Going Coastal

Although I may go postal in this anomalous snowy day we're having, my mind has been on all things summer, and I've been making efforts to lighten up my house after the winter months. While my own style isn't coastal and I don't live by an ocean any more (do you HEAR the tears?), my home--and any style of home for that matter--can take notes from the light and breezy aesthetic of coastal dwellings.

This is not to equate coastal summery elements with cottage style, though the two go very well together. In fact, I'm exploring here how coastal can be modern and many other styles.

For the summer months, I'm going to:

INCORPORATE WHITE AND LIGHT. I just switched out my kids' matching twin bed quilts with lighter coverlets. The towels and linens are all white which contrary to what one might think works fabulously with children because you can throw it all in and brighten or bleach it together. And white brightens on a clothes line--another great summer addition. White plates, white linen napkins, white pitcher for morning OJ, white flowers filling the vase each week. I'm going white white white and I'm layering it all on top of each other.

THROW IN LIGHT BLUES. While white is my base, I'm going to throw in some dimension and color with robin's egg blue and draw on the teal of my armoire made out of barn wood I found in a LaBrea flea market. Only touches here and there of the color--and I'm going to allow myself the luxury that the blues will go, but not match exactly.

CLEAR OUT CLUTTER. While I like collections and I am one who accumulates (books, sterling hotel spoons, random photos from yard sales, antique plates) I also love the simplicity of clearing out those stacks that winter hibernation invites.

MAKE FIRE. Cheap and a big visual bang for your buck, candles all around add a summer joie de vivre to any simple meal or evening. Huge pillar candles never get old, but this year I'm going with dozens of short jam jars (25 cents at the thrift store) with tea lights inside. I'm not going to forget the back patio, where I plan to pull out the circular fire pit and pretend that I'm either at the Hotel del Coronado or Cape Cod with my evening beverage and a light wrap.

ADD THE SUMMERY DETAILS. I'm going to get out that serving tray of stacked glasses and iced herb tea, put those magazines in a wicker tote beside the reading chair, set out that stack of summer novels, fill that glass hurricane with lemons and limes that, yes, I will take the time to squeeze into my Pellegrino, and close my eyes, and savor summer.