Summer living-room updates

I’m always surprised by the way different accessories can totally transform the look and feel of a space, and today I want to share a couple of easy updates that I’ve made to our living room for the summer months.

I love dressing interiors to match the seasons, and over the years I’ve built up a collection of soft furnishings, vases, candleholders and the like that I can swap in and out to suit my mood and the time of year. It’s a great way to update a room without spending any money or generating unnecessary waste, and playing around with different arrangements and stylings is always a fun thing to do.

For summer, I’ve packed away snuggly woollen throws and heavy velvet cushion covers, and added lighter linen and cotton versions in breezy, nature-inspired shades of beige, pale grey and white. I love the relaxed look they create, and they offset the darker grey base colours of the scheme really well. I’ve accumulated the ones I’ve used here over time, and I made some of them myself from old curtain offcuts. If you want to build a similar collection that you can return to year after year, try Tea + Kate for timeless cushions and throws in muted shades, or take a look at H&M Home’s eco-conscious range (affiliate link) for cheaper alternatives.

I’ve also brought a bit of seasonal nature inside by adding some tall grasses from the garden (the one advantage of having a wild, overgrown backyard that we haven’t yet made-over is a constant free supply!). I’ve put some of them in a tapered-neck vase that I always think is ideal for summer as it has a delicate, organic feel to it. The rest sit in my much-loved Lyngby vase, and in a tall sand-coloured ‘Pillar’ vase from Swedish brand Cooee Design – it’s the only newly bought item that I’ve used here, and I know it’s going to be a staple piece from now on.

I’ll probably keep the room like this until late September, and then bring back cosier textiles and slightly darker accessories in time for the autumn and winter months.

How about you? Do make changes to your home to suit the season?

All photography by Abi Dare