My good friend Drake just sent me this… and since I trust her judgment and her ability to spot things that she knows I will love implicitly, I had to post it immediately.  [Forewarning style sidenote on Drake: She is a West coast East Coaster.  She pops the collar of her polos, loves Ralph Lauren more than she loves her own family, and would sell her soul to the devil himself for a palatial spread in the Hamptons, New England, or anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard. So keep that in mind whenever I show you her picks.]

The summer sand is quickly draining from all of our hourglasses.  Summer is full of life and freshness, bright vibrant colors, crisp clean lines, and airy light fabrics and feels.  But that’s just it… as summer winds down in the coming weeks, don’t let go of it!  If you play your cards right, you can keep a summer feel year-round in your home.

image - remodelista.com

Ok ok ok… I know that yellow might not be for everyone, and maybe this is a little TOO much of a statement for some of you, but I think you get the point.  DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLOR!!!  If I walk into one more of my friends igloos to see beige walls with darker floors, maybe a gray accent wall, and all dark wood furniture… I am just going to snap.  Color is our friend.  It makes things more interesting, more eye catching, and most importantly… more fun!  Don’t be stupid with it though.  When my parents next door neighbors moved in to their house, the wife had the interior of the house painted top to bottom.  She did every room in a different color – and there are probably 10 rooms!!!  Walking through their home feels like you’re on a guided tour of the Crayola factory.  You want to do accent colors that catch the eye and change the whole tone of the house, like the yellow doors seen above which were done throughout the entire craftsman style home.  Maybe you can start slow with pillows, rugs, or drapery?