It’s almost Summer! Getaways, hot weather, grilling outdoors, swimming… and then there’s your home. Summertime + your actual living space tend to be a bit separate. As nice as it would be to actually have a “Summer Home” in addition to the place you live for the other 9 months of the year, a lavish second home isn’t exactly reality for most people.

There are a lot of little ways to integrate the carefree color of Summertime into your everyday spaces, and feel like you have your version of a Summer Home. Bright and breezy, most of these projects require little more than a thrifted object and paint.

Look at your living spaces as they are, and figure out 2-3 accent colors that could compliment without clashing. Take a look at our project ideas, and grab a quart of each color at the hardware store. Then you can bring all your spaces together with your coordinated accent pieces!

Clear mason Jars, vases, fancy alcohol bottles: SO affordable at
Thrift Town and instantly transform into a bold focal point on any table or mantle.

This color combo is gorgeous! Melon, robin’s egg and french vanilla - SO summer.
(Remember, paint the inside of items you won’t be serving food or drinks from.)

Brighten your kitchen wall, and be more organized at the same time! Grab any sized picture frame at Thrift Town,
paint the frame in one of your accent colors, and peruse the sheets/pillow cases/fabrics for a complimentary pattern.
Simply cut your fabric to size and place under the glass in your painted frame. Such a cute memo board!

Spray paint is better for this project than a quart & paintbrush. But when you pick the colors,
you can make your own “set” from thrifted metal chairs that don’t match or have scratched paint.

Speaking of seating: wooden chairs also can go from separates to a set with just paint!
Use painter’s tape to mark of patterns or separate your colors, and make your dining room way more festive.

Have a dingy backyard table & chairs set? See previous 2 projects, and get them painted…
THEN: look for the correct sized pillows at Thrift Town (ignore their patterns!)
and grab a couple sheets or lightweight blankets to make simple pillow covers.

How fun and Summer-y are these pillows? And all of them have mismatched pillows under their pretty covers.
HERE’S a great tutorial that will give you the step-by-step directions for making your own covers.

Last but not least: this image was so refreshing and inspiring! Between decopauge, fabrics,
tinted glassware, and assorted books and other items, get creative with your summer-lovin’ space!

Happy Thrifting, friends! — Kari

Kari Shipman is thrifty, eco-conscious, and knows the importance of supporting local charities. She has been our featured blogger since we started the blog in 2010, and has a serious passion for fashion. In addition to owning her own Fashion Consulting Business, Juniper James, Kari is the Retail Manager and Designer Consultant for Flywheel, a non-profit, all-local designer retail shop/art studio.

Kari lives out her passions in Northern California with her wonderful husband Charles, and their black lab, Gracie.