With the arrival of warmer weather and longer, brighter days, many will be seeking domestic bliss this summer, as exotic locations and long-haul flights remain mostly off-limits.
After a tough year for us all, the team here at PF+A are hopeful for a long and pleasant summer – so we’ve listed our top five ways to bring a little bit of sunshine inside our homes.
1. Choose bold and bright colours
Inviting the summer into our homes is a perfect way to replicate warmer days when, inevitably, the clouds come out (thanks, England).
This means lots of yellows and plentiful blues are perfect to replicate the gorgeous summer tones we know and love. It’s a combination that speaks so directly of summer, that drab springs and winter washouts will, with any luck, be all but forgotten!
But how best to utilise the colours of sand, sea, and sun? We’d suggest flowers, pillows, and paint.
Marigolds, Sunflowers, and black-eyed Susan's add a showstopping feel to any summer bouquet, while keen warm-weather walkers will be familiar with the fairy-tale enchantment of the Shasta Daisy. If you’re lucky enough to find them, gather them up in a dainty bouquet and feature them around your home.
Blue or yellow pillows are a simple way to lift any room that lacks a bit of light. A sofa that holds an abundance of soft and plump pillows in the warmest shades of marine or lemon is a sofa set for summer.
This is not the season for cold white walls, so, where those can be found, it’s time to don the overalls and reach for the brush – a single wall in a bright and summery colour can do wonders.
2. Be beside the seaside
Many of us have shelves that sit empty and simply gather dust. However, these are the ideal places to bring the elements of seaside day trips into our living spaces, rekindling those childhood memories of endless summers.
A few choicely selected seashells, perhaps encased in a glass bowl, sat beside jars of sand and sweet post cards from your favourite seaside towns, will instantly bring character to cool, minimalist rooms.
Many of those towns have an appealingly historic maritime charm, and adding voyager compasses, barometers and ships in bottles add an antique cheerfulness sat amongst more playful ornaments.
3. Vacation photos
It seems like an age ago when we could freely choose our vacations unrestricted. Many of our favourite memories are, no doubt, made in warmer climates. Those of us that have a gallery wall in need of seasonal refreshment can bring back those heady, carefree days by filling frames with holiday memories.
Be sure to select beach-friendly type photo frames and don’t limit yourself with poolside shots. Sunsets, ice creams and scenic views can deliver the perfect warming ambience.
These types of seasonal, themed gallery walls work particularly well in modernist kitchens, and if you find yourself with an empty wall in your cooking area, it’s time it met your most cherished holiday moments.
4. Night lights
For many of the team here, our happiest summer memories are those that stretch into the long evenings. Some summer days are so magical that you just don’t want to turn-in for the night.
It’s very likely that most of those days will be spent out in the garden this year. This is to be welcomed, with the addition of twinkling lights to echo the clear nights and the abundance of stars.
Lanterns, fairly lights, globes, and spotlights – adorn your garden as you please. But our tip here would be to keep the lights low, in brightness and position.
Let the glare of their luminance enhance flower beds and decking areas and leave the stars to provide radiance from above.
Shrubs, hedgerows, and trellises are ideal for threading fairy lights in among their branches and boughs to add a delicate touch to your summer evening.
5. Remove blinds to enjoy the gentle summer breeze
While the UK isn’t exactly well-known for having the most glorious of summers, there will be days – perhaps even an entire week or two – when the temperature is too much, and we’ll retreat indoors for some much-needed chill time.
We recommend you opt for a light, sheer curtain, which perfectly captures the cool breeze, gently blowing it in your direction for some welcome relief from the heat.
Additionally, classic summer moments entwine beautifully with sheer or lightweight cottons. Golden hour – the sixty minutes prior to sunset - streaming its golden light through these curtains is, each time, an impossibly gorgeous moment, so why not embrace it in your home?
Remove those heavy window treatments and – when summer finally arrives – let all its fleeting prettiness fill the rooms of your home.
Are you going to have a go at introducing summer elements into your home? If so, tag us on Instagram with your interior creations!
The PF+A Team x
