10 Clever Ways To Bring A Touch Of Summer To Your Home

Summer is definitely here! In fact, it feels a bit like we skipped spring in SA and went straight to bright, balmy summer days. Not that we’re complaining. If you love this time of year, when the world seems full of life and excitement, why not try to incorporate some of that summer magic into your home? We don’t mean taking on a full renovation, or even making big changes. The simplest tricks often work the best. And they’re easy on the bank account, too. Check out our list of the top 10 easy and clever ways to bring a touch of summer to your home. We hope you get some ideas…

How to bring a touch of summer to your home

1). Clear up

By far the easiest and most affordable summer decor tip. Before you start adding anything like bright accessories or vases of fresh flowers, clear away what you no longer need. Pack away the blankets, throws and cosy cushions. To make room for more summery items. Or, better yet, keep surfaces like side tables and mantle pieces clear of any clutter. It’ll give your home a clean, airy feel without costing a penny.

2). Let the light in

We have lots of it in SA, so let’s make the most of it. Throw open the windows, draw up the blinds and push back heavy curtains with light tie-backs. If you like your privacy, but still want to lighten up a room, switch out heavy blackout curtains for a light voile or sheer fabric. You’ll welcome in bright streaks of sunlight, as well as that much-needed evening breeze.

3). Think citrus

We love the smell of citrus in summer, and you can incorporate it in so many ways. Grab some lemon fabric softener next time you’re at the shops, or look for a citrus-scented shelf liner or fragrance sachet. We love the Orange Vanilla scented sachet at Poetry (from R85). Or, you could simply display a bowl of fresh lemons in the kitchen or entrance hall – for a natural, fresh feel.

4). Embrace floral mania

If you have the budget, this could be with special summer accessories like scatter cushions or wall art. Or, you could simply raid the garden for a few beautiful blooms to be displayed in a pretty vase. This won’t cost a thing and is a sure-fire way to bring some of summer’s enchantment into your home.

ALSO SEE: 6 Budget-Friendly Ways To Spruce Up Your Kitchen

5). Pick some paint

A relatively budget-friendly decor tip, and one that’s sure to brighten your home. If you’re thinking of a summer revamp, you have two colour options to choose from. For a cool, refreshing feel, go for shades of light green, pale blue or grey. And, if summer’s energy is what you’re after, take a risk with bold yellow or teal. Pick something want to spruce up, like a wall in the living room or even the kitchen cupboards, and get painting. Do it yourself if you’ve got the skills. It’s a fun and relaxing summer pastime.

6). Buy bright accessories

A less affordable option, but you don’t have to buy accessories that will break the bank. Go for the little things like bright serving platters, quirky cocktail glasses, colourful table cloths, or a fun bath mat. We love the Cactus glass set of 3 drinking glasses from Excellent Housewares (from R149 at Superbalist). These little items will add a touch of summer to any space, and they’re delightful to display.

7). Keep it cool

With weather reaching 30-plus degrees some days, creating a cool space at home is crucial. Especially because many of us are still working from home at the moment. To master this tip, think light fabrics, pale colours and minimal accessories. When you want to tone down a space, white is always a winner. It’s clean, fresh and crisp. While fans and aircons help, creating a visually cool atmosphere also helps keep the temperature down.

ALSO SEE: 6 Home Office Ideas To Create An Effective Work Space

8). Go mad with greenery

And in summer, there’s more than enough to go around. If you’re nervous to have demanding pot plants in the house, try an incredibly realistic-looking fake version. You can buy pretty faux pot plants at most good home stores. Or, bring in the natural world and add a few green beings to your space. Bar and plant shop Cart, in Linden, has some really cool options, and it’s a great store to take a walk around. We love this tropical-looking fiddle-leaf fig in a gorgeous yellow planter. Sure to summerize any living room.

9). Cook summer dishes

An easy way to bring summer into your home is by changing up your menu and cooking more summery, seasonal dishes. Add pomegranate to salads, increase the amount of greens on the plate with bright zucchini, have fruit salad for dessert instead of pudding. Or even cook outside in the cool summer evenings. And summer hasn’t officially started until you’ve kept a watermelon cool in the pool. Summer cooking is super fun.

10). Add a summer scent

Room diffusers have become increasingly popular, and they’re available anywhere. Treat yourself to a special summer scent and find a diffuser you think would bring holiday-style happiness to your home. Places like Woolworths, @home and even Clicks have a wide variety.

We hope this has helped. And have fun summerizing your homes this season!