Brighten Up Your Home Decor for Summer

Wondering how to brighten up your home? In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite ways to make your home feel more bright and spacious!

From tiny decor details to bigger projects, you’re sure to find an idea here to spark your inspiration!

How to brighten up your home:

Summer is here and there’s no better time to revamp your home to make it feel more bright and airy!

If you’ve been thinking about changing things up, but haven’t gotten around to it, now is the time. Summer brings nature to life as the days grow longer, the sun shines brighter, and flowers are in full bloom. Why not bring some of that beauty into our homes during such a vibrant season?

Let’s start with the basics of how to make your home look brighter this summer, shall we?

Start with the foundation:

Perhaps one of the easiest and most efficient ways to make your space feel lighter and brighter is by deep cleaning (not to mention completely free!)
It’s a great way to spruce up any space and gain perspective about what you want your space to feel and look like.
If you haven’t already done a spring cleaning, don’t stress! A summer cleaning can be just as effective 😉

For tips on how to nail your deep cleaning process, click HERE to read my post about it!

Apply a lighter color palette:

Light and soft pastel colors will do all the heavy lifting when upgrading your decor to a summer vibe. 

My biggest advice? Choose a specific color palette of light or unsaturated hues and stick to it. This may seem like a simple tip but it will make any design choice feel and look cohesive.

My personal take:

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I have a weak spot for the coastal style. So, if you’re like me, I would pick a coastal palette where light sand shades, light blues, soft cream and crisp whites are the primary hues.
This could mean changing heavy winter fabrics to lighter ones, whitewashing dark furniture or painting a room.  

Want to know more about neutral colors? Check out my post (Click HERE) where I go in detail about neutral paint colors for interiors!

 

Use light fabrics:

Curtains, rugs, and sofa slips made from light fabrics such as linen, satin, and cotton will enhance this feeling of freshness.

Some of my favorite decorative accents for that whimsical summery vibe are natural materials like light ash wood, seagrass, seashells, and jute. 

A ruffled floral duvet made of pure cotton, top rated sheets  , flax linen pillowcases with sheer details, and macrame throw pillows are exquisite options!

Incorporate natural textures:

Using a simple palette not only makes any room feel lighter and airy but it also allows you to play around with textures. Pairing a light color palette with texture-rich natural elements in your decor can create an interesting but subtle contrast.

 

Additionally, mixing rough textures like untreated wood decor elements with high-gloss can give a brighter look, like this vase with 5 glass tubes in a natural bamboo base (love this brand!).

Add pops of bright colors:

Adding pops of color and accent pieces will instantly bring more life into your space without needing much investment. It could be as simple as changing your artwork for summer-inspired pieces or adding some throw pillows on the sofa — both easy things you can do within minutes!

In this room, the overall color scheme is light and airy thanks to the blue and white tones, and the natural textures add a sense of warmth and contrast. A stunning abstract painting is the highlight of this dining room, which is reminiscent of a summer sunset.

 

Some of my favorite throw pillows to give any living room a vibrant feel are inspired by the grand millennial style.
Throw pillows with bold botanical drawings, chinoiserie patterns and delicate pale green eucalyptus leaves are perfect examples!

 

Want to go the extra mile and be bolder? Consider swapping out some of your furniture for more colorful pieces. Additionally, you can paint an accent wall in a bold color or whimsical wallpaper—it’ll give your home an overall brighter vibe!

Boost natural light:

The summer heat makes us want to be as comfortable as possible, so making our homes feel fresh and airy is a must. Especially if you live in Florida like me! For this, it’s important to maximize any natural light you have in your home.

Use mirrors in different parts of the rooms, especially try to place them in front of windows. You can also add glass decor elements like chandeliers or decorative items made with reflective materials.

 

Metallic finishes and mirrors will help reflect and bounce the natural light in your space, making everything feel lighter and brighter.

 

You can get a big wall mirror with a reflective frame, like this stunning oval-shaped one, or go for something more coastal inspired, like this cane hand-crafted one.

Bring the outdoors indoors:

Spring and summer are the blossoming seasons, so bringing that element indoors can add that freshness your space needs to feel more bright. They’re an easy way to bring more life into a room without having to make too many changes!

 

There’s no need to go overboard, though! A few tropical leaves can totally transform your space and give it that tropical vibe, like in this living room.

Seek out the most real-looking faux greenery you can find. In this post (click HERE to read it) I go in depth on how to create a realistic faux flower arrangement with inexpensive grocery flowers so take a look to learn more about it.

And those are some ideas to bring the summer to your home!

What are your favorites? Are you planning to spruce up your home for the summer?
Comment down below, I love reading your opinions and ideas!