Make your Home Summer-Ready

For many people, the vibrant glory of summer signifies it is time to remodel and redecorate their homes in keeping with the latest summer trends. While some may go all out in redoing living spaces, introducing the latest summer decorating trends into your home does not require a huge commitment to money or time. Just follow our handy summer decorating guide!

Fabric choices: You cannot go wrong with cotton, linen and muslin when it comes to summer fabric. Thin, light and breathable, these fabrics impart a relaxed feel to your living space and allow natural light in. If you have white walls, go for crisp cotton and linen curtains in bright colours like yellow, coral, orange and red for liveliness.

If you prefer toned down colours, choose from teal, peach, light green, beige and of course, white. These look great against stark grey walls.

Furniture: Sofas and chairs made from bamboo and cane are relatively cheap and make a great summer choice for both indoors and outdoors. Furniture inspired from African artwork and Chinese antiques also add a classy summer vibe to your house. A big trend this year is vintage furniture and the French Chateau look.

Lighting: Tiny bulbs hidden inside sea shells and strung on wire are great for outdoor lighting. Candles in retro carriage lamps, Chinese paper lanterns with ribbons, luminarias, tall candlesticks, and tiki torches are also beautiful lighting additions. For the inside of your house, table lamp stands made of jute/rope and lamp shades in neutral colours are perfect, as are polished chrome stands. Use low voltage landscape lights and a few accent floor lamps but keep things minimalistic.

Flooring: If you have been saving up for a while to redo your flooring, hardwood and laminate will work amazingly well and will last you a long time. Also consider stones like sandstone and slate. But if that is too pricey right now, go for peel-and-stick vinyl tiles. As far as décor goes, use thin and colourful area rugs in different shapes and sizes as accent pieces.

Accessories, paint and wall art: Colourful sofa cushions, papier-mâché lamps, elaborately framed mirrors, a statement lamp shade, a painting that intrigues and instigates conversation, oversize floor vases, antique candleholders, wooden parats, interesting photo frames and wooden or bamboo screens are quick and easy ways to welcome summer into your home this year. Why not consider painting one wall in every room in a bold, summery colour for an instant facelift.

When redecorating for summer on a budget, creativity and resourcefulness are essential. No matter how you redo your home for summer, the idea is to personalise your space with touches that are you.