks on.
  8. Old quilts that have seen better days can be repurposed into fun placemats or as a throw pillow.

Quilts will make your summer evenings just as cozy and comfortable as they make your winter evenings so grab a loved one and curl up!

Luscious fruitbowl of summer colors for home decorating

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It is so fun and easy to bring a touch of summertime to any room in your home.  Today’s popular and trendy colors–orange, green, purple and blue—can all be found in a cool and summery version.

  • Orange has been popular for a few years now and ranges from warm rusts and persimmons to a true vibrant orange.  How about a soft peach for those warm summer months?  Think of peach cobbler, pink and peachy sea shells, the inside of a grapefruit or a lone peach hanging on the tree surrounded by all the beautiful green leaves.  A lovely color for a sunroom, cool bedroom or in a kitchen and breakfast room during the summer months.
  • Purple has almost become the new neutral since it appears to go with everything.  Is there anything more inviting than a bowl of purple grapes on a cool kitchen counter? For your summertime decorating, a deep grape color can be used in any room in your home. It is especially summery when combined with grass green, butter yellow and other shades of  blue and purple.
  • Green in all shades is popular, especially in the summertime.  This year, why not consider a true apple green for a pop of bright and cheery color.  Granny smith apples, kumquats, pears,freshly mowed grass and shiny new leaves all offer variations of this yummy color.  A green and white kitchen is so refreshing.  As is a sunroom, living area or master bedroom. 
  • The color of the year, Turquoise, simply screams summertime.  While it is difficult to find this color in a fruitbowl, it certainly coordinates with all those colors and will jazz up any interior or outdoor space.  Scatter a couple of throw pillows around, add a turquoise lamp base to the room, place some outdoor pots that feature this color on the deck, you get the idea.

Inspiration can be found all around us and by simply pulling colors from your summertime fruitbowl you can add a splash of cool and inviting color throughout your home.