Cool Summer Home Decor Ideas You Need To Know

Summer is a great excuse to update your home decor with little tweaks and twists. A pop of color here, a funky new addition there, and your living space is as good as new. Investing in summer home decor doesn’t have to be expensive or exhaustive, which is why we’ve gathered interior design tips and tricks that’ll brighten your house and make you feel like you’re on vacation all day, every day. And don’t worry, we won’t recommend adding a coastal theme to any room in your home either—this is a safe space. 

Summer Decorating Ideas For Your Home Sweet Home

1. Switch to a Bright Duvet Cover

A new duvet cover refreshes your room instantly. Choose light and bright colors and summer fabrics like good-quality linen and cotton to stay cool in the blazing California heat. We love the comfortably chic beddings featured in Coyuchi’s summer collection and can easily envision it adding effortless California flair to any bedroom.

2. Prep the Porch with Outdoor Party Essentials

With the weather warming up, you’ll likely host many fun gatherings on your porch or backyard. Why not do it in style with summer porch decorations that spice up your outdoor area? Think benches, bar carts, and maybe even a grill if you have the space. Cool accent pillows from Clad Home in Los Angeles could also liven up your outdoor area with minimal effort. 

If DIY summer decorations are something you’re interested in, you could easily personalize your porch with an at-home project. We’re loving DIY porch swings where you can take a break or curl up in with a book to spend a breezy summer evening alone.

3. Brighten Up your Backyard with Outdoor Lighting

Another beautiful way to incorporate summer decorating ideas into your outside area is lighting. String lights are a classic, but other unique al fresco lighting solutions are aplenty as well. 

The key here is to think of lighting as a tool to set the ambiance instead of illuminating the whole backyard. If you have a designated seating area, a cool fixture above could be enough to brighten your outdoor space while highlighting only a portion of it. And if you’re looking for more inspo, you’re in luck. Many boutique restaurants in California have found creative ways to light up their outdoor areas—a summer home decor idea might come to you the next time you’re dining out.

4. Buy a Fun Summery Shower Curtain

Replacing your shower curtain is perhaps the easiest way to add summer vibes to your bathroom. And if they’re properly cleaned, dried, and stored, you can continue reusing the same curtains on a seasonal rotation. Opt for an eye-catching pattern and keep everything else quite minimal to avoid an overcrowded look (we’re looking at you, early 2000s dolphin aesthetic).

If you want to take your summer bathroom decor up a notch, try color-coordinating the shower curtain with the towel sets—this will add a cohesive balance to the room in an understated way. The Capri Lemon Tree shower curtain from Pottery Barn is adorable and on sale; you’re very welcome.

5. Opt for Summer Scents in your Home

Set the mood for summer in your house with more than just visuals. Plenty of California-based candle companies offer aromatic scents and packaging—the best of both worlds if you ask us. Opt for candles and diffusers that are light and refreshing. Also, try to keep your choices limited to one or two scent families so it doesn’t get too overwhelming. 

Mome Candles is a favorite of ours for minimal yet beautiful packaging and nostalgic location-inspired scents (hello California Collection). But if you’re looking for more eye-catching packaging to incorporate into your summer home decor, Voluspa will definitely impress.

6. Update your Entertaining Essentials 

Want to add a fun pop of color to your home without creating any DIY projects? Update your entertaining essentials for the ultimate easy-breezy summer kitchen decor makeover. Dining sets, cutlery, cups, mugs, and tablecloths are a few of the items you can swap out for a more summery alternative. 

If you have the budget, you can go for a do-over on your entire entertaining setup. If not, updating just one of two categories is enough to make a difference in your kitchen decor. Williams Sonoma has anything and everything you need to set up a party for one or eleven. 

7. Accessorize with Summer Fruits

It might sound simple, but adding a bowl of fresh fruit to a room can really brighten the space and give it a summery vibe. This idea was sparked by the bowl of limes seen in Dakota Johnson's home during her Architectural Digest tour. For a chic and modern look, fill a bowl with a single type of summer fruit such as lemons or oranges. This small touch can transform the atmosphere of a room, making it feel more vibrant and welcoming.

8. Give your Pre-Loved Furniture a Paintover 

Did you make the mistake of choosing a trendy color when decorating your home and are now bored of your whole furniture setup? We hear you and feel you. The good news is that unifying or modernizing your patio or dining set is as easy as grabbing a bucket of paint.

Choose a timeless color for this DIY summer decoration, and if you’re painting too many pieces, keep it neutral and muted. For a pop of color, choose a different color for an accent chair or another piece of standout furniture like a basket or a swing.

9. Do it all with Subtlety

Last but not least, perhaps the most important tip when it comes to updating your summer home decor is to do it subtly. You definitely don’t want to go overboard with any part of the process, because after all, autumn will roll around in just three months.

The key is to go for pieces you can easily store away and bring back out for years to come. Choose items that’ll complement your main decor and furniture instead of swapping them out completely. Beware of trends and clashing colors and only buy pieces you truly love and feel like will elevate your space.