These are some steps you can take to make your space more comfortable in the warmer weather. Ms. Nisbet stated that a year is a long period of time and that you don’t always want the same things in your home. The new season begins with winter accessories being put away and summer accessories being brought out. Image by Amanda Nisbet. We asked interior designers for their advice. She said, “You only do it once and then you change it every six month.” It always feels new.” Credit…Max Kim-BeeSwitch out Pillows and Throws. One of the easiest ways of changing the look of a room’s appearance is to change its decorative textiles. “First and foremost, replace your pillows,” Zoe Feldman, an interior design professional based in Washington, D.C., stated. “That’s a very easy solution.” In winter, heavy pillows, often covered in velvet or chunky wool, can provide warmth. In the summer, lightweight linen or cotton is a sensible choice.ImageSlipcovers, a natural rug and a basket full of seashells help create a relaxed, summery vibe in a home designed by Zoe Feldman.Credit…Stacy Zarin GoldbergAside from the material, consider the visual warmth of your color choices, Ms. Feldman said: “For winter, you might want warm colors like curry, russet and olive green. You can also switch it up to brighter colors like butter yellow, salad green, and periwinkle in the summer. Summer is the time to put away any sheepskins or thick wool blankets hanging over the arms of sofas and chairs, and to bring out gauzy cotton and linen blankets or lightweight throws in fresh colors.ImageBlue and green accessories add color to a home that Nick Olsen designed.Credit…Reid RollsAdd Slipcovers”Fabrics have a seasonal quality to them, and velvets, mohair and any sort of felt, to me, has a fall-winter feeling and a warmth that is not always suitable in spring and summer,” said Nick Olsen, an interior designer in New York. He likes to cover heavy sofas and chairs with slipcovers in the summer. “A white cotton-duck slipcover, or a linen slipcover, just feels really fresh for spring/summer,” he said. He said that slipcovers are practical because they can be used over heavy upholstery. “In spring and summer, you want to do fresher, lighter, brighter colors.” “In spring and summer, you want to do fresher, lighter, brighter.”Credit…Nick GlimenakisRoll Up the RugsLarge rugs are unwieldy and difficult to store, making it tough to change them with the seasons. Some designers layer large, summery rugs underneath smaller, wintry rugs that can be easily removed. Emma Beryl, an interior designer from New York, said, “I like to do neutral, neutral, natural rugs like a sisal or jute on the bottom.” Credit…Roger DaviesChange the Curtains Credit…Roger DaviesChange the CurtainsMs. Nisbet suggested that the curtains be changed. “In winter, I like cozy decor and I have boiled wool curtains,” she said. She said that it makes a big difference. It’s like you’re in a new room. “It’s not that laborious, especially if you get the whole family involved,” Ms. Nisbet said, “which is what my parents did.”ImageIn the bedroom, replace heavy duvets and wool blankets with a lighter option like cotton pique or matelasse, Mr. Olsen suggested.Credit…Reid RollsMake a Cool BedAs the weather warms up, it’s time to swap out those downy duvets and woolly blankets. “It’s not even a design thing.” It’s not a design thing. She said that she has a sepia-toned and pastoral-scenic wallpaper in her Millbrook dining room. It skews very autumn. “So in the Summer, I put a fresh, pretty tablecloth onto the mahogany dining room table. It brightens up the entire space.” Ms. Whittaker also uses summer as an opportunity to change her flatware, dinnerware and glassware — specifically, she switches to bamboo-handled flatware, playfully patterned plates and colorful drinking glasses.”Storing things that you love, and rotating them with the seasons, freshens everything up,” she said, and allows you to enjoy favorite accessories all over again.ImageIn her dining room in Millbrook, N.Y., Ashley Whittaker covers her mahogany table with a tablecloth for summer and digs out colorful glassware and dishes.Credit…Thomas LoofRethink Your Relationship With FireIf you have a fireplace, you probably don’t use it much in summer. If you have a backyard, you might spend some time around a firepit. Ms. Feldman suggested that you empty out any container that holds firewood or kindling, and then restock it with lightweight throws and pillows. This will help you get through the summer. He laughed and said, “Black candles in summertime are a little Gothic.” “Candles come with all kinds of pretty colors, so you might switch them out for something brighter.” ImageMs. Whittaker lops large branches from trees and puts them into vases for an extravagant decorative effect. Credit: Melanie AcevedoFill your Vases and Bowls. One of the best ways for your home to feel summery is to use nature’s bounty. Bright peonies, dahlias, and other summer flowers can be bought in bunches at a green market or picked from your garden. She said, “I have ratchet cutters that can cut huge branches off of a tree.” I’ll put it in my living room and it will look like a summertime tree. Ms. Whittaker suggested that you don’t think too much about it. A summery interior should feel comfortable. She said that “bringing an informality to formal” is a great thing to do in the summer. Sign up here for weekly email updates about residential real estate news. Follow us on Twitter at @nytrealestate
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