Summer holidays are here at last! Long warm days and light filled evenings mean it’s the perfect time to make a few updates to get your home ready for the summer months. Here are my 10 tips to make your home summer ready in 2022.

Give your house kerb appeal

A long warm day is the perfect time to give your front door a new coat of colour. I think you are safer to choose a more neutral shade if you live in one of Bath’s Georgian houses but if you live in a modern house, then go for it with bright bolder colours. Turquoise or soft pink can look as sophisticated as traditional dark greys and blues if you pick the right shade. I love the idea of matching the flowers in your hanging baskets and planters to your front door for maximum impact. While painting your front door, make sure you give your windows a new coat of paint. Summer is the time to tackle those difficult outside decorating jobs!

Go for summer shades

Summer paint colours say afternoons filled with sunshine and flowers. Think about the colours you see in nature, and you won’t go far wrong with a summer paint update. Nothing says summer like a sunny shade of yellow. To keep vibrant yellow from overpowering a space, use white for your paintwork and contrast it with soft greens and blues. Soft green is a gorgeous summer colour for your walls and is very on trend this year while sky blue will feel like a breath of fresh air in any room. My favourite summer colour though is a soft blush pink; it’s pretty, feminine and calming and works in any space. 

Dress up your windows

You need to change your window dressings in the summer to make the most of all that sunshine.  Swap heavy curtains for unlined curtains made in crisp natural fabrics like linen or cotton – or ditch curtains altogether for roller blinds for an instant update. For a Hamptons vibe, shutters will create a bright modern look. Shutters can give a cosy feel when closed at night and fold back to let in the light during the daytime. Don’t stick to white either; coloured shutters can look stunning! If you want both light and privacy, frosted window film is a simple revamp you can do yourself. 

Introduce florals

Floral patterns are always on trend and are perfect for summer. 

Use floral wallpaper, floral fabrics, cut flowers or plants to brighten up your home for the summer. From pretty and romantic to classic or contemporary, floral designs are a timeless favourite that never go out of fashion. It’s hard to talk about florals as a single category because, like flowers, each pattern has its own personality, style, size, and colour.  From small chintzy florals to large botanical florals, blowsy vintage florals or bold modern florals, there’s a floral whatever your interior design style. 

Change up your bed linen

Fresh new bedding will completely change the feel of your bedroom. Put winter’s chunky blankets and throws in the attic and swop over your bedding to light summery quilts and covers. I love linen bedding for its soft feel and the way it takes dyes so beautifully. Go for stripes, florals or just a gorgeous shade of pink, blue or green to make your bedroom feel brand new. You don’t have to ditch the quilts for summer. A pretty cotton bedspread can be a welcome extra layer on colder summer nights. 

See next week for five more simple updates!