Looking for simple summer decorating ideas? Here are 17 ideas and projects to refresh your home and get it ready for summer.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time updating your home. Most of these are super inexpensive and you can add them in less than 10 minutes.
Yesterday I woke up the house and told it that it was beautiful and added some moss rocks to hide a plastic pot on the coffee table. And right there and then the room instantly looked cuter.
Have you ever noticed how changing just one thing in a room can make it look entirely different?
You add one accessory. Or move a piece of furniture to another corner. Or add a vase of fresh flowers in a new color.
It doesn’t have to be a big change or an entire room refresh.
Instead?
Sometimes all you need is one little change and everything looks a little fresher.
Sometimes all you need are 10 minutes.
So today?
Today is all about making little changes to fall in love with our houses all over again.
Here are 17 simple summer decorating ideas.
17 Simple Summer Decorating Ideas
1. Grocery store flowers
Take your grocery store flowers to the next level.
Buy a small bunch of flowers from the grocery store.
Then clip leaves from your yard and add them amongst the flowers.
(total aside: I did this the other day for Zack’s party and got TWO arrangements out of one $5 bunch from the grocery store.)
2. Simple fix for floral arrangements
If you have a wide-mouthed vase that makes your flowers fall to the side?
Here’s an easy fix.
Add pebbles to the bottom to create an easy flower arrangement (that’s how I created the arrangement on the coffee table).
3. Summer decorating ideas: DIY pillows
Make your own pillows (and make SURE they have down inserts).
Here are some of my favorite pillow projects:
- a polka-dotted pillow
- a hydrangea pillow
- a pillow from a shopping bag
- a drop cloth pillow
- a no sew bolster pillow
4. Update an armchair
Change up a chair for summer in minutes with this simple tip.
It completely changes the look without the cost of a new chair.
I just ordered a love seat that I think I’m going to use this tip on.
5. Change it up
Switch out the pillows from one room to another.
I know this seems simple.
I get it.
But a new home for a pillow can freshen up an entire room.
6. Paint it
Repaint a piece of furniture in your room a bright summery color.
Looking for a color?
This is SW Adrift, but I have tons of other blue-grays that would work, too.
7. Change the lighting
One simple summer decorating idea is to change out the lightbulbs in your room with soft white for summer.
You can add a dimmer on the light bulbs to create a soft glow in the evenings, too.
8. Simple tip for peonies
It’s almost time for peonies.
I’ve been waiting for them to show up on Trader Joe’s so I just bought these flowers instead.
Help your peonies open up with this simple tip.
9. Simple tip for baskets
Use a basket as a plant holder in your home.
This basket was too big for the tree and it kept falling over.
Quick tip: tuck burlap inside the bottom of the basket and around the tree or plant to keep it upright or you can add moss rocks to a plastic planter like I just did.
10. Refresh your couch
Have sagging couch cushions?
No worries.
Fix the cushions on your couch for summer with this simple tip.
11. Decorate with books
Stack books everywhere.
Have you seen this faux wood paper you can use to cover books?
I found it in the hobby section of the craft store.
12. Simple summer decorating idea: change the curtain rods
Don’t pay a lot of money for curtain rods.
Simply spray paint them instead.
Here’s how I spray painted my curtain rods (and 8 other things you can spray paint, too.)
13. Open up your curtains
Let the sunshine in.
Every morning I wake up the house and pull back the curtains.
It’s a simple summer decorating idea, but it makes the rooms so much lighter and airier.
14. Cover the buttons
Add buttons on the back of your dining room chairs like this.
It’s a no-sew project that’s held up for over a year.
15. Add pillows
Place pillows in your dining room chairs.
It’s an easy way to add another pattern to the space.
For pillow ideas, refer to idea number three.
You can see my favorite pillow combinations here.
16. Summer decorating ideas: Create a summer arrangement
There are so many simple ways you can add flowers to a room.
Here are 9 ways to decorate with flowers.
17. Make a wreath
Create a wreath to hang on your door
Here are some of my favorite wreath projects:
- this eucalyptus and flower wreath
- this magnolia wreath
- this drop cloth wreath
- this bird book page wreath
Did you know the first day of summer is June 21, 2022?
A little over 30 days away.
That’s not much time to get ready.
Good thing all these ideas are simple. 🙂
Love these ideas! So simple and easy. Thanks for sharing!
I’m fascinated by the chair leg swap!! Great tips, and happy summer, Karianne!! ❤️
It's going to be very summer-like here in Massachusetts over the weekend - 92!!! xoxo
Your house is looking so fresh & pretty! Grocery store flowers are the best! I'll have to try your pebble trick. And now I'm thinking I need to do cushion inventory & find something fun for summer.
Great idea for grocery store flowers - loving it!
Your home is so bright. I miss bright in our new home. But beautiful house and beautiful ideas. Thank you.
Thanks and you are right these are so simple and thanks for sharing. I pinned it in case I forget any of them, crazy old lady, that's me lol!!
The flowers are breath taking! They are real arent they? I was almost hoping they weren't and you could tell me where you bought them because they DO look so real!
Greetings from London and many thanks for the tips! ONE QUESTION: Where are the labels mentioned in the text below? The link goes back to the blog entry…. Please let me know because I do this to my books all the time and struggle to write the titles on the sides 🌺🌺🌺🌺 QUOTE: (the missing link is on the last sentence) “I spent this weekend covering books. I know it’s a little random. You probably had a much more exciting weekend than me. But there’s something about taking a book that isn’t really cute. That has a perfect shape and size and message and a bright orange cover. And making it look a little mysterious. (total aside: Just in case you were worried I might forget what each book is—these books are waiting for labels like these.)”