Decorating for Summer: Wrap-Up of the Summer Tour 2015

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The Welcome Home: Summer Tour has come to an end, but the fun continues in our households. On behalf of Balsam Hill, I’d like to thank all our blogger friends who participated in the campaign, most especially to Robin of All Things Heart and Home who helped us make it a success! It was truly inspiring to see each blogger’s decorating style and how their living spaces turned out.

Now, I’d like to welcome you to my own home and show you how I decorated my porch and patio. Read on to find out a bit more about the inspiration behind my summer decor.

My Summer Home

Dagmar's front porch

As I mentioned when we kicked off the summer housewalk, I chose to decorate my outdoor spaces with yellow and grey to compensate for the loss of view and sunlight caused by the new buildings in our area. I knew that if I brightened up my outdoor spaces my own way, we would have a happy spot to enjoy for the season!

The Porch

porch decorated with yellow flowers

For a bright and sunny welcome, I hung a yellow and orange berry wreath on my front door and put up hanging planters of annuals that coordinate with my color scheme. As I show you more pictures in this post, you’ll notice even more yellow blooms scattered around the area.

porch decorated with yellow pillow and stool

On my porch is a chair I adorned with a yellow throw pillow. The stool on the side was what I used to decorate for Mother’s day last year. The stool was originally pink with a decorative medallion design and corner accents. To make it perfect for summer, I repainted it yellow and added our initial “O” (for Obert) along with some laurel-like branches. I checked out some monograms and fonts to guide me and I like the result quite a bit!

The Backyard Patio

patio with yellow accents

I decorated my al fresco area with an outdoor barbecue party in mind. I hung Balsam Hill’s Globe Café Lights to provide elegant outdoor lighting, which is perfect for hanging out with friends who come over, or for bigger evening gatherings.

christmas lights in the patioyello flowers and plants in the patio

My bench is the focal point of my patio, so I had to make it look enticing. I added pillows, most of which were purchased at a pretty good discount as a result of watching sales. For my cushion, I used fabric that I bought with my January and February decorating budget. The stripe in the cloth, along with the watering can of flowers on the side, does a great job of pulling all the yellows, greys, and whites together to unify my motif. I believe that there is a time to use off-the-rack pieces and a time to go for custom items. For this decorating project, I chose to do the latter. Since I used to do custom fabrication, I sewed the pillow covers and bench cushion myself.

Dagmar's patio bench

For the area to appear larger, and to make the entire look work together, I strategically placed bits of yellow through flowers, fabrics, and placemats. My bench has yellow and grey pillows, while tables and random corners have yellow and white flowers. This way, the whole look is pulled into one focus while still featuring different textures and layers of interest. I love how this outdoor area enjoys lots of trees and plants, so it’s just natural for me to add more greenery to make it an even more relaxing and pleasant place to be in anytime of the day and into the evening.

summer flowers and placemats on table
Yellow daisies in porch
Double Ball Boxwood Topiary by Balsam Hill

My yellow daisies look so vibrant during the day, especially with Balsam Hill’s Double Ball Boxwood Topiary in the background. I selected the topiary because it echoes the greenery of my outdoors in a unique way. Its finely manicured look gives structure and adds sophistication to the natural flow of my other décor pieces. It also cleverly disguises the abrupt transition between the wood siding and the concrete wall.

Lighted Boxwood Topiary from Balsam Hill

The Boxwood Topiary also has a remarkable effect when lit at night. It does a great job of highlighting this area of our home.

Patio lit by Balsam Hill's Globe Cafe Lights
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When we lit up the Globe Café Lights, it’s as if the sun never went down! I love how they make my pillows even more sunny and cheerful this time of day. Recently, we had a group of folks over and one young couple huddled together on the bench as if no one else was there, and I loved that they felt so at home. They both had a long day at work, so it was nice that they were able to reconnect afterward.

I hope this post, and that of our blogger friends, has inspired you to create your own summer spot. With a few tricks and additions to your décor, your home will become one of the best places to be for the season.

For a full recap of the blog posts that went live for the Welcome Home: Summer Tour, here is the list of the bloggers, with links to their respective blogs:

BLOGGER BLOG SUMMER TOUR BLOG POST
Pamela Finch From My Front Porch To Yours http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2015/06/french-farmhouse-nautical-dining-room.html
Julie Schock Lilacs and Longhorns http://www.lilacsandlonghorns.com/summer-living-room-decor-welcome-home-tour.html
Tammy Henderson One More Time Events http://www.onemoretimeevents.com/2015/06/welcome-home-summer-tour-with-balsam-hill.html
Larissa Haynes Prodigal Pieces http://www.prodigalpieces.com/2015/06/welcome-home-summer-tour-with-balsam-hill/
Anne Payetta White Lace Cottage http://www.whitelacecottage.com/2015/06/welcome-home-summer-tour-balsam-hill/
Meegan Fast What Meegan Makes http://meeganmakes.com/welcome-home-summer-tour-with-balsam-hill/
Nancy Christopher Artsy Chicks Rule http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2015/06/welcome-home-coastal-summer-home-tour.html
Sondra Weaver Sondra Lyn at Home http://sondralynathome.com/coastal-vibe-tablescape-with-balsam-hill/
Christy K. James Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer http://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/my-summer-home-tour/
Shanna Gilbert Restoration Redoux http://www.restorationredoux.com/balsam-hill-welcome-home-summer-tour/
Robin Gay All Things Heart and Home http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/2015/06/welcome-home-summer-tour/
Heather Luckhurst Setting for Four http://www.settingforfour.com/2015/06/beachy-dining-room-decorating-ideas.html
Pam Kessler House of Hawthornes http://www.houseofhawthornes.com/a-vintage-eclectic-summer-vignette/
Jen Crider Girl in the Garage http://girlinthegarage.net/2015/06/white-bright-summer-mantel-welcome-home-tour/
Anita Joyce Cedar Hill Farmhouse http://cedarhillfarmhouse.com/2015/06/using-lantern.html
Lisa Walsh Huff Kroll Concord Cottage http://concordcottage.com/welcome-home-summer-tour-with-balsam-hill/
Christy Little Our Southern Home http://www.oursouthernhomesc.com/2015/06/summer-in-the-family-room.html
Mary Beth Cupcakes and Crinoline  http://cupcakesandcrinoline.com/2015/06/04/welcome-home-summer-welcoming-front-porch-decor/
Paula Skulina Sweet Pea  http://www.virginiasweetpea.com/2015/06/summer-deck-refresh-welcome-home-summer-tour.html
Therese Fresh Ideas Studio http://freshideastudio.com/beach-chic-decor-welcome-home-summer-tour/
Laura Janning Top This Top That http://www.topthistopthat.com/2015/06/summer-backyard-tour.html
Kimberly Fenelon Justus Serendipity Refined http://www.serendipityrefined.com/2015/06/bright-and-graphic-porch-decorating.html
Sharon Hines Mrs. Hines’ Class http://www.mrshinesclass.com/2015/06/05/summer-home-tour/
Angie Knick of Time http://knickoftime.net/2015/06/outdoor-spaces-summer-tour.html

4 Comments

  1. Setting for Four Reply

    Love your summer decor Dagmar!! Gorgeous! I love the lighted boxwood topiary – I’m obsessed with boxwood. TThe cafe lights create such a pretty glow at night – it looks like you are all ready for some fun summer patio parties! Thanks for the shout out of my summer housewalk with Balsam Hill – I love my Balsam Hill silver candlesticks!

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