By Sasha Witte
Gazette Columnist
May 19th, 2018
Summer decor is all about finding the right balance between pleasure, relaxing, and livable interiors. Try these tips for your home and see if you aren’t instantly tempted to take the day off to enjoy your summery home!
Make Sure Your Fabrics Speak Summer
Make sure your fabrics speak summer with light colors and refreshing patterns for the season.
—Gazette photo by Sasha WitteSwap out heavy throw pillows, rugs, curtains and sheets for light colors and patterns in cotton and linen.
For rugs consider thin mats or remove the rug completely and expose the floorboards. For curtains, utilize sheer fabrics to let in as much light as possible.
Bring in Summer Scents
Adding candles, flowers or scents to air will keep your home fresh on a warm summery day.
Add summery flowers to your interior to bring the energy outside in.
—Gazette photo by Sasha WitteAdd Plants
A good way to feel connected to the outdoors is to bring it inside. By adding plants, small or large, you are not only cleaning the indoor air, but giving the room a more out in the open feel.
If you’re not good at up keeping plants, you can use plants like succulents or air plants which are very low maintenance. You can even just cut flowers or green tropical leaves from your yard and place them in a vase to bring a little summer inside!
During summer, maximize the amount of sunlight coming into your home to impact your mood in a wonderful way.
PicasaUpdate your furniture
Dark and muted tones are beautiful in the fall and winter, but summer and spring call for light and airy colors. Use removable slip covers or decorative throws to add bursts of brightness.
If you prefer white and khaki for slip covers or throws, just dress it up with some fun pillows.
Maximize light and flow in your home
In the summer we seem to crave both light and open space. Your body and mind respond very sensitively to light and sadly, most people take it for granted. Light impacts your mood, productivity, concentration and much more, and the summer is the perfect time to enjoy it – both inside and outside!
Consider adding summer energy to the spaces you share with your children to enhance their summer experience.
—Gazette photo by Sasha WitteEvaluate the color of your walls and maximize your homes natural light through windows and doors. Also evaluate your furniture’s direction and how it is placed in the space. Can you see outside from your bed? Can you add a window seat anywhere? Rearrange your space to maximize flow by taking out items or moving items to allow the best access for movement and natural light.
Make your home kid friendly
Use removable slip covers or decorative throw pillows to add touches of summer to your spaces.
—Gazette photo by Sasha WitteWith school being out, kids will be around the house more. Make sure fabrics and slipcovers are machine washable and casual. Make summer time arts and crafts with the kids that you can use as summer décor to proudly display around your home!
Strip everything back to necessities
Think of this like doing a wardrobe clear out and putting your winter clothes into storage. Get rid of pieces that are dark, gloomy or fussy. Once you’ve stripped back everything you can reevaluate what is important in the room and rearrange the furniture to minimize clutter.
Sasha Witte can be reached at www.SashaWitteDesign.com or (562) 434-8824.
