9 Summer Decorating Ideas

Make the most of summer with a home that celebrates living indoors and out — and maybe even blurs the line between the two! Here are some of our best summer decorating ideas to get your home into an easy, breezy state of mind.

Display family heirlooms. Create a cottage feel by hanging antique objects, like designer Emily Griffin did here at her summer getaway in the Kawarthas.

Bring some texture to your foyer. Designer Tiffany Leigh Piotrowski turned revamping her cottage‘s inviting entryway into a fun family project: her father built the bench and her mother sewed the throw pillows.

Bring indoor accessories outside. To make an outdoor seating or living area feel even more welcoming, bring out accessories you’d usually keep inside. Here, blue and white pottery, candles and even a rug make this Palm Beach, Florida, backyard an extension of the inside.

Add driftwood to a grouping. Nothing says summertime on a beach quite like driftwood. Here a driftwood coffee table base and mirror frame bring a casual yet luxe vibe to an outdoor seating area.

Play with natural materials. Seagrass, rattan, bamboo and sisal, among others, bring warmth and depth to any room and liven up a mod black and white scheme.

Use rattan and caning. French Country style has the timeworn charm of southern France. Open weave materials like caning and rattan help keep a room feeling breezy.

Use a canoe as sculpture. A vintage cedar canoe is the main event in this cottage living room. Small canoe sculptures and waterscape photos add to the theme without being too kitschy.

Dress up an outdoor dining area. Layering up a simple picnic table and benches with textured material and colorful throws or tablecloths adds a touch of glamour and softness.

Play with tonal colors. In this screened-in porch, shades of sandy beiges and bright whites set the scene for relaxation and calm.