Summer Decorating on a Budget! Part One!

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Time for summer decorating....bright, fresh, and airy are words that come to mind.


Lightening up the look of the family room was the first step in the summer transformation here at Sweetwater.

When we got the new oatmeal colored couch, I no longer need to slipcover the cushions with summer weight fabric.

(Read about how I used to do this with the dark colored couch using stretch twill for cushion covers that are almost no sew)







The color scheme in the family room was pretty autumnal with all the browns and copper.

Pretty.... but definitely NOT bright, fresh and airy!

 What to do?
Obviously, I wasn't gonna mess with the new couch!
So off to fabric.com to find some fabric to lighten up the cushions on the rattan chairs.

This is the fabric I picked.  It was less than $25 for the fabric and delivery.

Yes...I did have to sew for this project, but you could do a wrap and tack version that would be almost as good.

I can not believe the difference it made to switch out the dark for the bright!
Now I know why everyone says to buy a neutral colored couch!
It really was simple to change out a few things and get a new look.

Changing the color scheme of a room is always more than just changing the upholstery fabric.
Going with the teal and chartreuse meant that all the browns and rusts in the old accessories were just all wrong....
The room needed new stuff in the right colors.
It was so tempting to head over to Home Goods and buy everything summer in those appealing displays.....and I did find those great looking teal pillows for a bargain.  In fact...I would have spent way more $$ to make them.

I wanted to save my money for my other summer vice....PLANTS!

I decided I could go shopping.....but in my own house!
I walked the house....
I peeked into my over stuffed closets....
Looking for stuff that would go with the new colors.

I have always loved the summer themed pillow with the palm tree.  I was thrilled that it could take center stage(couch) with the perfect colors for the room.

The artificial pears have been around for awhile.  They have just the right green for the coffee table.

 Notice the pictures on the back wall...they were in other rooms and now have a new spot.

I kept the mantel simple.
The white candle sticks and lanterns have been around the house for a few years.
Looking at the photo makes me think that a bright beachy colored bow on the lanterns might make them pop. HMMM....maybe an artificial sunflower too!?

The image in the frame is an enlargement of a photo I took in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
I used Waterlogue...an iPad app to make it look like a watercolor. (You can read about how this works here)
It really is a perfect summery addition.
I imagine that I will find more things that will add summery touches...

A thrifty decorator's work is never done!

Come back tomorrow for the second part of Summer Decorating on a Budget....the lower level family room has a new look too!

Have A Creative Day!

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