There’s something about the long, hot days of summer that have us hankering for a sense of lightness and peace in our homes. When it’s 95 degrees outside and the sun hasn’t set by 8 p.m., we don’t want to see heavy plaid comforters on our beds or dark colors on our walls, nor do we want to sit on formal-feeling furniture.

While you understandably don’t have the money in your budget to remodel each room of your home from top to bottom for each new season, there are plenty of affordable ways to bring summertime décor trends into your home. 

For example, check out these three easy ideas:

1. Become a Minimalist — At Least for Now

During the summer months, store away as many unneeded and unused items as possible. According to Better Homes and Gardens, think of your casa as a summer vacation home and thereby go about storing away the wintry throws, dozens of knickknacks and other items that are cluttering up the room. 

Then, pull the curtains open to bring in plenty of natural light and, if it’s not too hot outside, open some windows or doors to let in some cool morning air. You can bring all the warm and heavy items back out once fall comes, but for now, pare down each room to the essentials.

2. Add Splashes of Bright and Cheerful Colors

While you might associate fall and winter with deep tones like burgundy, rich reds, evergreen and browns, summer is all about light and cheery colors. To celebrate this trend, you could paint an accent wall a vivid blue, yellow or lime green; after all, a gallon of paint is pretty easy on the wallet. Similarly, if you’re in need of a new sofa, skip the neutral tan or grey model for one that has a cheerier color. 

For instance, the Dahlia sofa from Jerome’s Furniture is covered with a turquoise fabric, along with a couple of accent pillows that complement the color of the sofa. The turquoise color is perfect for the summer months and can be “warmed up” a bit in the fall and winter with the addition of cream-colored fleece blankets and maybe a few extra pillows with autumn leaf or snowflake motifs.

3. Channel Your Inner Museum Curator

If you’ve had the same pieces of art hanging on your walls for years, summer is the ideal time to brighten up your space with some new choices. Indeed, you could switch out framed prints every season for a super-fast and easy way to change the look and feel of your home. Simply store the unused prints in the back of a closet.

Now, if you still love your posters, sculptures and framed artwork, you certainly don’t have to trash them; just consider temporarily replacing a few of the old pieces with cheerful floral prints or an abstract painting with lots of bright colors. Then, when the weather turns cool again, put the summer pieces away and bring out the more formal paintings.

Make Your Home Sing “Summer”

Before you know it, the days will get shorter and the mercury in the thermometer will begin to drop. Until then, celebrate summer in and around your home by embracing the minimalist lifestyle, adding in lots of color and bringing in some new artwork. Your home ⁠— and your mood ⁠— will feel lighter and brighter.