Summer is on its way. Warmer days and longer evenings often mean we want to spend more time enjoying our homes and making the most of our gardens. I like to really embrace the summer months and make changes in my home that make the most of the sunnier days. Getting your home summer ready is all about introducing light and colour to revamp your space.
Start with your front garden
In Bath we have lots of Victorian and Georgian houses with small or non-existent front gardens. To make the most of this precious space, you need to be clever with how you use it. Window boxes and hanging baskets can add a real splash of colour to your front garden. I like to plant my window boxes with scented plants – lavender, rosemary and thyme all look wonderful and smell fabulous too. Go bright with hanging baskets but try to stick to a limited colour palette – blues and whites or reds and yellows, so they look dramatic rather than blousy. If you have the space, a pair of bay trees in black or dark grey planters look super stylish either side of your front door and are low maintenance. A new coat of paint on your front door will really make a difference to your home, for very little effort! Dark or neutral shades look great 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. I love the idea of matching the flowers in your hanging baskets and planters to your front door for maximum impact.
Link your inside and outside spaces
Whatever the size of your house or flat, I think summer is the time to try and link your inside and outside spaces. Even if you only have a balcony, you can make it feel like an extra room just by using the right furniture and keeping your paint colours consistent throughout. A pretty little French enamel bistro set will let you eat outside when the weather is warm, some adaptable lighting and speakers for your music will make it entertainment ready and a washable outside rug will be cosy underfoot.
Washable outside rugs are brilliant inventions for making an outside space feel like an extra room. Hand-woven recycled plastic rugs are made from recycled plastic bottles, and they really do feel as soft as natural materials. Plus, they’ll last for years!
Fill your home with greenery
Bring the outside in. Fill your home with large leafy house plants and bunches of fresh flowers. Plants are good for the soul and can benefit your mental health and emotional wellbeing. Common houseplants can also make a significant contribution to reducing air pollution in your home. Plus, of course, house plants also add interest and texture to your interiors. Show your plants off in statement pots in beaten cooper or earthy colours like ochre or paprika.
I am also a huge advocate for just having fresh flowers in your home. Seasonal flowers or foraged finds displayed in a big vase on your kitchen or hallway table will add summer colour, texture and scent to your home – and make you feel happy every time you see them.
Go bold with blue
Blue, beautiful blue! After white, this is hands down the most popular colour to decorate with and it is such a perfect colour for the summer. Whether because of associations with clear skies, or calm seas, there seems to be something that draws us to blue, and I think every home should have something beautifully blue in it!
Need inspiration? Think of the combination of a soft denim-blue with natural materials such as wood and stone, or the contrast of a deep navy with bright metals like brass or copper. Gentle pastel blues can create a restful, spa-like feel in bathrooms or bedrooms, while strong, bright blues create drama in living spaces.
Blue also has some clever qualities that are very useful when using it in your interiors. Blue is a recessive colour, meaning it draws the eye away, blurring horizons and suggesting greater space and depth than is actually there. A useful design trick to know!
Invest in a few new accessories
I love accessories because they add layers of personality, texture and interest to any room. Even rented properties with neutral walls and floors can be transformed with a few carefully placed art prints and objects d’art. And rearranging your current collection or adding in a few new pieces is a quick and affordable way to refresh your space for the summer. A bright coloured vase, a scented candle that smells of cut grass, or a new mirror or a print from a local art fair – just simple things can bring joy to your home.
Read my blog next week for more tips to make your home summer-ready.
