12 Summer Decorating Ideas And Details
Summer is the time to lighten up our decor and make sure our homes have a pretty laid-back vibe. Here are 12 decorating ideas and details to help you create beauty in your summer home. Decorating is all about the details!
Happy Summer! Decorating is all about the details! And don’t you love to add a bit of the summer season to your home? Here are 12 simple summer decorating ideas that are easy to do! Decorating is all about attention to detail. Let’s celebrate this easy breezy summer season!
Today let’s chat about how to get our homes summer ready!
I paired up with my friend Janet from Shabbyfufu to give you even more summer decorating ideas! She is from South Florida and has a wonderful more tropical vibe! Perfect for summer, right?
See her ideas at the bottom of this post.
Keep Decorating Simple
Keeping home furnishings and accent decor in your home simple during the summer months is my best tip! It’s too hot and we have too many fun things to do in the summer to be a slave to decorating our homes!
So the best way to decorate for summer is by adding simple home decor accents and summer details to our homes.
Tidy Up
I know we are chatting about summer decorating ideas today but to really enjoy the beauty of summer in our homes we need to make sure our home is tidy and clean!
Start now and spend just 15 minutes a day organizing your living area and by mid-summer, you will see a huge difference! Start today!
I’m following my own advice to make sure our home looks and feels summer ready! You can see how to declutter your home in 15 minutes a day HERE.
Lighten Up Your Textiles
During the summer months, it’s important to use fabrics that feel light and breezy! Put away all your heavy pillows and bedding and opt for light cotton, linen, and other lightweight materials.
My favorite way to lighten up my textiles is to use summer weight bedding and throw pillows.
Cotton check pillow reminds me of summer! So I use them liberally in our home! So do stripes and sweet florals!
You can see my summer master bedroom and a peek at our Golf guest bedroom HERE.
And you might like to consider lightening up these textiles too…
- curtains
- throw blankets
- duvets
- rugs
- table runners
- tablecloths
- placemats
Another way you can lighten up your summer home is by choosing a light color scheme for your home. Light colors feel cooler and can have a summery vibe.
But don’t forget a pretty pop of color! Navy and citrus colors as well as green look so pretty in a summer home!
Decorate With Summer Flowers Or Organics
Summer is all about blooms and bringing summer flowers inside.
Create a summer flower arrangement or a centerpiece for your home. It can be big and showy or as simple as putting a little greenery and a couple of flowers in a tiny bottle.
Summer florals don’t even have to be from your garden. Use flowers from the grocery store if you don’t have any garden flowers in bloom.
My favorite way to use flowers in the summer is to make small arrangements and tuck them into my decor where I will see them.
A few knockout roses and some greenery from a bush in our side yard is a sweet welcome when I go get my first cup of coffee in the morning!
Summer flowers by my sink make cleaning up the dishes a much prettier job!
Here are some of my favorite summer flowers to cut and use in centerpieces and arrangements…
- hydrangeas
- sunflowers
- knockout roses
- daisies
- salvia
- peonies
- geraniums
- lantana
- butterfly bush blooms
Use Natural Fiber Materials
Wicker and jute and other textural organic materials are made for summer! These materials on furnishings and accents create a lighter laid back vibe.
Did you know these natural fibers are so so popular on furniture right now?
Use a pretty lotus leaf rattan placemats on your table or swap out a rug for a textural sisal.
I love jute and wicker! And I use them all year round.
Set A Colorful Table
Setting a colorful table using summer elements like flowers, summer-weight textiles, and lots so stacked dishes is such a joy!
Inside or outside on the patio or deck, set a pretty table just for your family or for a crowd. I think setting a table sets the mood for any gathering.
I like to set a table with a theme and then carry it over to the food as well!
If you are feeding extended family or company make simple recipes or better yet ask your family and friends to bring a dish!
One of my favorite tables to set when the hydrangeas are blooming is an artichoke tablescape!
I like to serve food with artichokes in it as a nod to the table!
Be your own photographer and take images of every table you set so you can recreate it! Who says you can’t remake your favorite tablescapes.
And how about packing up some pretty table linens and paper products and have a summer picnic! Drink lemonade from a mason jar and eat simple food from your local deli.
Every year we go to see fireworks in our town on the 4th and take a picnic dinner in a basket. So romantic and fun!
ADD SUMMERY SCENTS TO YOUR HOME
One of my favorite summer decorating ideas is really not decorating at all! This summer detail is all about making our homes smell heavenly! How about diffusing summer scents in our home. I like to burn scented candles too! In the summer my favorite scents to have wafting through our home are mint and geranium.
Our home smells so fresh.
Whatever summer aromas you like, let them be part of your summer decorating!
Here are some popular summer scents…
- citrus
- lemongrass
- any summer florals
- fresh linen
- beach house
- orange
- lime
- lemon
- grapefruit
- rainstorm
- mojito
- lemonade
- spearmint
- peppermint
DECORATE WITH SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGGIES
Look no further than the fruit and vegetable drawer of your refrigerator to find summery ways to decorate your home.
Right now it is cherry season! So I have a big bowl of cherries out on the counter washed and ready to nibble. They look so pretty too! It’s a win/win, yummy and attractive!
Put citrus, like lemons, in a big bowl with leaves and use them as a quick centerpiece.
We love artichokes on the grill so I keep them in a big white shallow bowl on my kitchen counter. They look like summer to me!
Many fruits and vegetables like tomatoes or peaches keep better on the countertop so don’t miss the opportunity to create a pretty and so simple centerpiece or vignette with them.
DECORATE WITH BOOKS, TRAYS, AND OTHER ACCENT DECOR
I know most of us use books and trays all year round to decorate our homes. So for the summer have some books and trays that will lighten up your decor.
White books are such great fillers and keep decor clean looking, bright, and breezy!
SUMMERIZE YOUR FRONT DOOR
Summer decor ideas should begin at your front door! And a summer-inspired wreath is the prettiest summer welcome!
A wreath is usually the first thing I hang at the beginning of a new season!
At the beginning of every season, I like to make a summer wreath for our front door. Early this summer I made a Dogwood Wreath.
You can see a bright and Bright And Bold Summer Wreath HERE, and A Peony Wreath HERE.
Make your front door and front porch something special! Pay special attention to adding summer details to this important area!
You might like to see 7 Small Porch Decorating Ideas for more summer ideas and details.
BE PATRIOTIC
Summer is the time of year to be patriotic. There are three American holidays during the summer months! So make sure you fly your flag proudly and decorate your home with a bit of red, white, and blue!
My favorite way to add a bit of patriotic color to our home is by creating a pretty vignette on the kitchen table using red, white, and blue dishes and blooms from our yard!
Don’t forget to tuck in a couple American flags in your decor and arrangements!
PAY ATTENTION TO GUEST ROOMS
Our guest rooms get used more in the summer than any other time of the year. So paying attention to summer details in the guest room is a must!
Keeping guest rooms company ready and adding a few summer details makes overnight guests feel welcome and cared for!
Here are a few things to help you get your guest room ready for company in the summer months…
- like your own bedrooms, lighten up fabrics and bedding
- use light layers on the bed
- add a decorative throw at the end of the bed so your guest can use it as a cover if they nap
- put a fan in a closet for guests who like the air to circulate
- add fresh summer flowers next to the bed
- put a luggage holder in the room – this is so thoughtful any time of year
BASKETS ARE PERFECT FOR SUMMER DECORATING
I’m a basket lover so baskets are a part of my decor all year round.
But they add such a pretty textural look in the summer.
One of my favorite ways to use baskets is to stash things we need like sunscreen or bug spray or bathing suits in them.
And since my little grandkids spend lots of time with us in the summer I have a basket right inside the front door for little dirty shoes!
We have a vertical coat hook inside our front door that is very handy! I keep a big basket tote bag with my bathing suit and towel and swim shoes I can just grab and go when I want to head out to swim!
I use baskets to corral dishes to take outside when we are dining al fresco and baskets for my summer decorating books and magazines! And I have a basket filled with lotions and other things next to my bed!
I like to choose lighter-colored baskets and cotton coiled baskets for summer and I’m especially fond of baskets with lids!
Summer is such a fun, laid-back time. I hope you will use some of these simple summer decorating ideas in your home!
HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO ADD TO YOUR SUMMER HOME
Please visit my friend Janet and see what beautiful summer decorating ideas she has!
Shabbyfufu | Summer Decorating Ideas & Details – Seasonal HOME TOUR
You truly have the best tips Yvonne and I love the way that you create beautiful vignettes! Happy to partner up with you today my friend! xo, Janet
Thanks, Janet!
I love to see all your decorating tips! It makes me want to do something different to our home everyday. In May I saw your spa color quilt and shames with the animal print pillow. I purchased the bedding and my son and dilove gifted me the pillow cover for Mother’s Day. We all really like the look. Thank you so much for the inspiration.
I love summer scents, American flags, summer flowers, bright colors, summer door wreaths and reading of all your practical ideas!
Me too Bev!
I just love your natural elements! I wish I had your windows too! North facing rooms just don’t bring in as much light. Great job!
Great ideas, keep it light and airy.I especially love candles, always have a vanilla candle burning.
I look forward to your Weekly Wednesday Wishlist each week! Very inspirational.
I love your style!. You always give me lots of ideas for my own home. I look forward to the wish list each week.
I always love my patriotic summer home.
Summertime decorating is so fun!
Fabulous inspiration! Flowers … must always have flowers.
I love the pops of vivid color that signifies summer. Your pink flowers are perfect for this season. In fact I even made a wreath using cheap pink flowers and it looks great.
Yvonne,
I enjoy your approach to decorating. I am a big seasonal decorator so I enjoy your ideas.
Love all your helpful ideas, and showing us where to buy things. It’s very nice of you girls to do these giveaways, it sure helps people.
Beautiful ideas.
Love the summer touches you have given the house. Keep showing more ideas. thanks, Debbie
Your posts never fail to have at least one new great idea… year after year. Thank you, and keep writing!!
I ordered three new pillow covers for my bed and I’m going to either put away or giveaway my European shams which just overwhelm the bed. I love the way your summer bed looks and I’m going to give it a try! Thanks, as always, for the visual tip
I hope one day my home will be as light, bright and cohesive as yours!
I can’t wait to incorporate some of these ideas into our home!
Yvonne,
You have a an amazing knack for just about everything!! Your style is beautiful! Thanks for inspiring us
Awww! Thanks, Cheryl!
Such lovely ideas. Thank you.
The Frenchy straw hats are darling.
Wonderful ideas! My favorite was the small porch ideas.
Love to see your amazing seasonal decorating. I love to change a few things out seasonally but on a much smaller scale. My kids like to tease me about it, but that’s okay, too!
Your home is so peaceful, yet always cheerful!
Fabulous ideas, as always. Thanks
Love the Americana decor for summer!
Love this article!
Home Goods and Michael’s I’m on my way. Such fabulous ideas.
I’m drawn to your sight as we are downsizing and moving into a cottage at a local community. Thank you for your insights, ideas and encouragement. Blessings to you!
I love your style! I especially liked this blog for the 15 summer decorating ideas and I have incorporated a few in my decor. I also love your Sunday morning posts.
I decorate my house seasonally and love all of your ideas!
If you live in the south, spring cleaning gets done in the summer when its 100+ degrees outside.
Beautiful ideas for summer!
Great ideas.
I love all your tips. One question I have – when looking through your photos, is I notice in your outside photo, that you use shutters on your windows. Do you have any thoughts on these?. I am considering removing ours.and the site I asked this question. everyone says to take down. Maybe it’s just personal preference, but I think windows might look to plain without.
Every idea is amazing. I love your blog and get so many ideas every day. And I have to laugh…baskets? Yes…way back in the late 70’s baskets were all the rage and it lifts my heart to see their use becoming popular again.
Always inspiring ideas that I can incorporate into condo living.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for ALL your ideas! My home is better because of you!
I’m so happy to get your summer tips
I love neutrals, and then add your pop of color, and I am in heaven!!! Thanks for all the great tips.
I’m going to be gone from my home from the end of August, partly into November. So, I’m wondering about what to do about decor so that I’m not looking at “beachy” stuff when I return home. I’m thinking about switching to my white pottery pieces, skip the pumpkins this year and add smatterings of amber glass and yellow/gold accents, sunflowers, etc. I think that’s a good compromise to transition into the Fall season without it looking too committed either way. A family member will be staying here while I’m gone (she really doesn’t care or understand my decor fetish) and I don’t want to return to something I’d feel I’d have to change for a short period before Thanksgiving.
This is going to happen more frequently. My daughter and her husband who now live 5 miles away are moving 1200 miles away and they are taking the grandkids whom I currently see a few times a week! Fortunately, they chose a house with a finished granny suite in the walkout basement!
Love all the summer decor ideas especially artichokes and hydrangeas combo
Fruits, veggies, flowers….my favorite way to decorate! Bringing a little nature inside is the best. And I love using the diffuser. Great tip.
I loved your idea about tucking in some flags into an arrangement. So nice to add such a nice patriotic touch to your home without going over the top. Thanks for the idea!
Being co-founder of a veterans based historic preservation nonprofit, as well as a great granddaughter of numerous Mayflower early settlers and Rev War brave veterans, I was particularly blessed on seeing your patriotic decorating ideas tips. I’m also a volunteer administrative assistant to another veterans based historic preservation nonprofit, with my co-founder. Seeing this post is also encouraging and seeing some of your simple tips. Loved seeing the patriotic color accent plates as well as adding the smaller flags to flower arrangements.
What a clever touch to put a star fish on twine! I have a beautiful green lidded glass container that would look really good with this addition.
You nailed it! Color, texture, scent, all the wonderful things about summer decorating! Thank you for such a great list all in one place!!!
I love using green to bring the outside in.
Your house is beautiful. You do a wonderful job making it feel like home.
I especially like the idea of putting little bouquets of fresh flowers around the house for summer! I’m hosting a wedding at our farm in the next week and I’ll be having overnight guests. I think it would be so nice to have a pretty basket of goodies and a bouquet of fresh flowers in each bedroom for the guests! Just to add something special for each guest!
I love the way that you create beautiful vignettes!
Yvonne, hello!
I am pleased to learn that you and I share many similar decorating styling tips. I particularly like the addition of artichokes on the table and will add that as a interesting nuance to summer.
Blessings,
Marie Empringham
I love all your tips! I just cut some flowers from my yard today and put them in my entry way! I have some herbs growing in my kitchen window but I think I need some pretty flowers to look at. Love your pretty flowers on your front door too! Really though I need all your dishes 😉 Oh my gosh they are just so beautiful! I need to look around at your blog to see where you store all your dishes and linens. I am running out of space and need to be creative where to put them!
Hugs,
Karin
I love these ideas. Love the colors with the whites and blues.
My favorite thing to do every season is to change up the decor. It feels fresh and gets us in that seasonal vibe.
Your small bouquet idea is so delightful. I immediately gathered up my small containers, went and gathered not only my flowers but added a touch of herbs. Brightened up the corners of my house not only with the colors but the scent. Thank you
Thank you for fresh decorating ideas that are realistic and doable!
Love your taste and especially the part about decorating with flowers!
I love the list for flowers to pick and bring I as cut flowers! Looking to expand my garden and definitely going to try some!
The neutral pallet is great to work with by adding color thru the seasons!
Your summer home is like a beach retreat. Absolutely inviting and refreshing. I enjoy incorporating yellow and lime green accents in our decor for the summer. My faux flowers are a combination of these two colors. These colors liven up my spirit. Thank you for your always helpful suggestions.
I love your decorating style and thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing this beautiful decorating ideas with us.