5 Tips for Summer Living for Your Home & Garden by G. Marie & CO Interior Design
Gwendolyn Smith-Ehrlich
Gwendolyn Smith-Ehrlich is the owner of G. Marie & CO Interior Design and has over 18 years of design experience. She has lived and worked in Turkey, Korea and Panama and is a past member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). G Marie Interiors has worked on new build construction and remodeled residential interiors ranging from $50K to $2.7M.
At G Marie, their Project Management and Full Service covers kitchen and bath design, space planning, furnishing and fabric specification, finish specifications for floors, cabinets, walls and window treatments. The company’s work ethic starts with developing a trusting relationship with clients to plan, execute and achieve a desired outcome for sustainable living. “Design is how we live and fit in the world so we strive to design creative environments with compelling emotional force - whether it is a single room or an entire project.” Their commercial projects include Denver Skin Clinic and Colorado Heart & Body Imaging. In this issue, Gwen gives five tips for summer living in your home and garden.
TIP 1
According to Nicolette Vajtay https://inspiredlivingfengshui.com/– our Feng Shui master, cleaning your front door at the start of summer is a great way to get the positive energy flowing in your home. Grab the vacuum cleaner and run the nozzle attachment around the door trim, frame, and along contoured edges or recesses on the door face, to remove large debris and/or cobwebs.
Using a wet sponge or spray bottle filled with equal parts water and vinegar wet the entire door and frame with the cleaning mixture. Use a clean cloth, paper towels or sponge to wipe away dirt, debris, and fingerprints. To finish off use furniture polish to wipe down and give the door a beautiful, clean glow. If you have any glass accents or windows in the door you can use the vinegar/water solution. It makes a great glass cleaner. Recycled newspapers work perfectly for a streak-free finish.
TIP 2
Decorate with faux flowers for the summer, especially if you are a traveler. You can go away for weeks at a time and come back to flowers that look alive and lovely. Faux flowers require no watering, no soil, and no sunlight. Artificial flowers are very low maintenance and continually remain stunning! They are also allergen-free for all of you who suffer from allergies in the summer.
Thanks to technological advances made in the last few years, artificial flowers can now look incredibly realistic as they are now made differently, and with different materials. You'd be surprised to see how realistic faux flowers made from latex, foam, silk, or paper can be.
My favorite flowers are dried hydrangeas and silk cactus and ornamentals. To purchase florals try Silk & CO Forever Greens in Cherry Creek North. They have an amazing collection. https://cherrycreeknorth.com/go/silk-and-co
TIP 3
Go all in with floral printed fabrics. Use them everywhere to create a cheerful summer environment. Put them on pillows and throws, cover the windows by having custom floral draperies made. They will make your home feel like summer all year long. The large scale floral patterns we see now are amazing and give rooms a contemporary feel.
Bright botanical prints (on bedding, for example) instantly lift a room’s mood – and yours. To let the motif truly shine, keep the wall color neutral and other accessories to a minimum. Seasonal duvet covers are a great way to save money when decorating for summer. A new duvet cover can makeover your bedroom in an instant. Look for light fabrics like linen and cotton for comfortable bedding even when the weather heats up. Beach-inspired patterns and colors (like blue and aqua) are perfect for summer decorating. The Denver Design Center has thousands of fabrics to choose from. https://denverdesign.com/
TIP 4
Clean Outdoor Cushions. Over time, cushions become soiled or discolored, but they can be refreshed with a thorough cleaning. For non-removable cushion covers, sponge surfaces with a solution of ¼ cup clear liquid detergent with 1 gallon of lukewarm water. Work the bubbles into the fabric with the sponge, then rinse thoroughly with a high-pressure garden hose to remove detergent residue. Set cushions on edge to dry.
To wash removable cushion covers by hand, soak in a solution of ¼ cup of clear liquid detergent per gallon of lukewarm water. Rinse thoroughly to remove detergent residue and air dry. To machine wash removable cushion covers, set water temperature on cool, use a normal amount of laundry detergent, and add 1 cup of chlorine bleach to each load. After they are washed, air dry them until just slightly damp and then put them back on inserts.
TIP 5
Consider giving your outdoor furniture a fresh look with paint. Use a high gloss spray paint in summery hues like grassy green. If your furniture is metal, remove all the rust before painting. You just need to grind, scour and sand off the rust with a tool such as a sander, oscillating tool, or drill.
If painting or staining wood or metal remove any loose or peeling paint from both the furniture and any hardware before applying paint. Try using sandpaper and a little elbow grease for this job. If you plan to use brush-on paint, consider applying a coat of primer before you apply the color. Use a high-quality paintbrush or roller for a smooth finish
Conventional spray paints work best for painting outdoor furniture made of wicker, wood, and metal. Always use two coats of paint and consider any instructions on the can. Apply thinner coats for faster drying.
www.gmarieinteriors.com // G Marie & CO Interiors 299 Jackson St, Denver, CO 80206