Welcome to my 2021 Summer Home Tour. I’m so glad you’re here!
I’ve always said that I love all the seasons. That I live in the season I’m in and never long for the next one. This year however, that statement is a bald faced lie! I have been longing for summer since fall of last year.
Maybe it was the pandemic, the cancelled vacations, or just the longing for vitamin sea. All I can say is I am so happy it will be here soon!
Summer at my home is done coastal style. We have long had a love affair with the ocean so there is no shortage of props to accomplish that. Shells, sea life statues, boats and art all collected from trips to one beach town or another. My lower level is coastal all year long. I simply add some pretty accents each season.
When summer rolls around, I rob my lower level and bring the coast upstairs. The fact that it’s virtually unnoticeable there when I do that is more than a little scary. There will be a downsize in our future and this house is packed solid. I do know wherever we choose to retire, there will be an ocean much closer than it is today. My coastal purchases will always have a place.
So… Please come inside! We will start right here in the entry.
Nautical Entryway
My husband and I were married many moons ago in Maui. We go back every few years and always in March when the humpbacks and their babies are there. We’ve grown to love them so much and they are prominently displayed in our home.
The real thing
Also on this table is my favorite lantern to date. You can read about the inspiration behind it in my previous post, Mandy and Me. And of course… a nautical welcome is a must!
Across from the stairs that lead to the lower level is a second smaller table reflecting more of our love for the sea. I change the swag above it with each season. This time of year it is done with various shades of blue flowers, seashells, and pretty green fern fronds.
Formal Living Room
I’ve added just a few touches to the formal living room. Although seldom used, it is the first thing you will see through the front door.
One of my favorite paintings hangs in this room. The ocean, a lighthouse, and flowers… what more could you possibly need?
The Dining Room
The formal dining room will sit idle for the season as well. We will do all of our entertaining outdoors for the summer. We love dinners on the deck with friends on a warm summer night. Such a great part of this season!
I did hang a favorite picture to tie in the coastal decor of the rest of the house. It was painted by my dad years ago. I had it matted and framed for our son one Christmas. He has been living here again since the pandemic so I hung it on the wall rather than put it in storage.
The Family Room
This is the room where our love of the ocean really takes hold. So much so that I felt the need to add my favorite quote to the wall here!
The photo in this picture is so special to me. It is the Marblehead Lighthouse on Lake Erie. I’ve visited it several times through the years on trips home. It was always a favorite stop on our way to Kellys Island or Cedar Point. We took Mom back to her island for her 80th birthday years ago. It was the first time my kids had ever been to the place I grew up. My son took this picture and had it matted and framed for my birthday that year which makes it extra special! He was quite young then but somehow knew how much this would mean to me.
The space above the fireplace in this room is the first place I decorate for every season and summer is no exception. Since this is the main focal point for the room, it definitely sets the overall tone.
The pelican picture centered here is one of my favorite summer additions. The picture was taken from the pier on a visit to San Diego one year. I used one of my favorite apps to turn it into a poster and then added it to a 100 year old window I was given by a friend. You can check out the process in my post, How to Turn a Favorite Photo into Art. Whales, coral, and candles complete the middle section.
The coffee tables and end tables in this room keep the beachy vibe going with treasures from other visits to the coast.
Looking in from the kitchen, the sofa table is so pretty dressed up in coastal attire. It adds so much to my summer home.
Cheery Lemon Kitchen
Although I love the coastal look that’s dominant in the other rooms, the kitchen is always bright and cheery this time of year. The black and white buffalo checked motif is brightened up by my favorite lemon themed accents,
Our home is a two story with a walkout and being up higher, it sometimes feels like we live in a treehouse! That’s especially felt here in the kitchen. The picture window frames the large maple in the back yard. It makes for a very interesting breakfast spot. The squirrels and birds certainly keep us entertained!
Lemons take over the places where the birds and bunnies of spring once were.
I also couldn’t resist all the bee related decorations I saw every place I went this year. The bees worked so well with the lemons!
My favorite place to give a summer refresh is the coffee bar. It’s always my first stop of the day so I consider it the most important in this room. With that in mind, I spent a lot of time decorating here. The lemon theme worked perfectly for this space and it brightens my day first thing in the morning! A cheery coffee bar is a must have in my summer home!
Since the kitchen door leads to the deck where we will do all our summer entertaining, I added this wreath that I made a few years ago.
I love my kitchen this time of year! When life gives you lemons… decorate with them!
Thank You!
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you will visit often!
Before you leave, be sure to stop by the Printable Library. There are several new additions that you may want to print and use in your own summer home. Always free to subscribers, simply add your password to your favorites, download, and print. They are my way to thank you for being a part of My Home of All Seasons.
If you haven’t joined us yet, please do! Your subscription gives you immediate access to everything in the library. In addition, you’ll always be the first to know when new ones are added. My weekly/bi-weekly newsletter keeps you up to date with the latest in seasonal home decor.
Bye for now! See you soon!
You have so many nautical accents that I just love! I always hesitate to fill our house with nautical accents because we live on a lake nowhere near the ocean… but I am drawn to all that. I love the shades of blues and dolphins, and flip flops, and beachscapes.
Thank you Joanne! At least you are lucky enough to live by a body of water though! I am totally landlocked here in Colorado. I do keep a lot of my nautical things downstairs for most of year for exactly the same reason. That being said, I do think your home should be filled with all the things that you love. I live for the trips to the ocean and this time of year I like to be reminded on a daily basis of how beautiful it is. The whole house goes “coastal” in the summer! Thanks again for stopping by and have a great week.
Denise, thank you for your visit to me and I want to return the favor. Your home is beautiful and I love all your seasonal decorations. I grew up in Santa Cruz by the beach and now live in the mountains. I do miss the ocean, especially on stormy nights, but the fog got to be a bit much. But the beauty of decorating is that you can transform wherever you live into what you want and you do it beautifully. .Happy June..xxoJudy
Thank you Judy! What a great place that must have been to grow up! We love all the beach towns in California and visit there often. The mountains have a beauty of their own though. Thanks again for your kind words. I’m glad you stopped by and hope you have a wonderful day.
It all looks so pretty and yes to vitamin sea! Oh gosh, the thoughts of downsizing doesn’t sound pleasant but if if brings you closer to the coast then yay!! Which coastal area do you have in mind? Thanks so much for linking up with me at the Unlimited Link Party 28. Pinned!
Thanks Dee! We are still a ways off from retirement but time is flying by. We want to go West because Katie is in San Diego but it’s pretty tough on the pocket book out there. Still so up in the air. As long as it’s closer than Colorado, I’ll be fine! Thanks again and have a great week ahead.
Your home looks great! Thanks for sharing with us on Traffic Jam Weekend at http://www.LifeasaLEOWife.com. We will be back from hiatus this Thursday, July 28, and I hope that you will be back to share your wonderful posts with us. You can also share on our other link parties, Happiness is Homemade and You’re the Star Blog Hop.
Thanks so much Niki! Have a great weekend.