Beat the heat with cool summer decorating

Tag : Heat And Cool

For summer, think bright colors, comfortable style and easyentertaining. That backyard patio is an area where plenty ofoutdoor entertaining will take place this summer. So get it inshape for the season.
The one thing thats really changed is a lot of retailers andmanufacturers are now making products that are designed for theoutdoors that could be used indoors, Yip says. The outdoorsshould be thought about as another room for your house.
Now we have rugs that are meant to be outdoors year-round andreally comfortable lounge furniture and even accessories. Eventhose not specifically meant for the outdoors can often be left outyear-round.

Your patio or deck is an extension of your living space. There arewonderful fabrics and accessories and drapes and rugs that reallyare now another way for us to enjoy the outdoors more, Yip says.

When the party goes from daytime to evening, make sure you have theright lighting to keep conversation flowing. Candlelight is alwaysone of the best ways to create an incredible atmosphere and relaxand converse and have a drink, he says. Everybody looks great bycandlelight. Dont limit it to little votive candles. Try hangingbeautiful chandeliers from a tree or hanging them above your mainseating area from the apex of an outdoor tent or cover or from apergola. Dress home for summer
Moving indoors, there are easy things to do to give a summer feel.Yip says, Summer is really about renewal. A lot of people havekids on vacation, the weather is generally nice and bright, andits an opportunity for you to really inject some great color inyour space, and you can easily do that through drapes, throwpillows, through artwork, even a coat of paint.

People are now dressing their rooms for the seasons. They haveneutral-colored sofas and carpet or hardwood floors, and theychange things out for the season.
Easy colors to use inside include green and orange. Those colorsare popular year-round, Yip says, but in the summertime, opt forshades of green and orange with bright yellow undertones.

Color is really, really big this season, he says. Itssurprising because usually when the economy is bad, the colors godour, but not this year, even though were facing higher gas pricesand higher bills. Maybe its a way to cheer up. Pops of color
Every room in the house can use its own burst of summer color. Ialways keep bowls of apples around the house because they stayfresh for four to five weeks in a bowl and add that organicelement, Yip says. I dont like plastic fruit and flowersbecause I feel like they sap the life out of a room, but ... GrannySmith apples or
Red Delicious are $1.99 a bag, and they stay there for weeks.

The key thing to remember is summer is about embracing the season.Its as simple as introducing a bright vase with flowers.