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Embrace a Touch of the Tropics This August
There’s no better way to ring in the summer season than with tropical home décor. The great thing about tropical décor is that, contrary to popular belief, you can go bright and bold or clean and sophisticated. Consider your existing color palette before choosing your tropical additions, and then look for accents with a tropical theme.
If you’d like a tropical theme year round, try out a light sea blue on the walls or a Florida Keys Blue. Light blue tones will be reminiscent of the sea, but not so bold as to overtake a room. Florida Keys Blue is more like the beautiful turquoise colors of the Florida Keys, and it can make any area feel tropical.
Fortunately, you don’t need an entire room to be repainted to bring in the tropics. Accents do a good job of giving your home the feel you’ve been looking for, even if it’s just for a season. For those just wanting some incredible summer accents for their spaces, here are some options to consider.
Creature Comfort
One of the most fun trends right now features sea creatures in your décor. For the fisherman in your life, this provides an alternative to that mounted bass over the fireplace. Simple, sophisticated, but with a nod to the sea, these accents recall the ocean. Choose a fish design that ties in with your color scheme for best effect. A personal favorite is the Lionfish.
For those with cool wall tones, beautiful seahorse décor makes for beautiful additions. These majestic creatures give you that underwater feel while remaining somewhat understated.
Floral Fantasies
When you set your tropical theme in motion, don’t forget to add touches of underwater plant life. If you’d like to bring a tropical reef feel to your bedroom, explore some coral-inspired options. Pale coral tones work beautifully with darker design schemes.
Bold Is Beautiful
Big and bold tropical prints are trending right now, especially for outdoor areas. Tie your ocean theme home with your deck or pool area with bright and bold colors. Whether you choose Macaw Green or Sunset Orange, the right pillow colors can connect your inner tropic theme with your outdoor areas. If you want to embrace the season, jump in with some of these large print throws; they don’t have to be an obvious nod to the tropics. Waverly Fishbowl Caviar is a favorite year round but will still fit into a tropical décor.
Whether bright and attention grabbing or subtle and clean, there’s a summer-inspired tropical design out there for you. Experiment this season, and bring summer inside!
4 Ways to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer
Energy costs usually rise in summer because of dependence on air conditioning and electric fans. Many homeowners retreat inside to avoid the heat, but then feel confined in their homes and restricted to indoor activities. This can lead to fatigue, sluggishness, and an overall disillusionment with what’s supposed to be a great season. Today, we’ll discuss some easy, cost-effective ways to keep your home cool this summer.
Perform Basic Maintenance
One of the best ways to save money is maintaining the cooling sources you already have. Business experts say about 55% of summer energy bills go to cooling, so it’s vital that your air conditioner undergoes a maintenance check about once a year. This includes cleaning the filters and ensuring grilles aren’t straining to circulate air. You should also change your air filters frequently, and make sure you’re buying filters that last three months or more for optimum money-saving.
Block the Sun
This might seem counter-intuitive, especially since sunlight is physically and emotionally healthy. If you have large rooms with big windows that let in too much sun, however, your house will heat up quickly, increasing your reliance on air conditioning. Consider investing in ultraviolet window treatments for your home and your vehicle; these will keep you and your family comfortable and safe, especially on car trips. Use blinds or shades to block the sun during the hottest part of the day, around 12:00-3:00 PM.
Use Cool Décor
The décor you choose can do more than you think to evoke coolness. For example, choose pillows and linens made from lightweight fabrics including cotton blends, rayon, and nylon. (Despite its reputation for coolness, avoid silk, especially in pillows, the weight of the human head can heat silk quickly). Use plenty of neutrals and calming colors such as turquoise, indigo, mint, and sea green. Spend as much outdoor time as possible in a shaded area, such as a deck with a comfortable chaise lounge or chairs.
Turn Off Your Appliances
Almost everyone knows this trick, but few people actually do it. Financial experts agree that using a microwave instead of an oven will both save money and keep you much cooler during mealtimes. Go ahead and grill as much as you like – the exposure to fresh air will cool you down and make your food taste better. Consider drying your clothes on a clothesline as much as the weather permits, and avoid running your dishwasher unless you have a full load.
Summer Pillows Ideas
Pillows are a great décor item any time of year, but most people associate them only with fall and winter. The word “pillow” tends to connote a warm, somewhat bulky item that only serves indoor purposes. In reality, you can use pillows for a myriad of summer decorating projects, some of which we’ve highlighted here.
Use Durable Summer Pillows
Summer is the perfect time to move your decorating skills outdoors. Adding summer pillows to your deck or veranda can give it a splash of color and make guests more comfortable during a cookout or poolside party. While shopping for outdoor pillows though, make sure you look for a few key features:
- Weather protection. Look for acrylics and other fabrics that won’t hold moisture or become mildewed
- Durability. Avoid pillows made with silk, rayon, or nylon, as they will tear easily and are more difficult to clean
- UV resistance. Using a pillow that soaks up too much sunlight can make you hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable. In addition to this, colors exposed to sunlight from the wrong sorts of fabric will soon fade. Look for temperature-resistant fabrics in light, heat-reflecting colors.
Bring the Beach Home with Summer Pillows
During spring and summer, everyone is anxious to get outdoors again. If you aren’t near a beach or mountain resort, use outdoor pillows to bring those luxurious locales a bit closer. Look for pillows with specific designs, such as beach scenes, pineapples, sunsets, or bright florals. If you want more subtle décor, seek out pillows with multicolored waves or stripes, or a tie-dye style.
Go Big and Bold
During summer, most people wear brighter, bolder colors. Your home and outdoor spaces can, too. Popular summer shades include –
- Turquoise, aqua, and indigo blues
- Deep, saturated pinks
- Neon greens and yellows
- Purple in almost any shade from lavender to violet; this is often used as an accent color in larger designs
- Oranges in bold or soft shades; these can be tinged with soft pink for a sunrise effect
Many summer designs also use larger, bolder prints than their fall and winter counterparts. Look for starburst designs, large geometric patterns, or patterns that evoke tribal or Native American cultures. Some summer pillows are made with fringe or tassels for an extra bold touch.
Nod to Mother Nature
Your pillows and other outdoor décor should be backdrops to the natural beauty around you. To facilitate this, look for pillows whose designs celebrate nature. Some pillows use floral designs, while others have a single bird or animal as a focal point. Still other pillows use more abstract designs, relying on colors like green, cream, and earth brown.
3 Tips to A Patio with Outdoor Throw Pillows
While most people don’t consider “soft” furniture for decorating out of doors, it remains true that cushions and outdoor throw pillows are actually a great way to bring comfort to your porch, patio, or outdoor seating area. Cushions and throw pillows can even do wonders to create a space that feels like an outdoor “room.” Consider these pointers for creating an outdoor seating space that prioritizes comfort and style.
Bright Colors
One of the best ways to make your outdoor seating area more comfortable is to use bright colors. Because of the way that outdoor seating reflects natural light and flashy flowering plants in your garden, you have much more leeway to mix and match colors out of doors than you do inside. For added coordination, consider using some of the colors that you have already used to decorate the interior of your home, creating a feeling of overall harmony both indoors and outdoors.
Get Creative
Colors are not the only way to make outdoor seating areas feel exciting and interesting. Patterns such as zigzags, stripes, polka dots, or even tribal patterns can be great when mixed together, reflecting some of the unique shapes in nature. Consider mirroring the shapes of your trellis with damask seat cushions for a subtle but lovely way to make your outdoor space harmonious. Outdoor throw pillows like the Waverly New Twist Aquarium can add both bright colors and patterns to any outdoor decor.
Multiple Layers of Outdoor Throw Pillows
You want outdoor furniture to be made of materials that will last, which is why rattan, wicker, and wrought iron are such popular choices. However, with such classically uncomfortable materials, you will need to find new ways to add comfort. By layering outdoor throw pillows with varying shapes and sizes, your patio space will feel customized, luxuriously comfortable, and even downright plush.
Source: Pinterest
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