Cosy Living when home becomes a hug

What has to go · the winter things disappear

First the heavy things go. The thick wool throws off the sofa, the tweed cushions off the armchair, the fir wreaths out of the dresser – everything moves into the big drawer under the bed. I swap the curtains for a light linen version, the checked cushions go away, heavy candle scent too. It really does make a difference. The living room properly breathes a sigh of relief.

The spring tulips still standing in the jugs on top of the dresser I gradually replace with white hydrangeas from the garden. They last forever in the vase and simply look so summery.

What comes in · unpacking the summer box

And then the lovelier part begins. The same favourites come out every year at my place – over the years I’ve noticed which pieces simply work again and again.

Little coastal accents · instantly summery

Three little vignettes · to recreate

If you’re thinking: all well and good, but where do I start – here are my three simplest summer still lifes, which you can put together in 5 minutes.

The summer table

A linen table runner, a plain white vase with hydrangeas or meadow flowers, plus a stack of magazines and a candle in beige. Done.

The dresser in summer mode

In the dresser, swap whatever looks like winter for something bright: white jugs, a carafe of water with a few limes in it, a blue-and-white tin, a few stems of lavender in a clay jug. That’s it.

The summer reading corner

A striped blanket (happily just thrown down), a cold lemonade on the little side table, a shell or a porthole beside it – and the corner instantly feels like a holiday.