Summer Decor Ideas: Bringing The Outside In

When we moved to Indiana, I was a full blown, summer-loving, sun-adoring Texan. I visited my husband’s family while we dated, but only during the summer months where the midwest is green and vibrant, pulsing with life and humidity and gloriously supple trees. To say I felt a little bit tricked when the first piercingly colds days of November hit is an understatement; I was devastated. I can remember how many people told me to embrace the seasons, and how lovely it was to have winter because it made spring that much more enjoyable. I still don’t agree with that statement, but I now understand how useful it is in coping with the winter.

Summer Decor Ideas: Bringing The Outside In

I have found that in my home, it helps for me to celebrate seasons by doing what my husband and I call, “bringing the outside in”. It helps me truly appreciate what November represents, when I can strategically place pumpkins throughout my house and hang a few ears of dried Indian corn in old window frames on the wall. And in December, our home becomes a large Christmas decoration factory, with pine cones in vases and bouquets of holly in old jars keeping me company throughout January and February. I do not allow one spring flower indoors until the first warm week in March. But once that week comes, our house explodes in spring-like festal decorations. I’m generally so riddled with joy throughout summer that I hardly remember to take a few steps around my house to redecorate with summer-appropriate things, but I believe this year we all should.

I’ve put together a little happy list of summer decor ideas that will brighten up your home, and perhaps, if you are one of those who actually prefer winter to summer, these will help you embrace the heat and humidity. And don’t worry, each item is only $30 or under- so you won’t be draining your dollars to decorate only for a short season.

Summer Decor Ideas:

1. Sea Coral Prints: I found this shop (GnosisPictureArchive) on Etsy that sells these four adorable coral prints, and if you’re like me and have a bunch of clearance Target frames with nothing to put in them, then these might just be the very thing to fill them. For thirty bucks, this is a cheap, adorable way to bring the outside in. And for those of us who live far from a beach, these might make those miles to the beach seem a bit shorter. If you aren’t too fond of nailing random things into your walls, I love the leaning picture frame look…so think outside of the box, and avoid a nail in a wall and prop one of these guys up on a bathroom counter or a wall shelf or inside of a book case. And who knows? You may just feel like you’re in a vacation condo instead of your house.

2. Sea Creature Pillow Covers: These are from Pottery Barn, but they are on sale right now and isn’t that a steal for under $30? I don’t know if it’s because my mom was enchanted with sand dollars, but I’ve always thought they were the most magical little things to discover on the beach. So why not put one on your couch? I like the neutral colors in this one, because they’ll go with most any color scheme and keep things summery in an understated, cool beach-like sort of way.

3. Sunflowers in Target’s Threshold White Pitcher: What announces summer like the happy bobbing head of a sunflower? Seriously, these cheery little flowers are cheap cheap, and they will bring the summer sun to your own table. Target carries these lovely milky white pitchers for under $15, and sunflowers in pitchers are just the best. Why not a normal vase, you ask? Because that’s so predictable. Put it in a pitcher, open up a window and let the summer breeze send those fluttering sunflower petals to dancing.

4. Seashells in a White Lantern: I found this Pier1,Montauk Lantern, which comes in both a large ($25) and a small version ($12) and I fell in love. Sacks of seashells are sold basically everywhere, so buy one and fill up this lantern with the shells for a romantic, summery chic decoration. And if you have a fireplace mantle, put it there. Or a bookshelf, put it there. Or a free counter in a kitchen or bathroom. This is a simple, rustic way to bring the beach to your [bath] rooms.

These are just a few summer decor ideas to help brighten up your home, and help you embrace fully the beauty that is the summer time. Just think how happy you’ll be once you put up a few of these items and then sit back with a refreshing glass of sweet tea, to drink in the summer glory!

Do you have any summer decor ideas? I would love to hear them!

Copyright © Charis Freije, Moms of Faith®, All Rights Reserved