7 ideas to lighten up your home for the summer
When I think of summer light, airy and fresh come to mind immediately. Summer is the perfect time to implement some or all of these ideas into your home. Today I am sharing 7 ideas to lighten up your home for the summer.
Ah sweet summer!
This year more than ever I was so excited for summer and to lighten up things in my home.
As usual I keep it on a budget because that is the way I shop and decorate.
I have 7 ideas to lighten up your home for the summer that are budget friendly and easy to implement in your home.
Let’s start with the foundation of the home, the walls.
Light or neutral walls
Our home has a mix of gray and white walls.
I love the neutral base to create a bright and light feel to any space.
Beginning with having a lighter brighter base will help to make it easy to refresh your decor for the summer season.
You can see from the photo here that the white doors really pops and helps to lighten up the space.
The walls are the largest area of your home other than the floor and keeping them light helps to create a bright and airy feel during the summer months.
If you are a lover of bright or dark colored walls you can create the light and bright feel with accessories and other decor elements.
For this particular post we are sticking to the lighter, brighter white or neutral walls in lightening up your space for summer.
Now that we have the foundation covered, we can move onto another area of of the home that needs lightening in the summer.
Summer window coverings
Window covers are another area to lighten up a bit for summer, especially if you normally use dark and heavy curtains.
Here you want to consider curtains that let the summer light come through.
Something like sheer panels, linen or drop cloth are perfect for the light and airy feel of summer.
We have used drop cloth curtains for several years and I love how light they feel.
Drop cloth, linen and sheers all left the light come through in a filtered way that lends themselves to summer.
If you do not have curtains, you might consider adding shears to soften the sometimes harsh sun of summer.
Curtains for your windows are like eyebrows to the eyes, it creates a frame and that is an important feature.
Switching out curtains is really simple and can be done on a budget, especially if you choose to use hardware store drop cloth that need no sewing.
Once the window covering are lightened up it is time to talk about the furniture in your home.
How to lighten furniture
Obviously you can not have different furniture for every season, that is silly.
What you can do is use a lighter color slipcover during the summer to lighten up the space.
For our IKEA Extorp sofa we have white, beige and brown slipcovers that can be changed according to the season.
Honestly, we keep the white on it for most of the year and change the pillows for each season depending on the feel we are trying to achieve.
There are all manner of slipcovers on the internet that be purchased to change up a darker colored sofa or chair.
Just google slipcovers and you will have your choice of styles depending on the design and size of your sofa or chair.
This is an easy and non-permanent way to make lighten up your home for summer.
We can now move on to adding in summer decor.
Light and airy summer accessories
When deciding what to add to your summer decor, first consider your decorating style.
If you decorate in farmhouse it may not work to add in seashells or driftwood, it all depends on the style of the rest of your home.
But there are a few items that can go with any style.
Think of elements that reflect light in a space like metals and clear glass.
You can switch out your heavy brass pieces for clear crystal pieces or even some classic blue and white pieces.
I love blue and white all year but try to add in more light reflecting properties this time of year.
Also consider adding lighter and brighter pieces of decor.
If you love adding pops of green or yellow for the summer, then add it.
Typically I will just switch out candlesticks and maybe some art for something lighter if I have something that seems really dark and heavy.
Don’t feel like you have to totally redecorate your home.
This is about making it feel lighter and that may just mean taking away a few pieces to give the space room to breathe this summer.
Another simple way for a room to feel lighter is to use light reflecting materials.
Add light reflecting pieces
A great way to add light reflective pieces is to add mirrors.
Adding mirrors is a great way to make a space feel larger than it is and to reflect light.
Place your mirror where they can reflect a light or a window to reflect the outdoor light into a space.
There are so many great options for mirrors in all shapes and sizes.
I have several mirrors through out our home, especially in darker areas to make it seem lighter.
Searching for vintage mirrors is also a great way to find unique and beautiful pieces to add to your home.
If you are shopping vintage be sure to read here.
The next thing you can do to lighten up your home for summer is so easy and yet something most people do not think of.
Unexpected way to lighten up your home
This is the most simple and probably the most overlooked way to brighten a space in the summer.
Simply use a bright light bulb.
Many designers recommend the Phillips 60w soft white dimmable led household light bulb.
This is a great all purpose bulb that produces a warm soothing glow.
Make sure you are using the same bulb type throughout your home to give a consistent glow.
Another great way to lighten up your home for summer is through scent.
Summer home
All the seasons bring up aromas we associate with that particular season.
For summer time I think of lemon, fresh linen, lavender and citrus scents.
You can diffuse your favorite summer scent or burn candles if that is what you prefer to do.
If you are looking for some amazing scents check out my friend Deb of Seeking Lavender Lane has created her own candle line and they are amazing.
You can find her on instagram at Fleur & Flame Candles.
Scent is a wonderful way to bring a lightheartedness to your home and make it feel fresh and airy.
With these seven different ideas to lighten up your home for the summer, you should be well on your way to a lighter, brighter space. this
Till next time
Xoxo
Sonya
