Styling Your Home This Summer: Neutral Tones, Natural Materials and a Pop of Bold
As the days grow longer and the sunshine pours in, summer brings the perfect opportunity to refresh your interiors with a light, airy aesthetic that soothes the soul and sparks creativity. This season, it's all about embracing natural textures, muted palettes, and unexpected contrasts - creating spaces that feel grounded, yet alive. Here’s the Dara Maison guide to incorporating this year’s summer interior design trends into your own personal sanctuary.
Neutral Tones Are The New Summer Staples
Think warm sands, soft oatmeals, and sun-washed beiges. Neutral tones continue to reign, but this summer, it's less about stark minimalism and more about creating warmth and comfort. These hues provide the perfect base for layering textures and introducing other trend-forward elements. Mix varying shades of cream, taupe, and even greige to add dimension to your space without overwhelming it.
Be Bold In Monochrome With Colour Drenching
Whilst neutral tones provide the perfect earthy backdrop, colour drenching continues to be a hot trend in interior design as more and more people shift away from minimalism and stark white spaces. Use colour in one or two areas to create an immersive, cosy cocoon-like vibe that’s both calming and high-impact. Choose a single hue, such as terracotta, sage, coastal blue, golden yellow, or dusky rose, and take it as far as you like – from walls to ceilings, skirting boards, architraves and decorative trims, and even cabinetry and furniture, nothing is considered too far in the realm of colour drenching, so be brave and bold and use colour make a statement that aligns with your personality.
If you’re not so sure, try it in a small space such as a home office, or reading nook for a bold statement that’s easy to manage. If you would prefer to keep your backdrop neutral but still want to make a statement, opt for furniture combinations in bold colours such as the Ludmila Sofa and Mallow Armchair in Bordeaux Velvet, or the Remo Sofa and Mallow Armchair in Sage Green Velvet.
Layer Textures For A Sensory Experience
Texture is the secret ingredient to turning a flat space into a cosy haven. This summer, designers are getting creative by mixing everything from coarse jute rugs and smooth ceramics to matte limewash walls and soft boucle furniture.
Combine an Athena Sofa in neutral off-white boucle with a Frank Coffee Table in Travertine, or a Brooke Side Table in Raw Oak and Travertine and arrange on top of a sisal rug. Style the sofa with a chunky knit throw and woven scatter cushions and place a Ceramic Pot or textured bowl such as the Amorphous Bowl or Bloom Bowl on the table. It’s texture on texture, and it works – and it provides endless opportunities to add your own personal flair.
Bring The Outdoors In With Natural Materials
Natural materials are everywhere this season - from rattan and bamboo to raw wood and linen, they create an organic, laid-back vibe that connects your interior to nature, ideal for that summer state of mind. Bring a relaxed summer feel to evening dinners with a wood and rattan Evelin Dining Chair, or add an earthy touch to your living room with the Davide Media Unit, beautifully crafted from fluted oak, rattan and natural solid stone.
Add Personal Flair With Bold Accent Accessories
Whether you opt for neutrals and naturals or vibrant and colour drenched, your background colour palette will set the tone of the room and provide the perfect canvas for you to add accessories that tell your guests about your style and personality.
Make a bold statement with a feature wall by hanging bold, bright artwork by artists such as Arran Rahimain and Kristen Giorgi. For more understated styling, place colourful accent pieces such as the Accordian Vase, or Flared Glass Bowl against a muted backdrop – this will really draw the eye and make the space feel artistically curated, elevating the overall feel of the room without overwhelming it.
Summer Styling: Curated Calm Meets Confident Contrast
This summer’s interior trends are all about finding that balance between calm and character. By layering neutral tones, leaning into natural textures, and fearlessly adding bold touches, you can create a space that feels both grounded and full of life. Whether you're revamping a room or simply swapping out a few pieces, embrace the season’s palette of possibilities.