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#12

QUICK FIXES FOR

a SUMMER SPACE
a SUMMER SPACE

Create an appealing summer space for entertaining or simply lazing away the summer.

In years gone by, a well-kept home marked the change of season from spring to summer with a simple ritual: the swapping over of curtains. Heavy velvet, draught-excluding drapes made way for lighter linen or cotton window dressings.

Few follow this custom today, yet most of us still have a desire to embrace the extra light and warmth we are generously granted. Particularly in the northern hemisphere, summer should be grabbed with both hands, lest it be too fleeting.

At AUTHOR, we don’t advocate seasonal or fashionable and we never slavishly follow trends. However, just as we bring out our summer wardrobe of clothes made from lighters fabrics and in uplifting summer shades, we also like to refresh our interiors.

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SIMPLE ACCESSORY SWAPS

The practicalities of a cosy winter space such as warming, draught excluding velvet cushions look out of place as the mercury rises and they are also uncomfortable. On a balmy summer evening, extra warmth will be the last thing on your guests’ minds, so it makes sense to store them away for a few months. Accessories made with heavy fabrics can be substituted with lighter weight alternatives, such as silks, in lighter or punchier shades. A few quick swaps will alter the mood of a space, introducing a chilled summer vibe.

OUTSIDE ENTERTAINING

During the summer, our focus naturally shifts from inside to outside as the longer daylight hours and warmth permit a more al fresco lifestyle. If your entertaining space moves outdoors during the warmer months, make sure you have easy access via patio or balcony doors. It is also a good idea to arrange furniture to make the most of a garden view, rather than around the fire. Lightweight furniture such as the Wu Bench is easily lifted and repositioned without requiring an army of removal men.

Relaxed, informal outdoors entertaining suggests cold foods and ‘help yourself’ protocols. Arrange salads and breads on wooden boards and platters such as these wooden serving troughs. This style of serving has the wonderful added benefit, as guests dip in and out, of relieving you of host responsibilities.

If a city location means you do not have access to an outside space, bringing the outside in will help your interior reflect the change in season. A simple, small posy in a glass bowl positioned on a bedside or occasional table adds summertime colour and scent. Glass posy bowls can be used as candle holders during the winter, then packed with pretty blooms the rest of the year.

FLOOR COVERINGS

If you have rugs as floor coverings, roll them up and store them away until they are needed. We love these rugs, which are beautiful and indulgent underfoot yet easy to roll up and move around the home or store away.

With rugs removed, a beautiful wood or stone floor will really come into its own. Strathearn Stone and Timber’s Chambord Oak flooring is delightful to pad across barefoot and with the underfloor heating turned off for the summer, it still provides a natural warmth.

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The AUTHOR team is here to advise on any aspects of design and furnishing. If you would like any further advice on how to make the most of your interior space for summer, please do get in touch.

About the Author

jane

Written by Jane Adams, founder of Author Interiors. LinkedIn:

Read more about her here.

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