Many schools are nearing the end of the year and that's a sure sign that summer is on its way. As we approach summertime, many homeowners want to spruce up their homes with a decorating make-over to match the season. Try these 25 tips to bring the lazy, carefree summer days into your home.
- Go for floral prints in sheets, throw pillows and shams
- Pick out slip covers to change the look and feel of couches
- Display decorative fruit baskets and welcome mats and signs
- Put fresh cut flowers in decorative vases to brighten any room
- Clean out the fireplace and try candles, flowers, or green plants in it for the summer months
- Spray down your window screens and thoroughly clean your windows and glass to completely let the sun shine in
- Thinking of painting? Now, may be a good time to go bright, light and cheery
- Put away floor rugs or swap them for brightly colored floral prints
- Use a variety of floral teacups to float votive candles in; arrange them on a table for an elegant look
- Replace heavy fleece blankets or down comforters that are on couches and bedding around your house with light cotton in summer pastels
- Use fluffy throw pillows on couches, sofas and loveseats to encourage settling in for a read or a summertime snooze
- Try mixing in different color schemes such as greens, blues and whites to liven up a room and bring a feel of the ocean into your home
- Try sheers or lace curtains instead of heavy drapery
- Don't want to replace the drapery? Try only changing the valance
- Replace dark lamp shades with lightly colored or floral printed ones
- Try replacing a coat/hat rack with a piece of decorative lattice that's fitted with hooks to hold accessories, creating a summertime garden look
- Try a fiberglass screen to surround a patio or porch to let the breeze in and keep the bugs out while you enjoy the area as an indoor/outdoor room on warm summer nights
- De-clutter a room; it may mean relegating a few items to another room, storage, a friend's place or even a garage sale
- Hang a mirror on the wall so that it appears to bring the garden and outdoor light into your home
- Install ceiling fans with lights in bedrooms and rooms that need ventilation; these are useful attractions if you decide to sell your home
- Get the kids in on the decorating fun by letting them color butterfly printout sheets that you can find online. Then create a butterfly mobile or string them from a curtain rail to adorn a window as suggested at the Activity Village website
- In children's rooms have youngsters write poems and color pictures, then create a collage on poster or bulletin boards that they can proudly hang in their room as their own way of welcoming summertime
- White furniture in a room creates a whimsical feel
- Now's a goodtime to shoot some new family photos outdoors and display them around your home for a cheerful look
- If you have dark wood tables, try a touch of white lace to create a softer look in summers