Smart Home

(ARA) – Summer is in full swing, and the guests are lining up for weekend brunches, pool parties, backyard barbecues and sophisticated dinners. If you’re feeling the urge to spruce up your home for summer entertaining, you can make a big impact on a modest budget with some simple steps.

You can refresh your home’s look by investing in four easy areas -- floors, walls, lighting and accents. Whether it’s just getting your carpets cleaned or adding a striking area rug, switching out tired table lamps or adding a fresh coat of paint, it’s easy to make eye-catching changes with just a weekend’s worth of work.

Fabulous floors

Freshening floors doesn’t have to be an expensive or time-consuming task. Carpets will benefit from a simple deep cleaning – something you should be doing seasonally anyway to preserve their beauty and extend their usable lives. For tile, stone or hardwoods, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning and maintenance and make the process part of your seasonal cleaning routine.

Another great way to dress up floors, either indoors or out, is to add a splash of color with an area rug. “An area rug is a great decorating tool that can act as an accent to your décor and serve a practical purpose as well if you’re looking to cost-effectively conceal a flaw, like a worn or stained spot,” says Dan Auer of Decorative Product Services, a company that specializes in home design products. For floor-freshening ideas, check out Rugshowplace.com.

No wall flowers

Walls are the largest space element in your room décor, and brightening them for the season can be as easy as switching out the artwork or adding a fresh coat of paint. Start with a neutral wall shade and add color with wall art that fits your mood, taste and the season for which you’re decorating.

Summer is also a great time to add a decorative mirror, since drapes and windows are often open to welcome in the sunlight and bright sky. Adding a mirror on the wall opposite a window is a great way to reflect sunlight throughout the room and make a small space appear more expansive.

Lighten up

While you’re reveling in the natural light of summer, don’t overlook the importance of using light to create a mood for warm weather evenings. Lighting is an essential element that contributes to how your home looks and feels, and the light entering from outdoors changes with the season and time of day.

With longer days and more sun in summer, you may find you need synthetic light less for visibility and more for ambiance. Summer is a great time to add dimmers to a dining room or bedroom, add an eye-catching overhead fixture, or give bright lights a break in favor of subtly placed table or floor lamps. For great seasonal lighting ideas, visit www.LightingShowplace.com.

Outdoor lifestyle

Don’t forget that the same design principles you use to create a wonderful indoor environment can apply outdoors as well. Update your outdoor spaces with area rugs designed for beauty and durability. Add accent lighting such as energy-efficient solar lights to set the mood for evening and night gatherings. You’ll find great outdoor options at www.LightingShowplace.com and www.RugShowplace.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent
 

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Revised: August 04, 2009.