Summer is the season of simplicity. Enjoy a minimalist, fresh approach to your home decor with our unique summer updates, courtesy of Food Network’s food and design guru Brooke Peterson.
Between starring on Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, contributing to the work of celebrity chefs such as Martha Stewart and Wolfgang Puck and running her own creative-services firm, Brooke Peterson shares her wisdom on how to easily update your home for summer. Follow these tips for a quick renovation that is perfect for long days and warm nights.
Play with color
Brooke is all about playing with color as you update your home, but she cautions would-be decorators not to overdo it.
“Remember the rule of three: Mix and match three bright colors to give your home an update,” she says. “This summer, I love the interplay of cobalt, sage, goldenrod, purple and creamsicle.”
If you need some inspiration, look no further than StyleVisa’s Lebanese espresso cups. These beautiful cups have all of the colors Brooke recommends in one small package, on which you can base a colorful update. Choose one of the included colors to pop around the room. Then add a bold flower print for summer or strew bright, new accent pillows across the living room couch.
Incorporate airy and playful textiles
Textiles are a fantastic way to quickly refresh the whole look of your home. Consider the bright colors that Brooke mentions above and also play with sheers and light fabrics. We suggest the following:
(American Blanket Company, from $59)
- Change out your heavier window treatments for sheer or gauzy curtains. If you stick with heavier drapery, make sure the rest of your fabrics are light and airy so your rooms don’t feel too weighed down.
- Incorporate a new area rug into your motif. You can go with a heavier print if you opt into sheer window treatments.
- Update your bedroom comforter to a simpler blanket, like American Blanket Company‘s light blankets for summer.
Less is more
Summer is actually the time to reduce your decorative footprint.
As Brooke says, “I love trinkets and small decorative items, but you can really transform your home by removing some of your extra items. Also, consider taking pillowcases off of your throw pillows to allow the fresh look of crisp white into your summer decor.”
Removing items from your living room? You’ll be done in about five minutes flat.
Use bright and creative arrangements
“Summer arrangements are supposed to look casual and not contrived, so if you’ve never tried making an arrangement, now is the time to start,” Brooke says.
She adds, “Don’t be a hero — try to stick with just one flower per vase and use vases with small mouths, like empty milk jugs.”
For an alternative to a flower arrangement, fill a white bowl with either lemons or Granny Smith apples as a centerpiece. Nothing says summer quite like a pop of bright, fruity color.
Make the most of extra daylight
During the summer, the sun rises earlier and sets later, and all that extra light can lift one’s spirits and set the mood for summer. One of the best ways to enhance the natural lighting in a room is to add mirrors to your decor. Place a floor mirror in a dark corner of a room to brighten your space from the ground up, or hang a mirror on the wall to allow sunlight to bounce off it and onto the other walls of the room.
Read more tips for around the home
Prep your yard and patio for warmer temperatures
How to stay spring clean in the summer
3 Bedspreads perfect for summer nights
Leave a Comment