If you’re looking to prepare your home for summer and are looking for interior inspiration, my summer home décor tips will help you create that fresh feeling year-round

As temperatures rise and the sun begins to shine, it’s time to make the most of the long summer days and create memories that will last a lifetime. Alfresco dining, relaxed gatherings with friends and family, and removing the barriers between indoors and out all contribute to making summer our most sociable season. I like to make the most of that summer feeling by making our home feel as spacious as possible, embracing minimalist décor to create a light and airy atmosphere throughout.  

I hope that my summer home décor ideas will serve to inspire you and show that small seasonal changes can simply transform your home.

Embrace a neutral colour palette  

I love to use neutral tones in our home year-round, but they can be particularly effective in the summer months. White and light neutrals can help to open your interior space and provide a cool and calming oasis on warmer days. Playing with texture and layers adds depth to your rooms without making them feel overly cluttered or constricting. Incorporate linens, cotton, lightweight knits, and soft furnishings with subtle patterns in complementary soft shades.     

Make space

When the winter nights start drawing in, we all want to hunker down in a room that’s cosy and warm. But as soon as a heatwave hits, we start craving the light, airy feel that’s more often found in Mediterranean villas. To recreate this look at home, take some time to simplify and declutter your space. Don’t worry; you don’t have to get rid of everything. Preparing your rooms for summer can be as simple as storing your heavy blankets, putting away your ornaments, or moving some piece of furniture into the garage or attic.

Alfresco dining

There’s nothing I love more in the summer months than inviting our friends and family around to enjoy a meal (any excuse for Chris to crack out the barbecue!). Summer tablescapes can elevate your dining experience, especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion. For place settings, I like to take inspiration from the beach with durable rattan and seagrass placemats while keeping the surrounding glassware minimal. Large oak serving boards make fantastic sharing platters while light throws, cushions, and lanterns can keep guests comfortable well into the evening.

Summer socialising should feel relaxed and unhurried so it’s best to choose floral arrangements that set the scene but don’t obstruct anyone’s view or interrupt conversation. I recommend selecting a few glass bud vases, which can be filled with fragrant white Stocks, soft summer grasses, delicate white Sweet Peas, and freshly cut garden Roses to create a look that’s timeless and elegant.

Take inspiration from nature

For our family, summer is all about making the most of the weather and exploring the great outdoors, but why not bring the outside in? Take style notes from nature by embracing natural materials and items gathered on day trips. If you love nothing more than a trip to the seaside, consider adding a beautiful shell that your children have found on the beach or a piece of driftwood that has been washed ashore to your shelves or mantlepiece. Dried seed pods foraged during walks through the woods or a work of art by a local artist can also become unique style pieces as well as holding cherished memories.

Try a summer scent

There are some scents that instantly evoke that summer feeling. For me, it’s freshly washed linen, citrus, coconut, and lights florals. You could choose to bring these fragrances into your home with a candle, room spray or diffuser. Of course, fresh flowers are a wonderful way to add a fresh and light summer fragrance to your interiors. In my opinion, you can’t beat the scent of freshly picked sweet peas and fragrant garden roses. Desdemona David Austin, Queen of Sweden David Austin, and Olivia David Austin are just a few of my favourites. Pop them in a bud vase on your bedside table, next to your kitchen sink, or on a side table.

Choose summer floral arrangements

In the summer months, I like to keep the floral arrangements in our home loose, textured, and a little bit wild. I tend to include plenty of foliage, such as Olive, Rosemary, and tall billowing grass stems, and add in some focal flowers such as fragrant white Stocks, white Peonies, or white Agapanthus. Our kitchen doesn’t feel complete without an arrangement on the island, whether it’s a simple bunch of foliage or a statement piece in a large ceramic vase. If fresh flowers aren’t for you, invest in high-quality faux stems to make that summer feeling last the whole season. I’ve designed an array of faux summer floral arrangements if you’re in need of inspiration.