Sue Stubbs
Tweak your living room to match your mood, using easy styling tricks to chase away winter and salute the warmer seasons.
Bring your living room out of hibernation
Embrace the balmy bliss of long, lazy days. Throw open the windows, blow out the stale, heater-dried air and use clever styling tricks to banish winter from the room. With some savvy editing of accessories, you can transform the living room from the setting for duvet-huddling Netflix marathons to a bright, airy space that celebrates spring.
Style for the season
Say sayonara to your snuggly accessories – pack away the velvet cushions and woollen throws and embrace a lighter palette of textures. “When approaching summer decorating, think light and airy,” says interior stylist Chris Carroll of TLC Interiors. “Pop all those heavy knits and faux-fur throws away and strip the room back a little. Because the home is naturally warmer, you won’t need as many heavy textiles to make the space feel inviting.” Look to layer with a feather-light touch, focusing on fresh cottons and linens, natural fibres and lush greenery
“It’s the time to embrace sheers – nothing says summer like air passing through a sheer curtain”
Chris Carroll, TLC Interiors
The scent of spring
Just as you might switch up your cushion covers for a new season, do an edit of your scents. Pack away the spice-heavy candles and diffusers and replace them with fresher fragrances to suit the warmer weather. Sharp citrus tones can be invigorating, while light florals evoke the season’s awakening blooms. Better yet, take your senses on an island holiday with delicious tropical notes, such as those in Air Wick’s ‘Home Signature’ vanilla bean and coconut milk candle.
Do a furniture audit
Consider whether your furniture is capturing the seasonal tone you’re after. Interior designer Natalee Bowen of Indah Island says something as simple as an occasional chair can send a strong message: “A wing-back chair suggests traditional style, a comfy roll arm says this is a family home, while a rattan chair says this home is relaxed,” she says. Look at shifting some furniture from other spaces; replacing heavy chairs with rattan ones from the patio will deliver a conservatory-casual tone. Roll up the shag pile in favour of bare boards or a jute rug to complete the look.
Play with colour
Spring and summer call for colours with a little more zing. “Start with a neutral base, then use cushions in divine fabrics to pop,” suggests Natalee. Try bright and bold, sorbet hues, or a palette of tropical lagoon blues. “Summer decorating allows you to play with colour a little more,” adds Chris. “Consider bringing in some cool blue and green accents through cushions, throws, artworks and ornaments. You don’t have to take it in a literal direction (ceramic pineapples aren’t necessary), but you can play with more vibrant hues.”
Related:
Summer bed sheet shopping – it’s nothing to sweat over
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