Create a cool summer look for your house

RATTAN, natural tones and texture, and fresh white couches are hot this summer as the interiors take on a sweet, airy, resort-style twist influenced by the seventies and eighties.

As Nicola Murray from She Creates Co explains, it doesn't have to cost the earth or require a complete makeover to create this look on your place.

“There are a number of ways we can create this look and feel on a budget. A few fun hacks I have tried this summer are; cutting big palm leaves and letting them dry out and using them as a wall feature; using cane baskets as pendant shades; and upcycling vintage cane furniture from op shops,” Nicola says.

But you have to declutter and clean your home before you hit the shops so you are working with a relatively clean slate.

“Think about each room and figure out exactly how you want it to function and feel. From there, you can seek inspiration and find your style,” she says.

Once you have reached that level, you can search for and find functional products, and build the style you want.

Nicola says using organic and natural materials such as dried leaves, rattan, linen, jute and timber is popular with minimalist look.

“As we move towards summer, the colours and tones become lighter. People are out in nature and they’re bringing that back into the house,” she says.

“The colour palette is really neutral, with natural colours and textures, rattan, and glass top tables with a cane base. It’s a return to popular styles from the 70s and 80s.”

Bringing a touch of nature inside is a simple as cutting palm leaves and other branches the same as you would flowers and featuring them in a vase inside.

Dried flower, particularly native arrangements and reeds can also be used as they hold their colour and shape well.

And live potted plants are always a great way to bring in some indoor greenery.

“Our world is becoming more health and environmentally-conscious, therefore it is becoming a trend to use more sustainable and natural materials. We are instinctively drawn to nature and this is starting to show more in interiors and fashion,” Nicola explains.

It’s a trend that extends to outdoor living spaces too.

“Santori vibes are a major trend for outdoor areas this summer … think whitewashed wooden decking, white render, palms, arch-shaped architectural features, bougainvilleas, organic sandstone paving and pale blue pools,” Nicola says.

Nicola loves the Santori look and says it brings us back to earth, back to nature and makes us enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us.

For more information visit shecreatesco.com