The beautiful inspiration of summer cool is the perfect styling palette for the warmer months. These stylings tips will brighten your home this Summer and add a dash of balmy bliss throughout the interiors and exteriors of your home.
Welcome Light
Maximising the orientation of your home to best capture the natural light of its aspect, is a luxury you have when you are building with one of North Homes’ home and land packages.
We suggest including elements such as locating the main entertaining spaces to face north and strategically placing windows and doors to trap or repel the sun (whatever the season) which will also set you up for brighter entry points inside your home.
The orientation of your home can sometimes present challenges, due to the size or shape of your block or the position of neighbouring houses. If this is the case, there are still ways to manipulate the access your home has to natural light, such as:
- Painting the outside eaves white, to reflect natural light back indoors
- Using light, bright interior wall and ceiling shades
- Placing mirrors in tactical spots for maximum light reflection
- Incorporating reflective tiles and glossy paint to reflect more light
- Replacing sections of walls (where possible) with glass blocks or clerestory windows
- Installing skylights or even sun tubes to capture light from above
Alternatively, if west-facing rooms threaten to overheat your house or fade furniture, we also have some options to manage the amount of light:
- Plant deciduous varieties outside a western window to provide shade in summer, but allow sun in winter
- Install retractable awnings, louvres, or plantation shutters over the hottest windows
- Attaching vertical shading to the exterior, for example, lattice or batten screens that can also reduce the amount of heat coming through
Clever Colour Selections
Create a home where it is summer all year round with considered choices when it comes to the colour scheme of your paint palette. We suggest crisp white interiors that lend a cool beachside ambiance or if you prefer a more vibrant palette, pastel hues are a great way of introducing colour in a more subtle way, think elegant shades of yellows, blues, and greens.
Popular paint brand Dulux has turned colour choice into a veritable science and has recently released a summer-inspired palette. Keen to welcome more colour into the family home, Dulux’s newest collection is about reconnecting with nature while maintaining a serene space. The tones include a whimsical mix of cornflower blue, lilac, lemon, green quartz and rose.
But if you aren’t keen on too much of one colour, consider using it as an accent such as a feature wall, or adding partial wall detailing such as wainscotting or temporary wallpaper (in case you change your mind, or consider a seasonal refresh during the year!).