Discover how to create an airy and relaxing summer interior. The design guidelines that lead to the beautiful goal are simplicity, straight lines, neutral and coastal-style colors, natural materials, and light fabrics, as well as the natural light that fills the apartment space with rays of optimism. Here are a few of the interior designer’s ideas.
- Summer Color Palette
- Trendy Open or Semi-Open Interior Spaces
- Furnishings – Minimalist, Stylish, Comfortable
- Light and Mostly One-Colored Fabrics and Decor
- Coastal-Theme or Nautical-Inspired Artwork
- Refreshing Touch of Nature
- Lots of Natural Light and Creatively Designed Luminaries
Summer Color Palette
Base the summer color palette on warm and cold neutral tones (white as a foundation, then sand and coffee tones, light and dark wood, and black in the details you want to highlight) as well as gentle pastel tints characteristic of the Mediterranean style – sea, rocks, pines, and red earth, translated into the language of colors for the apartment – blue and aquamarine, once again white, green, earthy tones. Beauty is in natural colors.
Trendy Open or Semi-Open Interior Spaces
The philosophy of open living spaces is very trendy. One of the reasons is that open or semi-open interior spaces greatly facilitate communication among family members. For instance, the walls between the kitchen and the living room are often replaced by a kitchen island or a bar. Other rooms in the apartment can be divided with movable or fixed screens, sliding walls, and even just visually – by arranging furniture in zones and applying a different color scheme for each interior area.
Open and semi-open layouts are among the interior designer’s tips for designing small spaces since openness and light color schemes make a small room appear larger. However, large homes can also greatly benefit from layouts that facilitate the light flow throughout the interior and the communication.
Furnishings – Minimalist, Stylish, Comfortable
Minimalist furniture with straight lines blends into this apartment design story of simplicity. Coffee and side tables come in many shapes and sizes and are usually made of wood, glass, and metal. These lovely tables are places for the occasional storage of dishes and magazines but can also be a focal point of the beautiful living room design.
Chairs, armchairs, two-seaters, three-seaters, and corner sets are the oasis of comfort – soft and upholstered with fabrics in neutral or pastel colors. Even their shapes add to the look and feel of softness. Cushions on the sofas and armchairs spice the summer color palette with vibrant yellow, red, and orange hues.
Shelves, cabinets, and kitchen elements complement this ode to simplicity.
Light and Mostly One-Colored Fabrics and Décor
Curtains, bedspreads, and tablecloths should be made of light natural fabrics (cotton, linen) and are usually monochromatic. Their interesting textures come to the fore when rays of natural or artificial light ‘touch’ them, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow.
Patterns on decorative accessories such as cushions, vases, and floor mats are kept to a minimum, and only occasionally do geometric or abstract lines appear.
Coastal-Theme or Nautical-Inspired Artwork
Place a few selected sculptures, paintings, photographs, and similar works of art in ‘strategic’ places and highlight them, for example, with specialized lighting. Speaking of the themes portrayed in the photographs or paintings – coastal sceneries and nautical motifs blend in perfectly with the summer decorating story.
Refreshing Touch of Nature
Plants and flowers are always welcome. They give the interior space a refreshing touch of nature. Put them in simple pots and vases of contemporary design, and light them from below or from behind to create a play of light and shadows on the apartment walls and ceiling in the evening.
Lots of Natural Light and Creatively Designed Luminaries
Lighting is of great importance in interior design. Firstly, it is an indispensable factor in the functionality of the space. Activities such as reading, studying, and cooking are much easier to perform with adequate lighting. Secondly, natural and artificial lighting affects the overall appearance of the apartment since light largely determines our perception of individual design elements. Large windows bring natural light into the interior space, thus making it appear more spacious and brighter.
In contemporary trendy interiors – artistically designed table, floor, wall, and ceiling lighting fixtures ornate the room and create an effective lighting scene made of general (ambient) lighting and focused beams of light.
Enjoy creating your summer home. 🙂
About the Interiors in the Photos
The Formosa Bay residences – beach apartments are located in the village of Cabanas, Algarve, Portugal. The decorating style in these apartments is inspired by Eastern Algarve and its surrounding nature. The interior design of these stylish apartments and images in this article are signed by Vitor Guerra – Arquitectura e Design de Interiores Lda.
ALGA by Paulo Antunes took part in this design project and was in charge of providing the furniture pieces needed to create a coastal design with typical elements of the Eastern Algarve and modern details and finishes. This Portuguese brand combined some of its furnishing classics (Huguette Sofa, Tavira Bar Stool, Paris Chair, and Ágata Chair) with custom-made pieces such as armchairs, headboards, and poufs. The materials used were mostly ash/beech wood and stained in natural colors to achieve the desired look and create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere that captures the true essence of the beautiful Algarve.
For more creative design ideas, you are welcome to follow Danica Maricic, Interior Designer, on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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