Happy summer colour combos

Mother Nature has an amazing way of "getting things right". Just look at all the fantastic colour combinations that surround us this time of the year; what a great palette to draw inspiration from!

Check out these tried and true colour combos and how they look in some interiors:


A field of purple, pink and blue lupins, with some

white thrown in here and there to calm down the

intense colours. 

Interior by Jamie Drake.

The ultimate happy summer combo: orange and yellow.
I fell in love with this colour mix when I saw it applied

to two rugs in an old home filled with character and
white-painted floors. One small rag rug was yellow, the
other, of the same size, was orange. Such an effective
and cheery colour statement!

Interior by Amy Lau Design.

Here, the yellow and orange are
combined with navy blue.
Photo: Houzz.









 

 

 

For those of us who love all things simple and crisp,

nothing beats yellow and white!

 

Interior by Jan Skacelik. Photo: Houzz.

Red and white on Lake Muskoka

Happy Canada Day! A recent summer cruise onboard the R.M.S. Segwun, docked in Gravenhurst, made me see white and red, and broadened my horizons in more than one way.

 

As we steamed our way between rocky, pine-clad shores, it was the boathouse scene, more than the oversized lakefront mansions that caught my attention.

 

Compact, comfy and with prime locations, boathouses truly encapsulate the very best of summer living. 

 

Here are a few shots from my excursion. I can highly recommend it!

 

 

Midsummer decorating: simple and sassy

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year is around the corner, marking the official kick off of summer. Finally!

There's no time to spare, let's plunge into the season, letting simplicity and a no-fuss approach be our guidelines.

That's exactly what my fellow Swedes are doing right now. Midsummer garners big celebrations there, and Swedes, who are known for their simple aesthetics, don't tend to complicate things as they embrace the season. "Easy and practical" is the mantra of the day. Sounds good to me!

Here a five things that we can copy from this approach this summer:


Photo: Livet Hemma.

1) Bring the outside in
Flowers, flowers everywhere we look. Fill a tall glass vase with some greenery - even one single fern stem can transform a whole room. My best pick right now: lupins in a range of blues, purple and pink.


2) Ditch the curtains
I recently removed the curtains in my dining room, which made it feel like new. I love the clean look, and the fact that it allows more light to come in and more of the lush greenery outside to be visible.


Ditch the curtains for a summery look. Photo: Bemz.



Photo: Livet hemma.

3) Create outdoor destinations

Make sure you enjoy the outdoors. Introduce at least two seating arrangements in your yard or patio, which you can use at different times of the day, depending on the location of the sun.

 

4) White base - colourful accents

A vibrant summer palette looks modern, clean and happy combined with lots of white - the ultimate summer colour.

 

5) Less is more

Our summer rooms are best kept clutter-free and easy to clean, to allow for a care-free life style. Keep only what is truly functional, beautiful and what you really love. Happy summer!

Photo: Bemz.

Gorgeous rooms for rainy days

Sarah Richardson's cottage living room.

Summer is not all sunshine, we've seen signs of that in recent days. And even though sunny weather is preferable, rainy days can also be beautiful in their own special way. I'm thinking of the dramatic colours, the freshness in the air after a downpour, the look of stone and other materials when they are wet...

Nothing beats watching a storm roll in from the vantage point of a cozy, comfortable room. 

Here are some of my favourite rooms for rainy days. Have a wonderful, long weekend - rain or shine!

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

 

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

 

Photo: Houzz. Eclectic Living Room by Santa Ynez
Media and Bloggers Going Home To Roost
 

Photo: Houzz.

 

Photo: Houzz. Charles Cunniffe Architects Aspen

 

Photo: Houzz. Kitty&Company Interior Design llc

Happy summer decorating!

Nature is also a great place for inspiration.

Just look at the fantastic colour combinations

in this sea of lupins, as seen around North Bay

these days. 

A home that makes us happy - every time, every day - isn't that something to aspire to?

With relatively small measures, lovable, practical spaces can be created. And as we improve the comfort and beauty of our homes, our general sense of well-being is also often enhanced. What a thrilling thought! 

Since we all need some inspiration to get started, here are some great fabrics that I spotted at Stewart's Decorating and Fabricland in North Bay. They are good jumping-off points for a happy home these early days of summer.

Make sure you enjoy the longest days of the year. And get those creative, home decorating juices flowing!





Fabrics from Robert Allen's latest collections, with summery names such as Mango, Peony and Watermelon, as seen at Stewart's Decorating:

Happy summer fabrics from Fabricland in North Bay:

Creating outdoor rooms

The May long weekend is here, and many of us are busy getting our outdoor spaces ready for summer living.

This same time two years ago, I wrote a blog post about creating rooms outdoors. It talked about creating destinations in our outdoor space, and how area rugs, screens, plants or a canopy will help define those special outdoor rooms. I'm back to that theme, but this time I want to focus on the importance of the area rug. It is really the key piece that will transform an ordinary deck or patio into an attractive hang-out area. 

I recently helped a client create a cute outdoor retreat, a place she can go to when she wants a break from the busy beach area on the opposite side of the house. This is a client who loves happy colours, so we needed something completely different from the muted browns, greys, and mossy greens that are predominant in our stores (I'd love to see some variety!). We found the right rug - a classic green-and-white stripe - at Pier 1, and instantly, I repeat: instantly, we had created an "outdoor room". Easy! A quick word about materials: make sure the rug is intended for outdoor use.

Here are other examples of outdoor spaces defined by area rugs:


Photo: Houzz.




Modern Patio by Edmonton Architect thirdstone inc.

Photo: Houzz.

Modern Patio by New York Architect
Incorporated. Photo: Houzz.

 

Contemporary Entry. Photo: Houzz.

Celebrating your cottage in style

White plank floors and walls provide a fresh
and clean base for your decor. Red and white
is a classic summer combination. Be consistent
and stick to the colour scheme also in the
smallest details (note the red geranium plant!).

Summer time, cottage time. Easy living is the order of the day, and that also applies to how you organize your summer home. Ideally, it has to stand up to sandy feet and dripping bathing suites; it has to accommodate visiting relatives and improvised corn-on-the-cob dinners with friends; and it has to invite you to crawl up and finally read that treasured book. All this and you still want it to look stylish! How do you achieve it? My solution includes a crisp, white base which you combine with one major accent colour, natural textures and accessories, and an effort to always try to limit your furniture and things in general to the essentials. I hope these pictures will inspire you to create your own easy, breezy summer haven!

A white-and-blue floral slipcover is

quintessentially cottage! Seek out 

local thrift stores for old tables that

you can refinish.

Enjoy a peaceful breakfast surrounded 

by stripes - a safe summer choice for
upholstery and cushions.

New and old - furniture as well as guests -

typically share the space around the summer 

table. The bright red mirror and chairs give

the room some needed punch - and tons of 

style! 

And here are a few accessories - all found in North Bay stores - which will complete your home's summer look:

Pot from Stewart's Decorating

Centre.

Lanterns from Winners.

Weathered mirrors from Winners.

White table from Manchester's 
Sleep Centre and Spas.

Wicker stool from Vested Interest and sisal rug from Stradwick's Carpet One.