Summer Decorating Trends We’d Actually Invite Back Next Year
- May 30
- 3 min read
Every summer, the decorating world collectively loses its mind.
Suddenly everyone owns decorative lemons. Every second cushion is striped. Someone somewhere decides we all need a chair made entirely of rope, and before you know it, we’re adding things to our carts while whispering, “It’s giving coastal.”
Not all trends deserve a second chance.
Some should quietly pack their bags and leave before September.
Others, however, are the decorating equivalent of that friend who shows up with snacks, good gossip, and absolutely no drama.
These are the summer decorating trends we’d happily invite back next year.
Rattan Everything (Yes, Everything)
Remember when rattan was just something your grandmother owned?
Now it’s on chairs, mirrors, coffee tables, lamps, trays, baskets, headboards, and probably someone’s kitchen ceiling.
And we’re not even mad about it.
Rattan somehow manages to make every room feel lighter, warmer, and more relaxed without trying too hard. It’s the decorating equivalent of showing up to brunch in a linen outfit while the rest of us are fighting with a steamer.
The best part is that it works almost anywhere. Modern homes love it. Coastal homes love it. Boho homes practically built an entire personality around it.
We’re keeping the rattan.
The giant wicker peacock chair, however, is under review (meaning it must go).
Coastal Textures Without the Seashell Obsession
For years, “coastal decor” often meant covering every available surface with seashells.
One shell? Lovely. Forty-seven shells arranged around a candle? That’s beginning to feel like a marine biology project.
Thankfully, modern coastal style has matured.
Instead of decorating with things collected from the ocean floor, people are embracing textures that simply feel relaxed and beachy:
Linen fabrics
Woven baskets
Natural wood
Jute rugs
Soft cotton throws
The result feels effortless rather than themed.
Your home should whisper “summer by the sea.”
Not scream “gift shop near the harbour.”
Mediterranean Colours That Instantly Make Life Feel Better
Some colours simply understand summer.
Mediterranean-inspired palettes continue to win hearts because they’re impossible to look at without imagining yourself somewhere much more glamorous.
Think:
Terracotta
Warm sand tones
Olive green
Soft white
Dusty blue
These colours somehow make ordinary Tuesday evenings feel like you’re about to enjoy a long outdoor dinner overlooking the sea.
Are you actually overlooking a car park? Possibly.
But the colour palette doesn’t need to know that.
Stripes Are Having a Main Character Moment
Stripes have existed since the beginning of time, but lately they’ve become impossible to ignore. They’re on cushions, on outdoor umbrellas, on bedding, on furniture.
They’re probably planning a takeover.
The reason they work so well is simple: stripes make a space feel instantly put together.
Even when the rest of your life is being held together by iced coffee and good intentions.
A striped cushion can achieve more for a balcony than six decorative accessories trying very hard.
Especially classic cabana stripes.
They practically come with a soundtrack of distant waves and overpriced cocktails.
Indoor Olive Trees Are Still Winning
The olive tree trend should have disappeared years ago, but instead, it becomes more popular by the year.
To be honest, we completely understand why.
Olive trees have become the universal symbol of “Curated enough to fool people.”
Whether that’s actually true is irrelevant.
They instantly make a room feel calm, timeless, and expensive and they’re also surprisingly versatile.
Place one in a living room corner and suddenly your home feels intentional.
Place one on a balcony and you’re mentally in the Peloponnese growing your own Kalamata olives.
Place one next to a pile of unfolded laundry and somehow the laundry looks less embarrassing.
If that’s not decorating magic, then I don't know what is.
Warm Ambient Lighting (The Real Hero)
Can we finally admit that lighting deserves more credit?
Half the beautiful rooms on Pinterest are simply regular rooms with exceptional lighting.
Fairy lights / Lanterns / Rechargeable table lamps / Soft warm bulbs / Candles everywhere.
Good lighting can make even the most average balcony feel like a luxury retreat.
Bad lighting can make a luxury retreat feel like a waiting room.
Choose wisely.
🦌 Elafina Says:
The Trends We’d Happily Keep
Decorating trends come and go faster than our motivation to deep-clean the house in July, but some trends stick around because they genuinely make our homes feel better.
Rattan adds warmth.
Coastal textures add comfort.
Mediterranean colours add character.
Stripes add personality.
Olive trees add instant sophistication.
And warm lighting makes all of them look ten times better.
If these trends decide to return next summer, we’ll happily leave the door open.
Along with the fairy lights.
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