WITH the garden beckoning, it’s easy to forget about interior decoration during the summer months. Yet there are many ways to benefit from the sunshine while indoors. Claire Hornby, creative stylist at Barker and Stonehouse, explains that creating summer rooms is key to making the most of the weather. Just as we change our clothes when the seasons change so, she says, we can revamp our homes. The key to a great summer room is creating a calm, tranquil space – perfect for relaxation on hot days, or lightening your spirits when the weather doesn’t oblige. “Substituting more delicate fabrics for curtains and throws, decorating in lighter shades, and featuring more natural materials will all suit summer rooms,” says Hornby. Check out the experts’ tips for transforming rooms ready for summer. You could set a tranquil mood by clearing out your hallway and letting in the light. “Make a cramped area feel bigger and maximise light by painting the floor and skirting boards in a light, pastel shade,” advises Jane Burdon, author of Room Rescues. GET THE LOOK: Dulux’s Light & Space range claims to reflect twice as much light around a room as normal paint. Emulsion, £21.09 for 2.5 litres, and Satinwood paint, £12.29 for 750ml. To maintain privacy and allow light to flood in from a window, shutters by Shutterly Fabulous, £250 a square metre, including installation are a great way. Alternatively, adhesive window film is a neat way around the problem of troublesome views. Some stockists offer to cut the film to size – a useful service for those who aren’t as confident in their DIY skills. GET THE LOOK: Frostbrite window film, from £25, from The Window Film Company. Breezy blue and white stripes, fresh white paintwork, neutral flooring, and lots of nautical bits and pieces bring to mind lazy days by the coast. Karen Thomas, head of home design for Sainsbury’s, says that the allure of the sea is strong this year. “Refresh a living room with an airy beach house palette of blues and understated neutrals,” she adds. “Cool cottons for throws, loose covers for sofas, and natural rattans and prints of seaside scenes are the ingredients for this relaxed style.” GET THE LOOK: Get ship-shape with a blue striped throw, £10; Tu cream cushion, £5; Tu blue stripe cushion, £6. Add accessories such as Tu beach hut frame print, £15 and Tu wooden and wire boat, £7. All from Sainsbury’s. The bedroom is probably the one and only room in a family home that a decorator can call their own. It shouldn’t just be a place to sleep, but a refuge from family life. Chrissie Rucker, founder of The White Company, says: “A perfect summer bedroom is an airy sanctuary. Small changes, such as changing heavy winter curtains for light, gauzy ones and adding a light-coloured bedspread, will help achieve that.” As we spend nearly a third of the year in bed a good mattress is also key. GET THE LOOK: Clermont bed linen, double duvet cover, £70, pillowcase, £18, The White Company. | 
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