You know the old saying—to everything there is a season. When it comes to your home, no season is quite so fun to embrace as summer. Here are a few tips that will help make it easy to “summerize” your home.

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Take It Easy

Paint is one of the easiest—and most affordable—ways to brighten a room for summer. And, it’s DIY friendly. Some of the most popular paint colors for summer 2017 include mint greenhot pinkturquoise and of course, timeless summer white.

Petrified of the paintbrush?

“Brighten dark wall with colorful art pieces,” says Better Homes and Gardens. “Affordable pieces can be found just about anywhere online or at flea markets and resale shops. A large piece or a collection of smaller pieces also provides the perfect blank-wall solution for large spaces.”

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Subtle Changes

You can change the personality of your home and create a summery feel just by making a few small changes. Pack away tapestries and any heavily textured blankets and pillows, and bring in some summer replacements in bright colors and fun patterns. If you’re decorating on a budget, you don’t even have to buy new pillows. Pick a slipcover in a bright color and you have an easy, inexpensive fix! (You can also use slipcovers on large upholstered pieces like couches and armchairs, as well as dining chairs, for even greater impact.)

Then, introduce a few accessories that reflect the spirit of summer, like a fun serving bowl filled with shells, or a raffia picture frame.

Or, forgo the light touch and redo an entire room in a theme that reflects the season.

Color Works

Confused about how to bring summer color into your space and have it all work together? Use a color wheel as your guide.

A color wheel uses the idea of color theory to helps identify colors that “go” together though different schemes. Using an analogous theme means using colors that are next to each other on the wheel, while complementary colors would be across from each other.

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There’s Electricity in the Air

The final step to summarizing your home is not in the appearance, but in the feel. By heeding a few simple tips, you can ensure your home stays cooler in hot weather and your air conditioning functions properly.  “Check that you and the house are ready for summer heat…by checking you home’s air conditioning system, said SolarDay. They also recommend:

  • Changing filters monthly
  • Testing air ducts for leaks
  • Upgrading old themostats to programmable ones
  • Installing a whole-house fan
  • Checking air conditioning systems early in the season to ensure that if anything needs to be upgraded or fixed, it can happen before the summer rush