The 3 Things Designers Remove From the Bedroom Every Summer – and What Should Take Their Place
How the most stylish people you know make a bedroom feel cooler, look lighter, and sleep better all summer
The first place we notice it’s summer is, unfortunately, the bedroom. Because we can’t sleep. Think. And while we’re better off spending the day alfresco by a body of water, eventually we have to come home to bed.
There’s no reason that return can’t feel a little like vacation. A light, airy retreat where you can finish your beach read from the UV-less comfort of your comforter – or, at the very least, survive the night without bargaining with the thermostat at 3 a.m.
So we asked designers how they strip back their summer bedroom setups to make them cooler, calmer, and easier to live in. Ahead, three swaps worth stealing.
1. Bulky Bedding
The duvet might be the biggest culprit, but dense pillows, chunky throws, and even your mattress topper can all weigh a summer bed down.
Rule number one: if it looks too heavy to belong on a summer bed, it probably is. Designers say it’s time to part ways with rich velvet throw pillows, chunky knit blankets, and the bulky bedding that may be out of sight but traps unnecessary heat, turning bedrooms into bona fide saunas.
‘The first thing I remove from a bedroom each summer is the heavy duvet,’ says Cara Shahbandi, founder of upstate New York-based Stanton Home Design. Instead, she swaps in a simple midweight blanket (she likes Boll & Branch’s Essential Bed Blanket) topped with a lightweight layer, like Nickey Kehoe’s floral cotton Hazel Ruffled Coverlet. ‘The thin coverlet gives the room a light, airy feel,’ she says.
Not everything needs to disappear with the duvet. Jen Baxter, founder of Baxter Hill Interiors, points out that summer styling doesn’t necessarily mean stripping everything away. ‘I don’t believe a luxurious bed has to become sparse in summer,’ she explains. Rather than ditching layers altogether, Jen recommends replacing velvets and chunky woven cushions with linen and cotton versions in lighter colors and softer textures to preserve the bed’s 'sense of generosity' without the visual weight.
The biggest upgrade, however, might be one you never see. Tanner Morgan, partner at Morgan Madison Design, recommends replacing a traditional mattress pad with a wool mattress topper year-round. Though it sounds counterintuitive, wool naturally regulates temperature, wicks away moisture, and resists odor-causing microbes, helping the bed stay cooler and fresher between washes. ‘I’ve always believed the most beautiful bed is a clean, comfortable one.’
2. Heavy Lampshades
Fringed and jacquard-woven lampshades can feel a little too wintry this time of year. Pleated linen, raffia, and rattan instantly lighten the mood.
Summer might mean fewer hours with the bedside lamp switched on, but it doesn’t make it any less visible. If anything, the longer days leave even more time to notice what’s sitting on your nightstand. Fortunately, designers say one of the easiest ways to make a lamp feel seasonally appropriate is simply changing its shade.
‘One of my favorite updates is changing lampshades,’ says Lindsey Herod, founder of Houston-based Lindsey Herod Interiors. ‘Whether it’s on a table lamp or a sconce, swapping to a lighter linen shade is a simple change that has a big impact.’ She likens it to giving the room a summer wardrobe: ‘Everything immediately looks brighter, softer, and more relaxed.’
‘I love that linen isn’t perfect,’ adds Pelar Fullilove, founder of Atlanta-based interior architecture and design studio 37th Burleigh. ‘It wrinkles, it softens over time… Luxury should never feel stiff.’
And while linen may be classic, it’s hardly the only shade swap for summer. Raffia, rattan, and increasingly papier-mâché are topping off bedside lighting with a more sculptural edge.
3. Nightstand Clutter
Cutting the clutter for summer is about intention, not emptiness. Keep the things that make sense for the season and let everything else take a vacation.
When it's 80-plus degrees (and humid), there's simply no room for clutter. If Coco Chanel wanted us to remove one accessory before leaving the house, she’d probably ask us to clear off the nightstand, too.
‘I become a ruthless editor when it comes to styling my nightstands,’ says Pelar Fullilove, founder of Atlanta-based 37th Burleigh. ‘If it doesn’t serve a purpose or make me smile, it goes.’ She keeps only a stone bowl, ceramic vase, favorite candle, and one meaningful object, leaving what she calls ‘breathing room.’ ‘Empty space is just as important as the objects themselves because it allows your mind to rest, too.’
If you’re replacing one object rather than simply removing it, make it ephemeral. Nicole Gavigan and Danielle Gruppo of East Coast-based Gavigan & Gruppo Interior Design recommend the light, botanical scents from Flamingo Estate, while Pilar rarely considers a summer bedroom complete without the real deal: fresh flowers.
‘There’s something about walking into a room and seeing oversized hydrangeas or delicate white blooms catching the morning light that instantly changes the energy,’ she says. ‘It’s subtle, but it reminds you that the season has changed.’
A lighter duvet. A linen lampshade. A cleared-off nightstand. None of these changes are revolutionary on their own, but together, they make the bedroom finally feel like summer – in all the right ways.
Love beautiful design ideas, expert advice, and inspiring decor trends? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.
