With the new season officially underway, it’s time to infuse our homes with the joyous spirit of summer. This year, the focus is on creating a seamless flow between your indoor sanctuaries and open-air spaces, embracing natural elements, pops of optimistic colour, and an overall sense of relaxed sophistication. Here’s your ultimate guide to styling your spaces for a summer of blissful comfort and chic entertaining.
Indoors: Embracing Light, Air, and Natural Textures
Summer styling is all about creating a refreshing and calm atmosphere that invites relaxation while still feeling vibrant. Think of your home as a cool oasis from the summer heat.
Light & Breezy Textiles
Making a few simple swaps to your interiors can help make you more comfortable throughout summer. This time of year, opt for lighter, more breathable fabrics for your soft furnishings. Think relaxed linen sheer curtains that gently filter sunlight, cotton bedding and throws in muted pastels or crisp whites, and breathable jute or sisal rugs. These not only feel cooler but also add a textural richness to your scheme. Pair with natural materials like wood, rattan, bamboo or wicker furniture and accessories for an organic feel. Decorative accents such as cushions with natural compositions and coastal or botanical themes complete the look beautifully.
Serene Palettes
Lean into soft or earthy neutral aesthetics to form an excellent base, creating a sense of calm, openness and light. A relaxing, neutral shade such as Little Greene’s Green Stone or Portland Stone (shown below on the walls) can frame your windows in a way that draws the soothing qualities of the outdoors for tranquil, timeless and harmonious interiors. You can also introduce summery accents with hues inspired by nature. Coastal Blues from soft sky blue to deeper oceanic tones work well to evoke seaside escapes, as do sun-kissed terracottas, warm ochres and sunshine yellows. Integrating various shades of botanical green through paint, house plants or fabrics and wallpapers with natural motifs also helps to bring the outside in. Pops of Zesty Citrus can add an energetic, playful touch.
Innovative Shading
As the heat becomes more intense, investing in some good window shading can make the world of difference to your home. Consider adding some blackout roller blinds to your bedroom for uninterrupted and restful sleep, or opt for an innovative Blind Screen™ solution. These blinds can seamlessly integrate a 100% blackout honeycomb screen with a discreet fly screen across windows, bi-fold and patio doors. The blackout fabric provides complete light control, privacy and temperature regulation, whilst the fly screen allows you to welcome refreshing breezes without the nuisance of insects. This dual functionality means you can effortlessly style your home for summer, creating an environment that is both visually appealing and comfortable.
Outdoor Spaces: Your Personal Summer Retreat
Your garden, patio, or balcony is an extension of your living space during the summer months. The goal is to create inviting zones for relaxation, dining, and entertaining, blurring the lines between inside and out for seamless transition and flow.
Paint
For a vibrant summer refresh, consider the transformative power of exterior paints to revitalise your outdoor space. A fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into tired fences, sheds, walls and garden furniture, instantly updating their look ahead of alfresco dining and sun-drenched relaxation. Opt for bright, airy colours like crisp whites or muted blues and greens to create a serene and expansive feel, reflecting the summer sky and natural surroundings. Your outdoor palette can also be bolder, reflecting the natural vibrancy of your garden. Infuse playful energy with pops of colour on planters or accent walls, using cheerful yellows, bold turquoises, or even a sophisticated coral. It’s important to use durable exterior paint finishes specifically designed for outdoor use, offering durability and weather resistance to ensure longevity. The Little Greene Intelligent Exterior Eggshell, Intelligent Masonry, Intelligent Gloss and Limewash finishes work particularly well for a plethora of outdoor painting projects including wood, metal and brickwork. Laura Ashley and Paint & Paper Library also offer some superb finishes suitable for exterior walls and woodwork.
Comfort is Key
Just as indoors, it’s important to prioritise comfort in your outdoor settings. You may wish to invest in plush seating such as comfortable outdoor sofas, lounge chairs, or a stylish daybed. Layer with outdoor-friendly throws for cooler evenings. Robust furniture and dining sets in teak, powder-coated aluminium, or concrete finishes can withstand the elements whilst delivering on aesthetic. Outdoor rugs are another great addition. Stylish and durable, they can help define your exterior space and add warmth, texture, and a layer of luxury to patios, decks and balconies.
Outdoor Fabrics
Outdoor fabrics can help elevate your garden or patio into a stylish and inviting extension of your home. Beyond mere functionality, they introduce a crucial element of design, allowing you to infuse personality and flair into all aspects of your space. Ideal for seating, cushions and even canopies, many outdoor textiles are typically made from synthetic fibres such as solution dyed acrylic, olefin and polyester, providing excellent durability, stain and weather resistance. Discover gorgeous outdoor designs from Clarke & Clarke, Morris & Co., Sanderson, Harlequin, Warwick, Romo and many more. With an array of textures, patterns, and fade-resistant colours available, our outdoor prints and weaves can effortlessly introduce visual interest, complement or soften existing hardscapes, and enhance the comfort of your outdoor living spaces.
Exterior Shading
Exterior shading is essential for enjoying the hottest parts of the day. Whether you add stylish parasols that complement your outdoor aesthetic or invest in more permanent fixed shading structures such as pergolas and awnings, these solutions will help you enjoy your outdoor space all season long.
Retractable awnings and pergolas are particularly good solar shading options that not only enhance outdoor living, but can also boost your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal. By integrating into a building’s facade, they can intercept sunlight before it hits your windows and walls, helping to reduce indoor heat gain and the need for air conditioning. Retractable awnings and pergolas with retractable fabric roofs also offer superb flexibility, allowing you to adjust the level of shade if needed for relaxing and entertaining outside.
The Seamless Transition: Blurring Indoor and Outdoor
The magic of summer styling truly shines when your indoor and outdoor spaces feel like one continuous living area. This can make your home feel more open, connected and utterly refreshing. Here’s how you can achieve that seamless look:
- Consistent Colour Palettes: Use a similar colour scheme both inside and out. For example, if you have pops of teal in your living room, echo that with teal cushions on your outdoor sofa.
- Repeat Materials: Carry over natural materials. A rattan chair indoors can be mirrored by wicker dining chairs outdoors. Wooden elements inside can be complemented by a wooden deck or garden furniture.
- Open Glazing: If possible, keep doors and windows leading to outdoor spaces wide open to encourage natural airflow and visual connection.
- Portable Decor: Items like lanterns, throw blankets, and even certain plants can easily transition from indoors to outdoors, offering flexibility and reinforcing the cohesive look. Most of our outdoor fabrics are also designed for indoor use and are particularly ideal for homes with pets, young children and conservatories or garden rooms where stains and fading may occur. This flexibility allows for seamless and practical styling throughout your interiors and exteriors for effortless cohesion and flow.
- Biophilic Design: Adorn your interiors with lush greenery. Large potted plants, trailing vines, and fresh cut flowers will breathe life into your scheme whilst alluding to outdoor surroundings. Botanical fabrics also sit well in indoor and outdoor spaces to help create a unified aesthetic.
Overview
This summer, let your home and garden be a testament to relaxed living and effortless beauty. By embracing light, natural textures, and a harmonious flow between your indoor and outdoor spaces, you’ll create a home that truly embodies the joy and tranquility of the season.
For further design inspiration and ideas, please view our Outdoor and Nature Luxe Trend Guides.
If you’re embarking on a home project and would like any help or samples sending out, please do get in touch. We also offer a complimentary bespoke design service, virtually or face to face, from our showroom in Brockenhurst and can provide fabric, design and paint colour advice to help make your vision a reality.
Email sales@thehomeofinteriors.co.uk or call us on 01590 615775.
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