Bringing Summer into the Kitchen Story and photos by Lisa Marie Blair
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s warmer temperatures are blissfully imminent, now is a great time to freshen up your kitchen with pleasant and inviting summer décor. The kitchen is the hub of the home so it’s always nice to keep the décor in this area clean and simple. Here are some fun and easy ways to bring outside summery feels inside your living space. One of the easiest ways to add summer vibes to your kitchen is to grab flowers from the market or cut from your own flower garden and display in a vase. They smell amazing and add so much color to your kitchen. You can always go the faux floral route as most are very real looking, you won’t be needing to change them weekly. Even just a small bud vase with a single floral stem next to the soap dish can make doing dishes a little less dreary. Fruit displayed in containers is always another cute, fun way to freshen up your kitchen. Again, you can use the real deal or opt for the faux version. Nothing says summer more than a beautiful succulent arrangement and you can make it as large or small as needed for your space. Succulents work great for a table centerpiece because they have a low profile which won’t interfere with conversations with your dinner companions. When space is limited, it’s great to make your décor both functional and beautiful. A great way to do this is to display useful, everyday items in a tray. Natural materials like rattan, seagrass, cane, and wicker
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are especially great for the summer months because of the coastal feels they create. Pellegrino water bottles, summery cloth napkins, and hobnail water glasses are all useful items that you can arrange beautifully in your natural woven tray or even on open shelving. All these textures will add much warmth to your kitchen, and a touch of greenery tucked in can complete the space perfectly. White dishes always look fresh and clean and are a great addition to those extralarge trays. Ceramic measuring cups, salt and pepper shakers, and an olive oil bottle all rounded up together on a marble cutting board next to the stove can be very handy, functional, and attractive. One of the latest decorating trends in kitchen décor is using small vintage artwork. These add a lot of charm to your kitchen while leaning against a backsplash or displayed on open shelving. Another plus is that artwork works great for covering up an outlet. Cutting boards and cookbooks also look great leaning against your backsplash. If you’re really limited on counter space, consider changing your kitchen rug and hand towel to something bright and colorful. These small changes won’t take away valuable kitchen countertop space and a little color goes a long way to change the feel of the space. Since summer seems to pass by so quickly, changing up your indoors to reflect the warmer temperatures can allow us to soak in every second of the season. n
