How to Bring the Outdoors Inside Your Home: Get Summer Décor All Year Round

You can bring the outdoors into your home décor all year round. Certain design techniques mimic that sun-kissed sparkle that summer gives us those short few months. “Brightening indoors involves a combination of lighting techniques, thoughtful window treatments, and strategic placement of plants and furniture,” advised Priyanshi Jain, an architect and interior designer. Try the following techniques and you’ll find that summertime glow whenever you want.

Photo credit: Ahn Nguyen

Brighten Indoor Space With Lighting

Natural light is important in any space. “Research suggests that incorporating more sunlight can help with everything from reducing overall stress levels to encouraging healthier sleep patterns,” according to Kriss Swint, director of marketing communications and design lead for Westlake Royal Building Products. “Windows let in views and breezes, and light wells reduce our reliance on artificial light.”

One way to amplify the light you have is to layer it. “By combining overhead lights, floor lamps and table lamps, you can create a warm and inviting ambiance,” recommended Morgan DiRocco, cofounder and designer at Kindred Interior Design.

NYC-based designer Sharon Blaustein, CEO and founder of B Interior often likes to use recessed lighting paired with a statement lighting fixture, to brighten up a home. “I’m a big fan of table and floor lamps to add ambiance and create an intimate feeling,” she added. “In this townhouse, I used statement decorative chandeliers above dining and living to create a focal point.”

A chandelier brings the outside in by mimicking natural elements or creating a visual connection to the outdoors through its design or materials, Blaustein explained. “For example, some chandeliers are designed with organic, flowing shapes that resemble natural forms like vines, leaves, or flowers. These shapes can evoke a sense of being surrounded by nature.”

Photo credit: Morgan DiRocco

Mirrors also are good tools for reflecting natural light, making a space feel brighter and more open. Simply place the mirror above a lamp or where light filters through the window. “Mirrors are helpful for much more than just touch-ups or looking at the last minute,” said Tobin Dimmitt, founder of the Amish Furniture Factory and Lofty Furniture. “Designing with mirrors can be your hidden benefit if you want to lighten a dark area. Mirrors are a great way to reflect light and visually expand a room.”

How to Layer Lighting and Choose Bulbs 

When it comes to layering with light, balance is essential. “A good rule of thumb is to start with three layers: ambient (overhead lighting), task (floor or table lamps), and accent (string lights or fairy lights),” said Anh Nguyen, interior designer and the founder of 365 Crocs. “Ensure each layer serves a purpose and enhances the space without overwhelming it.” An example of this would use ambient lighting for general illumination, task lighting for areas such as reading nooks and accent lighting for highlighting a particular feature like a painting.

Nguyen warned that over-layering is possible. So consider the size of your space and the natural light available before installing anything. “In smaller rooms, fewer layers with softer lights can create a cozy feel without clutter,” she explained. “In larger rooms, you can experiment with more layers but still aim for a cohesive look.” 

Photo credit: Evan Joseph

Paying attention to color temperatures is important, too. Jain advised that combining different color temperatures sometimes makes a space feel disjointed. “Select a warm or cool palette and follow it, or carefully plan where to use each,” she recommended. “For instance, warm lights (2700K to 3000K) are usually better for living areas for a cozy feel, while cool lights (3500K to 4100K) are suitable for bathrooms and kitchens for clear visibility.”

Consider switching to LED bulbs, too, offered Jain. These provide a brighter output and are more energy-efficient than traditional ones. She recommended bulbs with a higher lumen count and a color temperature that replicates daylight around 5000K- 6500K to make indoor spaces mimic outdoor conditions.

Photo credit: Ahn Nguyen

Optimizing Light With Windows and Curtains

Just cleaning your windows and swapping out heavy curtains for lighter, sheer fabrics can infuse your home with more light. For example, there are so many options for window treatments, said interior designer Karen Dzendolet of KDZ Designs. “If your goal is to provide treatments that allow the outside to be easily visible, while still providing many options for fabric choices, then my favorite choice is/are operable roman shades,” she said. These go up when you want more light and down for privacy at night.

You can also choose lighter weight fabrics in lighter hues as window treatments. Sheer fabrics allow the light to come in, but still provide some privacy,” Dzendolet offered. “If you like the idea of lighter weight fabrics, but want to provide room darkening, you can have blinds installed behind the curtains or draperies.” 

Using lighter fabrics on your windows is just a starting point. You can do this on your furniture, bedding and tablecloths, too, using colors and textures that feature nature such as trees, plants and water. ”They don’t have to be exact representations,” said Dzendolet. “Perhaps the color of a favorite sunset view or the colors of flowers that you pass when you walk in your favorite park in the spring are experiences that you want to reference inside your home.”

Photo credit: Westlake Royal Building Products/Eldorado Stone

Plants Bring the Outdoors In

Plants bring the outdoors in. “Plants offer both a pop of color and a breath of fresh air, helping to filter the air and provide a greater feeling of calm simply by their natural aromas,” explained Swint. And for the truly committed, you can even try an entire living walls, filled with greenery and flowers. 

Courtney Cole, an interior design at TileCloud, recommended using the design principle known as biophillic design, which aims to increase human’s connection to nature in a home, a building or space. “An easy way to do this with your interiors is to bring indoor plants into your design, which will add some greenery and make you feel like you're sitting outdoors even when you’re watching television.”

Houseplants, even fake ones, are your friend, agreed Blair Donovan, senior style editor at Apartment Therapy. “Low-maintenance monstera plants have been my go-to for the past few years — they can look slightly tropical, and add a pretty pop of greenery to any room. If you don’t have a green thumb, though, IKEA has a huge selection of fake potted plants that look like the real deal, or Pottery Barn, Amazon and Costco sell faux olive trees for a taller statement piece.”

Photo credit: Viv Yapp for Apartment Therapy

Furniture Placement That Makes Your Home Airy

Rearranging furniture to create more open spaces helps add light and space to your home. “Position seating areas near windows to take advantage of natural light,” recommended DiRocco. “Incorporating natural materials like wood, rattan, and stone in your accent pieces can further enhance the outdoor feel.” This translucent or light-colored furniture will help amplify the light. As will placing a pale rug on the floor — especially if you have dark floorboards. “You can choose a rug color that is either white or ivory, yellow, or one of the warmer shade combinations,” suggested Dimmitt. “Going as large as possible with your rug is a good idea, mainly if your foundation floor is a dark hue.”

You should also pay attention to the size of your furniture. Oversized pieces will throw extra shadows, increasing the gloominess of a space. “Moreover, it intensifies the hue of objects higher up in your field of vision,” offered Dimmitt. “To avoid this, purchase low-lying, minimalist furniture. Assign a maximum height to each item of furniture and ensure that it is below that limit.”

You can even create dedicated rooms that celebrate the spirit of summer. Mitch Brean, lead designer at Stone Yard suggested:

Make Your Own Wellness Room by incorporating plants and planters from your gardens into a cozy indoor space. “Bringing your plants indoors not only helps them survive the winter but it creates room balance and air purification,” he said

Bring Your Outdoor Furniture Indoors. Wouldn’t you like a spa/meditation space in your home? Done! Bring in those garden benches and put them in your bathroom, bedroom or any space you want to turn into a place of relaxation.

Cole also recommended using earthy scents to mimic the outdoors. “To bring in the feeling of the rain or the feeling of walking through a blooming garden, make sure that you’re using candles or diffusers to bring the smell into the house,” she offered. “When you are playing with the senses visually, accompanying it with smell will make sure that your body feels as connected to the outdoors as possible.”

With these tips you will feel a sense of the outdoors and a connection to the natural world, even when it’s storming outside and you vow to stay indoors all day long.

If you are still working on your actual outside space, check out our blog post on creating your best backyard.

Featured photo: Ahn Nguyen