Summer Style

Summer is the perfect time to give your home a bright fresh make over. Sometimes we need to work a bit harder to create a sunny summer feeling in Ireland than if you were living in the Mediterranean.  Turning away from the neutral palette is a great way to add character and give things their own personality. I’ve put together a few ideas to bring summer colours into your home.

The New Florals

'I'm seeing more and more florals inspired by nature, especially in cotton prints and wallpapers 'It's like chintz in a new way.' This isn't Grannys floral wallpaper: Think large-scale patterns, vibrant blooms and big, bold hues. One way to create the best effect for this type of scheme is to use a feature wall this will give you this Summer inspired theme without being overwhelming, another option is to panel half way up your wall and use the wallpaper on top, this creates a very elegant effect and is also very family friendly. Clarke and Clarke Clarisse range available at Aoki Interiors Carrick-on-Suir

Clever use of colour can create a feeling of bright warm summer days from the minute you walk into the room. Here are a few of my favourite tips to easily create a summer mood;

Pinks with Greens

Brightening up a space with shades of pinks and greens brings a sense of summer to a scheme and the quickest easiest way to do this is to use scatter cushions and throws, even a bright rug can easily bring a bit of sunshine. I like to use neutrals for the wall and furniture colours, so it's easy to switch out accessories throughout the year to keep the mood of each lovely season.

Yellow Hues

Yellow is a great summer colour as it lifts the mood and brings a sense of fun. Using bright yellow creates an excitement when red or orange feels too strong or too dark. Yellow also suggests a freshness and citrus fruitiness. And using golden yellows can be a replacement for gold.

The trick with working with sunshiny-bright yellow is selecting upholstery and accessories to match the walls. Find a painting or floral or patterned chintz that combines different bright colours, and use that as a guideline.

Not all strong colours are stimulating. Forest-green walls can blend beautifully with mahogany furniture, and the contrasting colours are comfortable because they're found in nature. Using a forest scene instead of just painting your wall gives an amazing effect and gives a constant feeling of a bright sunny day. (Murals available from €55 at Aoki Interiors.ie)

 You don't need to commit to painting the walls intense shades to have a room all about colour. Paintings or framed fabrics with various colours can create a theatrical backdrop for favourite pieces, for example.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with colour as it is the best way to find the ones you love and make you feel at home. When in doubt about a colour, don't limit yourself to small colour chips. Paint big sheets of cardboard and prop them up in the room in question. This gives you a better idea of what it's going to look like and use this sheet to shop for accessories.