working w/ fall colors in summer
grangran
My Greatroom is painted in fall colors - terra cotta & wheat. What can I use to decorate in the summer and keep the same base colors? I have brown leather furniture and the house is considered to be "ranch". I have Boston Terriers in the sunroom - beach scene in the master bath and bedoom, flamingo's by the pool...Lab puppies in the guest bath, New Orleans in the Main bath, but now I am lost...
catwoman708
I have dark leather furniture also and just change the pillows and accent colors with the seasons. One set of light "botanicals" in the spring/summer and one set of darker colors in the fall/winter. It's a quick, easy fix to just change out a few textiles and accessories and add some plants and flowers. If your lightest shade is wheat, go a few shade lighter (cream, beige, off-white, or pale "desert" colors of pink, peach, sand, and turquoise - if it matches), and maybe even a bit of bright orange in with the lighter colors really adds a cool, unexpected touch. Change any dark/heavy pillows, throws, throw rugs, draperies, or table coverings/runners with the lighter colored fabrics. (Dark or heavy drapes can be expensive to replace, and can just be left open or tied back for an airier look. If you need your windows covered, try just sheers in off-white with inexpensive thin bamboo "roll-up shades for the summer.) If you don't already have plants and flowers, add some, or replace darker silk floral arrangements with lighter summery ones. Several large plants (real or silk, 5' or more) in various areas, surrounded by groupings of smaller ones make a dramatic, outdoorsy look. Put at least some of them in interesting lighter colored containers (wicker, Mexican pottery, faux stone or ceramic). Stick a few silk flowers in the lighter, brighter colors right in the base of the plants. Add a few simple silk arrangements around the room in unusual containers (galvanized metal watering can, pitchers, teapots, unique pottery,...). You could even use bright yellow, orange, and cream colored mums then in the Fall, just add a few more darker shaded mums, like gold & deep purples. If you entertain, you can't beat fresh cut flowers in clear glass or crystal vases (or just a bowl with a few blooms floating) to lighten and brighten things up for summer (and I luuuv those tabletop fountains!).Change a few accessories (lamps &/or lampshades, artwork, candlesticks, knick knacks) with lighter versions. Mirrored lamps and candlesticks or groupings of framed mirrors on the walls will reflect light. Change your darkest piece of artwork with something lighter (a watercolor, botanical print, butterflies, or a "bucolic" scene). Since you have dogs/puppies in other rooms, add some animal figures, sculptures, or artwork to continue the theme (horses, birds, butterflies/dragonflies, or a fish tank), or a wire birdcage and birdhouses. Add a few summer photos! Enlarge some of your favorite summer vacation photos and frame them in lighter, "summery" frames (in the fall/winter, replace them with Halloween or Christmas photos in darker frames).This is a great time to get end-of-season summer items on sale as they're already putting out fall & Christmas stuff now. Even Wal-mart & Target have some decent looking home decor items for cheap. (I love Garden Ridge, Hobby Lobby, Ross, Marshals, and T.J. Maxx for inexpensive but cool looking stuff, & they regularly have clearance items too!)**** luck and have fun.
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