5 quick and easy ways to summer-ify your NYC apartment
Fresh paint, a few new pillows and a clean room add up to effortless summer style.
Not planning to get out of town this summer? You can still enjoy a getaway vibe in the city through home decor. Here, New York City interior designer Michelle Everett of Michelle Everett Interior Design shares five quick and easy tips for transitioning your apartment from winter to summer.
Try a fresh coat of paint. Nothing revives a room faster than a new, clean paint job. If you want to go for a color, lighter, brighter shades of blue, green, yellow grey will impart a spring-like feel. "The truer the color, the more vibrant it will feel," says Everett.
Add patterns. Make a more seasonally appropriate statement with your accessories by swapping wool pillows and throws for those in a floral or open pattern. "Stripes and geometrics adds complexity," says Everett.
Change the curtains. Heavy drapes—think velvets and brocades—create a coziness that works in winter but can feel oppressive when the mercury rises. "Trade them for linen or cotton versions for a lighter, cooler effect," she says.
Edit your accessories. Like dark colors and fabrics, clutter can make a home feel airless and stifling. Cleaning up and paring down—think desktops and other surfaces, bookshelves and other areas where piles tend to accumulate—will open your space and imbue it with a feeling of renewal. "Spring is an ideal time for rethinking reassessing what you really need," says Everett.
Bring the outdoors in. Fresh-cut flowers and plants are an easy, if obvious, way to bring a touch of summer into your home. If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t despair, natural objects, like pieces of coral and seashells can deliver the same effect and require zero maintenance.
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