Apartment Summer Refresh
June brings with it an excitement so tangible, the air is practically buzzing with it! The school year is ending, the beaches are filling up, and vacations are just around the corner. As the wanderlust takes hold, we may be itching for a new adventure. Instead of waiting to go out and travel, bring the vacation home by refreshing and revitalizing your apartment for summer! Consider a few of the following tips to invite the summer sunshine into your home.
Keep it Light and Breezy
Cool breeze and warm sun make the middle of the year pleasant and relaxing. The summer solstice brings us the longest daylight of the year, meaning more time to soak up the fun. In order to make the most of the extra SoCal sunshine, a few home design tricks can let in a little light and make your living space feel like a vacation getaway!
Temperatures will soon be warming up! To create a comfortable indoor environment, our home accents should “cool down,” literally and visually. Summer aesthetics are all about the contrast of hot and cold. Think soothing ocean against cozy sand: the warmer the temperatures, the cooler we want our decor to be. Start by switching out textiles from dense to airy. In other words, it’s time to wash and put away chunky knit blankets and replace them with a light throw. Gauze and muslin throws are the perfect summer counterpart to wintertime heavy crochets! Not only is the fabric breathable, but the dimpled texture and natural fibers are perfect contemporary coastal accents. Similarly, bed sheets should be swapped out in summer to ensure a more comfortable sleeping environment. If summer had a trademarked textile, it would be linen! Linen’s open, breathy weave is a near idyllic beachy texture. Beyond aesthetics, linen is perhaps one of the airiest fabrics you can find, making it extremely comfortable for both warm-weather wardrobes and home decor. Try out a set of linen sheets, such as the Brooklinen’s viral bedding to enjoy a cooler sleep and a fresh, new look!
Summer mornings are for sleeping in! Blackout curtains certainly help to block the sunlight while we sleep; however, during the day, we may prefer to throw open the window and enjoy the warm air! Switching out heavy, darkening curtains for sheer, privacy curtains allows for light to filter in, while also promoting air flow! Alternatively, double layering curtains means we can draw thick curtains at night and sheer curtains during warm afternoons. If black-out curtains stay up during the summer months, make sure they are backed with white plastic so that the light reflects outwards.
Flooring accents can have a significant effect on the overall temperature of an apartment. Shag and wool rugs absorb warmth, holding it in and making them ideal for winter. Unfortunately, this means they may impact the comfortability of your home in the summer. As an alternative, woven rugs made from natural fibers such as jute and sisal are cooler to the touch and less likely to raise the temperature of the living space. As a bonus, the beautiful woven patterns are versatile and can adapt to a variety of interior design styles from Farmhouse Chic to Scandinavian Minimalism.
The design colors we choose can also assist us in our goals of creating an immersive summer aesthetic. Dark colors absorb light and heat, working against efforts to cool down our homes. Lighter colors, on the other hand, reflect light and cultivate a more comfortable environment during the hot summer months. Additionally, incorporating cool hues can make us feel cooler - psychologists have actually found that colors we associate with temperatures can affect our perception of the current weather! Oranges and yellows trigger associations with heat, and can cause us to feel warmer. On the other hand, blues and greens evoke the feeling of the ocean, open sky, and shady forests and therefore can make us feel cooler. Using a cool color as your main palette with pops of warmth is a perfect way to emulate the summer contrast of sun and sky!
Create a Natural Oasis
This time of year often brings with it a sense of adventure and wanderlust! The desire to head outdoors and explore is often at its height as the weather warms up and we book exciting escapades. While we may not be able to travel long and far, why not enjoy the beauty of the outdoors from the comfort of our own apartment?
Aside from emulating the light and airiness of the summer months, using decor to blur the line between an indoor and outdoor environment enhances our apartment to the aesthetics of vacation resorts and destination sights. Start with organic, natural pieces. Bamboo wall decor echoes popular tropical vacation spots such as the Hawaiian Islands. If you are more partial to local travels, create your own table centerpiece out of driftwood and succulents for a uniquely SoCal coast-meets-desert style! Fill in empty shelf space with mementos such as stones and seashells to enhance the natural aesthetic of the room while bringing back happy memories of past vacations.
Summer is the ideal season for aspiring indoor gardeners to dive into their new hobby. Most plants that thrive indoors are tropical plants, meaning warm weather is ideal for them! What could be more perfect for summer decor than resort style foliage in your own home? Indoor plants both liven up a space and allow home decorators to recreate their favorite travel destinations! Low maintenance plants such as pothos and snake plants are relatively inexpensive and fill any empty space with beautiful, vibrant greens. Bromeliads are gorgeous tropical plants that require a low level of care and instantly brighten any room with an array of colors.
To really turn your home into a summer oasis, level up your plant game by trying out biophilic design within your own home. Biophilia, a rising trend within architecture and interior design, focuses on integrating nature into constructed spaces for the purpose of benefiting both the occupant and the environment. Since humans’ current natural environment has become urban, biophilia reintroduces organic elements to fulfill our inherent need for nature. It goes beyond gardening and planting for aesthetics. By intentionally using living plants, natural imagery, and carefully curated spaces, biophilia recreates healing human experiences in nature. In spite of its technical essence, biophilic design can be incorporated into your home without going over the top on your budget. A good first step may be to purchase plants that purify the air. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, making many species inherently beneficial to our health. Certain plants are also able to absorb unhealthy pollutants such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and even airborne mold! To learn more about the health benefits of incorporating plants into your space, check out our article on The Importance of Community Green Spaces.
Make it Pop
Known for vibrant colors, summertime is an energetic season of fun! While cool, light colors are a sure way to evoke summer sunshine, having bright pops of color along with engaging decor in your home can encourage more energy and motivation to go out and do those big activities.
Bright pops of color around the home can help encourage being active and productive. Just as cool toned colors can affect how we perceive temperature, bright colors can trigger happiness and increase energy levels. By changing out throw pillows or even just the pillow covers, you can quickly switch up your home’s color scheme, and easily transition between subtle to vibrant palettes as desired. Small items such as vases also help tie colors together and make your room feel brighter! The natural elements we incorporate into our space can also pull in vivid seasonal colors. Citrus fruits are quintessential summer icons, and a bowl of fresh oranges instantly brighten up a room! Lemon patterned wall art creates a zesty energetic statement. Using citrus essential oils for aromatherapy can help you feel rejuvenated and ready to start the day! Fresh flower arrangements can also add not only a variety of color but fill the apartment with fresh fragrance! Summer color schemes often utilize high contrast - i.e. rich green against hot pink, vibrant blue with sunny yellow, or lavender purple next to soft mint. Keep this in mind when choosing items that can add to your home’s current decor!
In addition to the colors you choose for your home’s accents, the types of decor you incorporate can add to the vacation experience. Decorative coffee table games are great for keeping guests entertained and the family engaged. A beach themed tic-tac-toe set or a carved stone chess board are not only beautiful centerpieces for the living room, but they ensure that the summer games never need to stop! As the season warms up, make sure that refreshments are always available by setting up a rolling bar cart! Whether you prefer mixed cocktails or fresh lemonade, roll up a cart with a pitcher, an ice bucket, and a selection of syrups to beat the heat with cold drinks always on hand. Use it for entertaining in your dining area or relaxing on the patio. Add in some colorful glassware to match your new brilliant color scheme and enjoy your own staycation resort from the comfort of your apartment!
Whether summer consists of big travel plans or staying home for the season, our apartments offer us the comfort and luxury of enjoying all the mid-year months have to offer without stepping outside our front door. Implement a few of the above suggestions to make your home feel like a dream getaway without all the stress of travel!