Welcome to Decorating Diva, where every week we share fresh, fun ways to update your home and spice up your living space! Whether it’s sunny and warm where you live or you’re still patiently waiting through bouts of cold rain and unseasonably low temperatures to make way for sunshine, now is the perfect time to get your home in shape for summer. Because trust us, it will be here before you know it! We plan to welcome our favorite season with open arms (and fruity cocktail in hand) and we recommend you do the same. Here’s how.
Expert input
Laura McHolm, organizational expert and co-founder of NorthStar Moving in Los Angeles, knows all about getting homes organized and looking fabulous for a new season. She’s worked with a who’s who of Hollywood homeowners — Angelina Jolie and Eva Longoria just to name a few — and she was more than happy to share her expertise with the Decorating Diva.
Summer all over: Pick a theme
The most important (and easiest) thing you can do to welcome summer into your home is to pick a theme, McHolm explains. Choose something that says summer to you – watermelons, raspberries, seashells – and incorporate that theme in little touches throughout your home. We’re partial to anything that reminds us of the beach, so that’s our go-to theme, but choose anything that puts you in a summer state of mind.
Summer in the bathroom
The first thing McHolm suggest is taking a look at your towels. This might seem overly simple when it comes to creating a stylish home, but when you think about it, towels are usually the first thing you see when you walk into the bathroom — and if they’re a dark, drab shade of brown or muddy shade of green, the room won’t exactly shout summer. Opt for bright whites or a pop of bold color, depending on your color scheme.
DIY tip: To incorporate your chosen summer theme, McHolm suggests buying appliqués (shells, watermelons or whatever you love about summer) and sewing them onto white towels.
Fresh flowers are also a must for a summer-ready bathroom. Line up small, uniform glass vases along the back of your counter and place a single bloom in each. Feel free to go with one color or mix things up by alternating white with something bright (pink, yellow or orange work well), which looks whimsical yet chic.
Summer in the kitchen
Nothing says summer like fresh, colorful fruit, so McHolm suggests filling a pretty basket or large white square serving dish with your favorite summer fruits as a quick counter pick-me-up. “It’s a great decoration and it really says summer,” she says.
Another fruit-inspired tip McHolm offers is what she calls “spa water.” Take a big glass pitcher and fill it with fresh water and your desired combination of fresh fruit – blueberries and strawberries, limes and raspberries or cucumbers and orange slices – and leave the refreshing beverage on your counter or kitchen table. “It looks and tastes like summer and makes you drink water,” she adds.
The next thing you can do is look at your counter. Can you even see it amidst all the kitchen gadgets taking up space? Cutter not only makes you crazy, just looking at all that mess can make you feel hotter. Clear off counters and even put your daily use items (like the toaster) away every day to really create a clean, minimal countertop. “If you don’t use it, put it away and replace it with fresh flowers,” McHolm suggests.
>> More tips to summerize your kitchen
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