Fun Summer Decorating Ideas for the Home

Are you looking for some easy DIY summer decorating ideas for the home that are not only fun but creative too? See my unique tips for creating beautiful indoor summer decor that’s perfect for your dining room and bar area. Come take a look inside my lake home and see what you think!

With Memorial Day being celebrated this weekend, I knew it was time to FINALLY get my butt in gear and start switching up my indoor seasonal decor for summer. I took down my Easter and spring decorations a couple of weeks ago and I have been living in limbo between the two seasons as I hunted for the perfect pieces to add for the upcoming summer months.

“No matter what it takes” included me going to the following stores within the last week or so: Michaels twice, Joanns, 2 different Kirkland stores, 2 different HomeGoods, Target, World Market, Pier 1, and Dollar Tree

The first shopping trip happened last Wednesday on my husband Patrick’s day off. He’s one of those weird men that actually enjoys shopping. He normally doesn’t mind being dragged from store to store while I drive myself absolutely insane looking for decor, or clothes, or whatever else I’m searching for at the moment. I bet this totally makes you want to come shopping with me!

Shopping day number two was this past Saturday when I dragged my teenage son, Zach, all over the world with me to locate those final touches I needed. I have to say, he too is pretty laid back with shopping. I bought him lunch at Pei Wei and he was a happy camper for the rest of the afternoon. 

Sadly though, I still hadn’t found everything I needed for my summer decor after both marathon shopping days with “The Boys”. And that’s no surprise! This is pretty much the norm for me every time I decorate. 

Like clockwork, I threatened to throw in the towel and just say, “Forget about it!” to the whole project.  Oh, how I hate decorating sometimes!

Truth be told, I actually did that with my Valentine’s Day decor this year. I eventually decorated our home but it took so long that I didn’t have enough time to get it on the blog before Valentine’s Day came. It’s embarrassing to admit, but nonetheless, that was the reality that took place back in February for me. The good news is there’s always next year and I’m actually ahead of the game since I have the photographs taken already.

You can probably guess by now that I didn’t actually throw in the towel this time around (I am writing this post after all), but I did have a pity party for myself before putting on my Big Girl Panties and finally getting this project done. 

Basically, I hit rock bottom and had an epiphany!

Here’s the thing, I’m not an interior designer. I have zero, and I mean zero, experience when it comes to home decor. I can pretty much bet that a real interior designer would take one look at my photos and eat my decor inspiration up for breakfast.

But what I realized after being at my lowest point is I’m totally okay with that! In the end, I always love the way the final product turns out and it makes me HAPPY to walk into a home that I love. And being happy with my home is why I decorate in the first place.

I promised you tips about fun summer decorating ideas for the home so here you go. I’m warning you that they probably aren’t what you expected:

Don’t take decorating too seriously. After having a pity party for myself on Monday, I decided to go shopping in my own home and find pieces I already had to complete my summer decor.  Shockingly, it worked! It worked because I gave myself a little grace, and a big reminder, that I’m not a designer, and the pressure of making everything perfect subsided. Who cares if I don’t buy EVERYTHING new for my social media pictures!

Find decor that makes you happy. Decorating should be fun! Remember that the whole point of decorating your home is to bring YOU joy. If that means you want to decorate your house with a million pictures of birds, then by golly, you do it. I constantly have to remind myself of this, but when I do, my creative juices flow better and I end up with a final product I really love.

Have a plan, or don’t. I’m a Type-A, perfectionistic person who always likes to go into a situation prepared. When it comes to decorating my home for the different holidays and seasons, that preparation usually takes place in the form of me searching on Pinterest for inspiration and ideas.

For me, having an idea of the look I’m wanting to achieve helps me stay focused while shopping. That’s my strategy, but that strategy might not work for everyone. For the more creative-type personality, I can see how having a preconceived idea might hinder the person’s ability to just go where the decor Gods take them!

To plan…or not to plan…I’ll let you choose your answer.

And my final piece of decorating advice, Own Your Space! How ever your space turns out, own it and love it. Stand back, admire your work, and be proud of what you did because you worked hard on it! It might have taken me until this past Monday to learn this lesson for myself, but I swear it made a world of difference in my psyche and alleviated the pressure I’ve been putting on myself to get things just right.

These fun summer decorating ideas for the home are a far cry from making it into a Better Homes and Garden magazine. They make me smile, though, and that’s all I can ask for. If any of my ideas sparked some of your own creative juices then great! If you decided that this summer decor wasn’t for you, I understand. If nothing else, I hope you walk away from this post knowing it’s okay to do what makes you happy. It is your home after all!

Don’t forget to check out my patio decor too!

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