Home Decor Ideas for a Light and Airy Summer Vibe
At long last it is summer, though of course living in Scotland means the sunshine is unreliable and the rain is inevitable! I’ve been working to maintain a light and airy atmosphere in our home, as there’s nothing quite like the summer sun streaming through the windows and the energy in the house feeling bright and happy.
Here are my tips for creating a minimalist, summer vibe in your home;
Declutter!
It’s my number one tip before doing any styling and it makes a huge difference. As much as I adore tchotchke’s, when they are all over the place the house just feels a lot heavier and messier. So before I do anything else, I like to give the space a good tidy up.
Open the Windows
I try and open my windows every morning so the house has fresh air. In summer, this can be a bit harder – opening the windows for cool air can often end up letting in the heat! As the day is usually at it’s coolest in the morning I’ll aim to open the windows then for 20-30 minutes. I like to let as much natural light in as possible and try to keep the window sills uncluttered (with the exception of the odd houseplant). We had a big bulky armchair in our bay window area, last year I moved it and the difference has been incredible. We get so much more light into the room! So I always recommend keeping furniture away from windows where possible as it makes the room feel instantly bigger and brighter.
Use Clear or Reflective Decor
I love experimenting with different decor I’ve collected to see how it changes a space. Swapping out a lot of my brass and ceramic pieces for my favourite cut glass gives the room such a different vibe. Now, I’m not about to get rid of all my favourite ceramic and brass pieces! But it’s interesting how much of a difference it can make, and I can store or display them away from busier spaces that are more likely to feel messy. I also like to utilise mirrors to open up a space, they are the best trick for making the smallest of rooms feel bigger.
Use a Light Colour Pallette
This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and of course you should have your home how you wish it to look, but for myself I do find having a light, neutral colour palette keeps our home feeling open. We still haven’t decorated a lot of our space and some of our rooms have bright, dark red walls and I cannot stand them, they are very imposing! I do plan to decorate with colour in some of the rooms but I will be trying to keep the busiest areas neutral, to relieve some of the chaotic energy that comes with having a busy family home! I tend to gravitate towards warmer tones and always try to keep some colour in the space, even if it’s simply a bright flower bouquet. I don’t want my home to feel like a clinical show house.
What are your tips for making your home feel light and airy?
