Keeping It Simple Summer Decorating Ideas And Tour
Easy ideas for decorating your home for the summer in a modern cottage style. It’s all about keeping things uncomplicated and bright.
If you love cottage style decorating, you’ll love these timeless ideas from a couple of summers ago.
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When I think of summer decorating, there are two words that come to mind – easy and lightweight.
The air outside is already heavy with heat and humidity, so the last thing that I want to do is bring that same heavy feeling indoors! This time of year, it’s all about keeping things uncomplicated and bright.
I pretty much have things down to a summer decorating formula of sorts – color that brings the outdoors in + summer pillows + easy, non-fussy vignettes that are placed in strategic spots around the house, all added together to equal a welcoming summer home without a lot of effort.
Let’s start in the foyer, where I’ve kept things especially simple for the summer. Come on in! By the way, you can see closeups of this summer hanging door basket HERE.
Incorporating natural elements, such as a wooden vase and wicker baskets is a natural fit when it comes to cottage style decorating.
For summer accents, I simply added a navy blue lamp (to pull out more of the blues in the rug and artwork), placed a few long stemmed faux florals in a wooden vase and added a couple of stacking wicker baskets (for texture) on the top of the chest.
I’m not crazy about the mix of buffalo checked fabric on my diy benches and the pattern of the blue and white pillow, but it will do for now.
My fireplace is the focal point of the living room and is the first thing you see as you enter the room from the foyer.
A few long stemmed faux greenery branches (these are awesome, btw) nestled into a glass vase/hurricane filled with “rocks” covered with artificial moss makes a super simple, yet eye catching arrangement!
The other side of the mantel is even more simple, with a candle, a faux topiary (can you tell I’m about about faux?!?) and another little lidded basket.
A plant in a wicker basket, a lantern and a cute, squatty lidded wicker basket on the floor add interest to the hearth area.
On the upholstered coffee table, which is opposite the fireplace, I created a couple of simple vignettes, mostly using what I already had on hand.
As you can see, our living room opens up into our breakfast room, so these shelves always get decorated for the seasons and holidays.
I created a main base for the decor on my shelves using mostly white dishes and accessories, which allows me to only to change a few elements to go with whatever season or holiday I’m decorating for.
It’s SO much easier and faster than completely redecorating them from scratch the several times a year that I change them up!
The centerpiece on my kitchen table is another super simple vignette. I recently received this set of faux artichokes as a gift and fell madly in love with them, so I knew I wanted them to be a part of my centerpiece.
Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you’ve found some inspiration for your own home.
Suzy,
Your home is lovely for summer….all the time! Your foyer is so inviting. I just love the color on that foyer chest. Happy summer! -Christy
Everything looks lovely, I really enjoyed the tour.
I am always inspired by a visit to your home. Love how you create such interesting vignettes. Your foyer is looking amazing, the new hardware and color of the chest is stunning. Thanks so much for joining the tours this season. It is always such a delight to have you.
I love all the baskets and greenery you’ve added for summer – I love to bring the outdoors in too! Thanks for the tour!
Beautiful summer home tour Suzy! Your foyer is so inviting, and I love all the textures and greenery you added…so perfect for summer!
Suzy your home looks so fresh for the summer. I adore all of the touches of green!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how you have pared down, decluttered and opened up the look of your home. Soo much more sophisticated and from what I can tell… more YOU! I LOVE the calmness of the foyer! And you have changed the draperies in the Family Room!!! YAY!
Your home looks so “grown up.” It’s beautiful and delightful at the same time. Thanks for sharing!
PS: I remember that you said that you are going to paint the blue end table in the Family Room… can you share the color of that blue table? And the paint company? I’m looking to paint a piece of furniture and love that color! But I know that it will be stunning any color that you choose for it. Thanks.
That little table is painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Napoleanic Blue. 😀
I love all of the fresh. greens! Your home is so beautiful, and love love love the mantel!
As always, I just adore your home and decorating style! Love the move to cottage vs. farmhouse! Simply stunning! 🙂 Linda
Your home is just lovely! I really love that blue chest in your entry!
Suzy, I always love visiting your home on these tours. Pinning!
Happy Summer.
Such a beautiful summer tour!
As a Greensboro neighbor I agree we have definitely begun to feel some extreme heat and humidity. Your home is lovely and a perfect place e to retreat from the heat with a good book and a tall glass of sweet tea. Your use of faux plants simplfy maintenence and look so real. I have some faux ferns in a big vase on my hearth and they will stay their till fall.
Thankyou for sharing your home.
Everything looks so refreshing! Love the new handles in your foyer chest ❤️, the greenery and texture you’ve added. So inviting!
Where did that navy blue side table-one drawer, one door-come from? I love it!!
It’s a table that I purchased several years ago and painted with Annie Sloan chalkpaint in Napoleanic Blue.