5 Design Choices That Quietly Affect Your Mood and Wellbeing – And How To Fix Them for Summer
Want a happier home this summer? These are the 5 fixes that almost always make a space feel fresher, lighter, and instantly more inspiring
Sunnier days call for a reset. While to most of us, that means taking full advantage of a garden lounger, to others, it means turning attention to the home and making it as inspiring and uplifting as it can be.
While winter might have warranted a darker color scheme and layers of heavy materials, summer is pretty much about doing the exact opposite. From light-allowing sheer drapes to doses of greenery in almost every corner, interior designers create mood-boosting homes with these five fixes that make any space feel instantly fresher.
It's only right to greet summer with a salutation. To improve your well-being and make summer living feel even more joyous, these are the five ways to align your home with your mood.
1. Daylight (or Lack of)
A sheer roman blind allows ample daylight to flood this serene breakfast nook.
Resetting your home to uplift your mood starts with lighting. Daylight has the power to transform both the look and feel of your space, so it's worth turning your attention to before switching out decor or furniture.
'People underestimate how much harsh lighting and visual clutter can affect how a home feels emotionally,' explains Vanessa Katzen, Founder and Principle of Vanessa Katzen Design. 'Allowing natural light to move through the home is one of the simplest but most transformative shifts for summer,' Vanessa adds. 'This can be done by replacing heavy drapery with sheer linen panels, editing down visual clutter near windows, or pulling furniture slightly away from windows to create a greater sense of openness within a room.'
Mindy Kelson O’Connor, Principal at Melinda Kelson O’Connor Architecture and Interiors, agrees that increasing natural light will instantly improve the ambience of your space. 'Access to light profoundly shapes how we experience a room. Wherever possible, design for natural light and a connection to the outdoors – even a glimpse of sky or a borrowed view of an interesting neighboring building can shift the feeling of a space entirely. Position furniture to take full advantage of whatever greenery exists, whether a lush backyard garden or a single well-placed planter on a sill.
'Window treatments should accent and control the light entering a room, not compete with it, so choose draperies and shades that filter and soften rather than override the natural light altogether.'
2. Heavy Materials
Bright green drapes bring a dose of freshness to this charming bedroom, matched by crisp linen bedding.
Winter might call for thicker materials designed to keep your space as warm and cozy as it can be, but they can feel a little heavy come summertime.
'Lighter tonal palettes and natural finishes help soften contrast and reflect light more beautifully throughout the home,' explains Vanessa. 'Washed linens, soft cottons, woven grasses, and rattan introduce texture in a way that feels breathable and relaxed. Even smaller changes, such as incorporating hand-finished ceramics, can create a calmer, more restorative atmosphere. These subtle shifts can completely transform the mood of a home without requiring a full interior overhaul.'
Whether it's light linen sheets for a truly summery bedroom or a rattan vase filled with some seasonal stems, natural textures evoke a connection to the outdoors. 'The design choices around you directly impact your mood and well-being,' says Victoria Forehan of Victoria Forehan Design. 'Details matter! For example, blackout window treatments and heavy bedding can weigh a space down emotionally as much as physically. I believe that a home should make each client feel a sense of calm, joy, and connection.'
'To add lightness and lift your space for summer,' advises Victoria, 'layer in sheer window treatments, swap heavy blankets for cotton gauze or linen, and choose light scents like citrus, or herbs like rosemary and lavender. Oh, and of course, fresh flowers scattered throughout the home never fail!'
3. Dark Paint Colors
An eclectic kitchen comes to life with dusty rose painted shelves and cabinetry.
While a burgundy snug or a navy blue home bar might be chic, they're not exactly mood-boosting colors. Moody color palettes can feel gloomy in the warmer months, restricting daylight rather than dancing alongside it. Improving your mood is far more achievable when summer color trends come into play.
'Paint color is never static,' explains Mindy. 'As natural light shifts throughout the day, it bounces off walls differently. A dusty blue that reads as cool and crisp in morning light may soften and gray by afternoon, then settle into something closer to slate by dusk. North-facing rooms, which receive indirect light, tend to reveal the truer, cooler undertones of a color, while south-facing rooms amplify warmth.'
While summer calls for muted color schemes, paying attention to the layout of your home will ensure the colors you land on actually work. 'This means choosing paint in the room it will live in, observed at different hours, is essential. What you see on a chip in a store may bear little resemblance to what the light in your home will do with it. And that varies from space to space as well, so sampling is essential.'
4. Overhead Lighting
A pink floor lamp brings ample warmth in the evening and a bold splash of color in the daytime.
'Artificial lighting deserves the same intention,' says Mindy. Instead of the controversial 'big light', create pockets of warmth instead. 'A single overhead fixture flattens a room; layered lighting transforms it. Combine ambient overhead sources with table and floor lamps, and add sconces where walls need warmth.'
A pair of sconces will inject a little character and charm into your space without feeling stark or severe. They're so easy to style for summer, too. Swap out plain shades for a more whimsical style, like a pink or yellow pleated shade or a rattan shade that diffuses the light gently.
'Each layer can be adjusted independently, allowing the atmosphere of a room to shift from energizing in the morning to intimate by night,' adds Mindy.
5. Lack of Greenery
Handpicked stems bring a freshness to this dining nook, balancing out the heavier wood and leather tones.
'Regardless of whether you prefer a maximalist or minimalist look, I find that as summer approaches, most clients are looking to embrace the outdoors and bring it into the home,' says Maggie Griesbeck of MNG Design.
It's not just indoor plants that improve your wellbeing and make a home feel fresher. 'Whether it’s bringing in fresh flowers from your garden or a potted plant from your local market, greenery is an instant mood lifter,' explains Maggie. 'Similarly, filling a bowl with brightly colored fruit, such as navel oranges, lemons, or limes, is a delightful way to bring color and happiness into your space.'
'I believe in creating spaces that support one’s wellbeing,' says Gabriela Eisenhart, Founder and Creative Director of Silo Studio Design. 'Where many layers and elements come together to create that feeling of home. I love incorporating plants, trees, and anything living into my interiors because nothing breathes life into a space quite like an oversized tree tucked in the corner. It brings a natural vibrancy and softness that can’t really be replicated.'
Summer Decor Buys
Summer is about making everything around you feel fresher, lighter, and more aligned with the outdoors. For a happier home, switch out your mood-draining decor and design features for cheerier colors, lighter textures, and plenty of fresh stems and foliage.
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