#projectdesign Archives - Northern California Style

Today I’m joining a fun group of bloggers for Project Design.. and today’s subject is Summer Decor Refresh. Having a deadline to share ideas here got me into gear getting the house freshened up. There have been a few things laying around, piles of winter blankets, wool pillow and a lot of clutter we just don’t need.

Summer has come upon us so fast. I noticed our local schools are out and everyone seems to be breathing a sort of collective sigh. Kids are playing in sprinklers, people are taking late evening strolls and lining up for ice cream in the evenings. This time of year goes fast, so why not make our homes have that happy vacation vibe too? Have some fun with this and think of it as ‘staging’ your home, but for your enjoyment… some ideas I’ll share.

Ways to bring a summer vibe to your home..

Bring the outside in. Get some pretty woven baskets ( I like these from Target) and drop in a snake plants or a monstera which are low care and look fantastic. I just added both of those plants. Think beach house. On my coffee table where plants tend to die, I added a faux green branch and a driftwood stick we treasure in a modern glass vase. The natural stick with the faux looks richer and gives a fresh pop to the table.

I also just got this Beaufort Tray I’ve been coveting from Serena & Lily and it was just what I needed here to lighten it and give it a California feel. I added a coral on top of these books and have some of my favorite shells scattered about. Pottery Barn also has these lovely real shells that you can add to vases or bowls.

Lighten up. Clear the floors and put away extra rugs. I love the feel of bare floor underfoot in the summer and rolled my extra throw rugs away until colder months. My faux fur throws and wool blankets got stored and we now have our linen and cotton throws by the sectional and in our basket. I love this PB throw which is perfect for a summer chair or sofa.. My wool and heavy pillows are replaced with some lighter block print and linen ones.

In my dining room I changes out a darker rug with a light colored cotton/wool Kilim style rug I’ve been saving for… which just arrived! I love as it lightens the whole house. Nice that this is a two-sided rug that I hope will last a long time!

Soften your bedding. This is a nice time to change out your duvet or heavy comforter with a cotton matelasse quilt and crisp white sheets. I’ve just taken all my older white sets out of storage and washed them with oxyclean to brighten them up. I tie them with a ribbon and place lavender sachets with them. I love white sheets in the summer. This Celeste Cotton quilt is my summer bed cover and in the winter I layer it with my duvet. Love this and it feels like a cloud.

Declutter. Go through the house and see what items can be put away for the season. Too often we live with ‘stuff’ because it’s just always there. If you walk through your home and try and put away one or two things on each surface. Summer is all about breathing room. If you must have stuff out, try basketizing things. A pretty basket can help corral mail, papers, keys and things and and looks calmer. I also switch up my books and put any summer themed books front and center.

Add in natural materials. Think island living type of materials, which give a vacation vibe. This is a good time to pull out baskets, rattan pieces, cane anything, and things with a woven feel or natural wood. I have my market baskets and hats by the door with my linen pillows I have collected over the years from Patine in Santa Cruz. I find the coolest baskets can be found at thrift and second hand stores, so keep your eyes open for those unique pieces.

I moved a floral print and a rope basket by the door. I have a faux air plant here and a chunk of coral on my books here. If you style your home as you would a vacation getaway, it will have that feel!

Don’t forget the kitchen. I love my black dishes and things, but for summer they go in the drawer and I pull out my Italian pottery bowls from Positano. Also helping with the holiday home feel are my travel souvenir tea towels, summer themed cookbooks, and a couple new plants with trailing vines. Don’t discount the produce section for decor. I love big bowls of summer peaches and apricots and baskets of tomatoes and pots of basil. They also make the kitchen smell amazing.

Give a summer welcome. Add fresh plants to your porch or entry to set the tone for your home. An easy care geranium or asparagus fern needs almost no effort and feels summertime pretty. I like extra baskets for your delivery packages or flip flops. If you need a mat, I love the look of a braided grass coir mat. You might consider adding a lantern or two with an automatic candle for that evening flicker.

I find if your treat you home like a holiday house, your summer days can feel like a vacation!

Summer home things I love…

Please go hop on over to these fab blogs and see what spring refresh ideas they have for your home. All of these women have such great ideas and style…

CARLA ASTON DESIGNED

CINDY HATTERSLEY DESIGN

CLASSIC CASUAL HOME

MOST LOVELY THINGS

Kim

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It’s fall and what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Getting cozy..sweaters, fires, hot drinks, soups, blankets and boots. Bring on the hygge! I was excited to be asked to join this Project Design collaboration today on Cozy Home. What makes a home feel warm and inviting?

Start with the front porch..

This weekend Max and I did a deep clean of the front yard. You can go buy pumpkins, but if your entry has a season’s worth of dust and spiders… get out there! We took a long duster to the eaves and lanterns, hosed off the porch and shined up the windows. We even wiped down the mailbox and swept the walk, and cleaned the front door. This is something nice to do seasonally. It really made the entry shine.

Next add a few pumpkins. You can go simple with one large one or go for the stacking method which seems popular here with varying pumpkin sizes and colors. If you have a long walkway you can put them along the path which is cute. If you have containers you can remove the plants and add small pumpkins and gourds as I did here with a few yard cuttings..I also added some mums and I even left them in the black pots they came in as they blended in behind the pumpkins. I went with the burgundy color this year for a change.

Make sure your welcome mat is in good shape. Maybe this is the time to get a new one so your place is looking sharp for the holidays? Pottery Barn has a nice selection of mats. I just moved a pillow and an old wool blanket to the front bench. If you can add a bench it is a nice welcome.

Since we have a front patio as well, I added a throw to the chairs out there and a candle. It just looks inviting and and reminds me it’s a nice place to chill and watch the sunset or enjoy a sunny coffee on fall mornings.

Sprinkle seasonal accents indoors..

How does it feel when someone enters your space? Ours is very open, but I moved our large wool rug right in the entry to so you hit a warm landing as you enter and changed out the coat tree things to some scarves, jackets and hats we use in fall.

I got this cute pedestal bowl as a gift and put on my island with gourds and pumpkins. I added small mum to the kitchen counter too.

I had no flowers for my round vase, so foraged the yard and took a branch off a tree for a little greenery. A bowl of pears or apples anywhere in the kitchen smells great and says harvest season..

To help the living and family rooms feel snug, add throws, extra pillows, perhaps a candle. Fall is a good time to set up a designated space for board games, or a table with a puzzle that’s being worked on is fun if you have space for it.. A basket to your main hangout room with a few blankets and throws that are easy to grab, is a nice touch too.

I warmed up the white couch with my cream and beige pillows and throws. I like the addition of creams with whites for some warmth in the cooler months.

In dining rooms you can add a little fun the the table with pumpkins..I also added a striped and tasseled throw to the bench. On the barstools I added an older pillow from Zara Home and we moved our record player and albums to the chest here so we will play them more.

I popped one of my white pumpkins with a few other bits..

In our media room, I added some darker elements and books and a fall candle to our new bookshelf!

In the bedroom, you can add some plusher elements also.

I keep my white coverlet from Crate & Barrel on all year and layer a comforter when it gets cold at the end of the bed, but during this in between time, a faux fur throw transitions it from a summer bed without the heavy duvet and looks snuggly.

It’s really just a matter of adding in details to make your place feel homey and warm. In my own space, I like adding more wood and dark elements along with creams. I think my family does love the festive bit on the porch and also the pleasant feel of soft throws on the beds and the couches.

Have fun with this season!