Today I’m sharing ideas for simple summer decorating!

Summer is here and I could not be happier about it! Decorating your home for summer is carefree and breezy. Think of an open window that looks out at the ocean and the linen curtains are blowing gently in the ocean breeze. That’s what I think about when deciding how to outfit my home for the summer season. It’s not stuffy or overly decorated but rather there is a simple theme with a few key colors that are light and airy. Join me today as I share tips and ideas for simple summer decorating!

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Simple Decorating for Summer

When decorating your home for summer, it is helpful to have a loose theme or color scheme to go off of. Think through items that you can use to give your home that ocean breeze feeling. The colors that you will see in my home this summer include whites, blues and bright greens with pops of yellow. My summer decor is mainly vintage, either found at the thrift store or at antique stores. I picked up a few ‘new’ pieces at the thrift store a few weeks ago and you can read all about that in my Thrifted Decor For Summer post.

This summer vignette that I created was where I started with my decorating. I incorporated vintage books, milk glass, vintage yellow linens, and various other vintage finds.

Because I wasn’t going to use many pieces of decor here, I packed it full of texture. Inside the basket, you will notice all of the colors that I mentioned earlier, which helps to set the theme for the rest of the decor. My house is small and has a very open concept floor plan, so making everything feel cohesive is super important.

I kept the decor super simple on the mantel. Remember that beautiful needlework picture that I found in Iowa? It looks stunning here next to the fireplace. It is the perfect piece for my summer decor and carries the overall theme so well. The milk glass banana stand is a piece that I will have out all year round. To give it some height, I stacked two vintage books underneath it. Keeping in mind my color scheme, I chose to use a bright green book on top. I was going to use something other than these faux Tulips in the banana stand but I really do love the simplistic look of them, so they stayed! This little area just came together so nicely. It feels open and airy which is exactly what I was going for.

In the hall bath, I decorated this shelf with vintage items that I already had. I tried many different arrangements and different pieces of decor and this is the display that won out! I love how the wood tone of the scoop pairs so nicely with the green. The vintage Hummel needlework, which I found at the thrift store last year for $4, is so perfect for this season. Fun fact: The sea turtle is my favorite animal. I have glass sea turtles in different colors, like the one above, placed in different rooms of my house. Those little details really make a house feel like yours because you are personalizing it specifically to you!

The bathroom counter is graced with this vintage transferware vase, which I don’t think I’ve shown you! I found this at an antique store a few months ago for around $8. I love the scalloped detail around the top. As I stated in my last blog, I’m super into transferware and look for it wherever I go now. Anyways, keeping it simple, I just tucked some faux greenery into it. This little vase makes me so happy every time I walk into this bathroom!

In our home office there are a few little shelves that I like to decorate. I really was craving some color on this shelf, so color it is! I picked up this vintage crewelwork picture last year at the thrift store for $4 and it just exudes summer! All of the fresh fruits, flowers, and bright colors on it are just stunning. The old lantern is a family heirloom on my husband’s side of the family. I think it looks so lovely sitting next to the picture! This little scene makes me want to put on my rubber boots and go strawberry picking.

In the entry, there is a skinny little shelf for a just a few items. Sticking with the bright and airy feel, I paired this vintage cream bottle, which was $2 at the thrift store, with a small milk glass cup. In this space, the pops of yellow really stand out against the white. You don’t have to do much to make a space feel beautiful!

The yellow’s and green’s really come to life on the dining table. This vintage table runner I found at an antique store last summer for only $3! It has embroidered daisies around the edge and it’s so pretty. There are small green polka dots in the center, which pair beautifully with the Jadeite plate. This centerpiece truly is the epitome of simple summer decorating. I used very minimal decor but, because of how the colors are paired together, makes such a statement! I think my biggest piece of advice when wanting to decorate simply is to pack your displays with texture and color. In doing so, you are creating visual interest without all the extra ‘stuff’.

Textural elements you could try:

• baskets
• faux greenery stems
• a stack of books
• flowers
• ribbon
• textured or embroidered fabrics

Closing Tidbits

I hope I’ve shown you today that summer decorating doesn’t need to be fussy. Simple summer decorating is what the essence of summer is all about…carefree, easy and lighthearted! My hope is that this encourages you take the time to infuse your home with those summer elements and find a childlike exuberance along with the way.

Other posts you might enjoy:

Thrifted Decor for Summer

DIY Faux Topiary

Decorating With Milk Glass

How To Make An Outdoor Rug

Go shopping in The Antiqued Journey shop!

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