Farmhouse Cottage Bedroom: Summer Refresh

It’s summer and that means it’s time to refresh your bedroom! Summer decorating is at it’s finest when it’s simplified, relaxed, airy, and peaceful. This is especially true for the room we spend about a third of our lives in, the bedroom. Our summer bedroom continues the same decorating theme as the rest of our home, cozy minimalism. Less equals more. Remove the heavy blankets, flannel sheets, store away the winter clothes, and your bedroom will begin to feel cooler, calmer, and more collected. Your bedroom will become the perfect space for enjoying a restful night’s sleep on a hot summer night.

Whenever I think of summer, I am brought back to the summer I had turned sixteen and traveled to Iowa. I am originally from Iowa, and was sent to Iowa to de-tassel corn. That year, the weather had other ideas. Instead of working, I had a 4 week vacation that left me with lasting memories of time spent with extended family.

I spent most of that summer at my paternal grandparents. One of the memories that sticks out in my mind the most, was a night spent at my maternal grandmother’s. It was an incredibly hot and sticky night in Iowa. I was spending the night at grandma’s after spending the day at the farm. The only guest bedroom was on the second floor. The second floor was essentially an attic with two bedrooms that were used by my mother and her siblings growing up. The air could get thick and hot on the second floor. There was no air conditioning or ceiling fans.

As I think back on that night, I don’t remember the heat. What I do remember, is how cozy and peaceful I felt. I distinctly remember the smell of my grandparents home, the sound of the cicadas through the open windows, the curtains billowing in the breeze, and the texture of the knobby quilt that I laid underneath. These are the things I remember and that cozy, peaceful feeling is what I try to evoke in our bedroom.

Here are a few simple tips that I use to turn our farmhouse cottage bedroom into a cozy, peaceful, relaxing retreat. Simply use these tips as a guide. These tips are completely customizable to your home and to your style!

Bedroom Refresh Tip #1: Change Your Sheets

Refresh your sheets to stay cool & comfortable while sleeping. For the summer, swap out your thick, winter flannel sheets with light, breathable cotton or linen sheets. Cotton or linen fabrics are perfect for summer because of their breathability.

Cotton/linen sheets are available at all price points. We currently have these these inexpensive sheets from Target on our bed. These cotton sheets from the Casaluna line at Target look heavenly. And, how amazing do these sheets look from Pottery Barn.

Tip: When making an online purchase, verify the material of the sheets before placing your order!

Bedroom Refresh Tip #2: Remove Heavy Bedding

Store away heavy comforters and blankets until next fall. Add lighter duvets and quilts to your bed for the summer. A lightweight duvet or quilt is perfect on a chilly night.

Have fun with your summer bedding! Summer is the perfect time to try out a new print or maybe a fun pop of color (pops of blue are perfect for summer). I added this block print/stripped quilt in pink and white to our bed. I love the block print of the quilt with the large floral wallpaper on our bedroom walls. This quilt is so fun, and something a little different than I normally would have in our bedroom!

Bedroom Refresh Tip #3: Declutter

Spring is not the only cleaning season! At the start of each season, I like to go through our home and deep clean. Summer is no exception. Use the new season as a reason to declutter your bedroom. Clean up the pile of winter clothes that’s been hanging out in a corner of the room, dust furniture, vacuum under the bed, clean out sock & underwear drawers, go through your closet and purge old clothes that you don’t wear or that don’t fit anymore.

Declutter and get rid of the things you don’t need, your bedroom will begin to feel lighter and brighter!

For more tips on organizing your home, check out this blog post.

Bedroom Refresh Tip #4: Store Away Winter Clothes

Take those heavy winter clothes and store them away! Bring those summer clothes to the forefront of your closet and dresser. In our home, we do not have a lot of storage space. What I like to do is move the winter clothes to the back of the closet and push my summer clothes to the front. This allows me to only focus on the clothes I can wear now.

Bedroom Refresh Tip #5: Add Fresh Flowers & Greenery

This tip goes for every room in our home! I love having fresh flowers and greenery throughout our entire home. They add a brightness and happiness to our bedroom! The best part about summer flowers and greenery, is that you don’t have to run to the grocery store. Head out to your backyard! You can prune greenery and flowers in your own landscape and bring them in.

Some of my favorite greens to cut are from along our woodline. I love clipping weeds & wildflowers in our yard as well and filling vases with those. We snipped these wild roses from our woods! Weeds & wildflowers can be just as beautiful styled in a vase as the more popular flowers.

Bedroom Refresh Tip #6: Remove Heavy Curtains

We do not have curtains in our bedroom. I like the bright, open feel our bedroom has without them. We opted for blinds that can be opened or closed for privacy instead. If you do have curtains hanging in your bedroom, consider adding sheer or cotton panels for the summer. Thick curtains (velvets, polyesters, silks) can make your bedroom feel heavy.

Remember, a summer bedroom should feel light and airy!

Bedroom Refresh Tip #7: Make Your Bed

There is nothing better than crawling into a bed that’s been made at the end of a long day! I highly encourage (if you do not already) to get into the habit of making your bed each and every morning! Your room will look neat during the day and you will enjoy getting into a cool, crisp bed at night.

Bedroom Refresh Tip #8: Clean Off Nightstands

Each morning, after I make our bed, I clean off our nightstands. I clean off any drinks, stow away chargers, and throw away any tissues or trash from the previous night. Keeping your nightstand clean provides a fresh surface each night you go to bed.

The décor on your nightstands do not need to match. I love the look of mismatched nightstands. Style your nightstands based on who is sleeping on that side of the bed.

Bedroom Refresh Tip #9: Ditch the Bedroom Throw Pillows

Think about ditching the bedroom throw pillows!

I did this years ago, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I was spending way too much time in the morning styling the throw pillows on our bed only to have hubby throw them off like rag dolls. Now I can take those couple of minutes in the morning and work on something else!

Bedroom Refresh Tip #10: Turn Off the Television

Turn off the television to create a relaxing, calming bedroom. I struggle with this one. We have a tv in our bedroom and there are many nights where I get sucked into a television show. The nights I enjoy the most are ones that I leave the tv off and simply read a book. I fall asleep faster and have a much more restful night’s sleep.

My Summer Bedroom & It’s a Doppelganger

Did you know our bedroom has a doppelganger?! My friend Emily from LeCultivateur has a bedroom very similar to ours! Her cottage style bedroom is beautiful and cozy. Can you spot the similarities between Emily’s bedroom and ours?

Head over to Emily’s blog post, My Summer Bedroom & It’s Doppelganger. I know you will be inspired by Emily’s home just as much as I have!

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