farmhouse style magazine, summer 2024

Today I’m sharing five projects that are near and dear to my heart, and I created them all exclusively for Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine and are now all featured in their Summer 2024 issue.

From easy coastal inspired décor a few fun diy’s and a super yummy pie recipe, I think I’ve got you covered for a little bit of cool, calm and collected inspiration for the hot summer months!

 

First up are a couple of snapshots of my living room at the peak of summer. I put this together for the summer issue for an article about decorating with coastal farmhouse style.

 

It’s the best of both worlds for me, since we live in a beach town and always appreciate every aspect of the sea, even in our home décor.

With summer just around the corner, I’m looking forward to planting out some more zinnias and other lovely summer annuals like sunflowers, campanulas and hollyhocks to mingle with the roses, clematis and hydrangeas. All some of my favorite flowers!

What are your favorite summer flowers?

The beautiful soup tureen & wooden crab cheese board are new and everything else you see is vintage, thrifted and collected.   

Milk glass is one of those thoroughly nostalgic collectables that are hard to resist when spotted at a thrift store or yard sale.

 

Here I’ve taken a few of my favorite pieces and mixed them with some more of my favorite summer garden flowers.

 

A simple little wicker basket or cloche becomes a centerpiece for your alfresco table. It’s as easy as…

 

Finding a suitable basket, buying an outdoor light kit and attaching it to a tree branch or nearby overhead structure. 

There are even new electricity-free lightbulbs now that would do the trick without all the wiring.

 

A visit to grandmother’s house has inspired this sweet little “window box” made from an antique frame and a vintage crate.

 

Take all your precious mementos and small souvenirs and gather them together in a pretty wall display.

Old postcards, recipe cards, dried flowers, small bottles and matchbooks can all be so full of beloved memories, so it’s so very special to have them displayed where they can be seen by all and appreciated by you every day.   

Double Chocolate Pecan Pie anyone? Get set for a flakey buttery crust filled with a rich fudgy brownie-like piece of heaven!

This ain’t your ordinary chocolate pecan pie! Best of all, it requires no corn syrup, only basic pantry items like chocolate chips, used twice!

Serve hot or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream, this is sure to ‘wow’ your summer guests! 

You can find the recipe here or in the summer issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style on page 110.

   

Here are three more of my favorite projects that have appeared in Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine over the years:

 Blueberry French Toast Casserole

 

California Chili and 

this fun repurposed table cover with vintage yard sticks!   

 

 

8 ways to accent your home for summer

 

sunflowers 

Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite ways to embrace the summer season with eight super easy accents you can add to your home.  

 

Let’s start with flowers. Bright and cheerful, sunflowers just ooze the best of summer, and bring the sunshine right into your home! Whether they’re real or faux, these beauties add immediate "wow factor” to any room. 

 

Even when they’re in the background, they add that fun splash of color that just makes me smile. I love how their sunny yellow petals look with all the blue and white accents in my home. 

 

seashells 

Seashells are one of the easiest ways to add that summer "on vacation" look to your home. But let’s be subtle with this look. Less is more. One spectacular Capiz light fixture immediately gives us that great coastal look. 

An easier way to incorporate seashells is to just sprinkle a few on a coffee table or at the dinner table for a small intimate gathering.  

 

Here we’ve got simple white starfish and my favorite embellished placemats. The rest of the table décor is simple, and that scallop shell salad plate just brings the whole look together. 

 

new pillows 

Do you switch your pillows out seasonally? I love light cotton and linen pillows for summer, especially ones that have a beachy sort of vibe. Leave the fluffy, nubby pillows in the closet until late autumn and focus on fresh summery pillows this season. 

 

Even switching out one of two pillows will make a dramatic impact. These are a couple of my favorite ones, here in my dining room. 

 

hydrangeas 

My absolute favorite summer is the hydrangea. Yes, sunflowers are cheerful and fun, but hydrangeas are just so endearing and homey. And I love how the subtle colors in each bloom blend with each other for an ombre look.  

 

Hydrangeas only get better with age. Like a beautiful fall leaf, the colors of hydrangea flowers only get richer by the end of the summer.  

 

Now the white ones are in a class by themselves. Aren’t they just so elegant? And best of all, they look amazing in any room, inside or out! 

 

french bistro chairs 

I bought my Serena & Lily French bistro chairs several years ago, and I switch them out occasionally between my dining room and breakfast room. They just create a lovely summer look in any room they’re in and remind me of something you'd see at a cute outdoor café.

In fact, I have a set of four different bistro chairs in the backyard that I got at Home Goods a few years ago. They’re in a shady part of the garden with views of the flowers and fountain. It's the perfect spot for enjoying my first cup of coffee in the morning. 

 

This is a view of our breakfast room. I love how these bistro chairs look with the round antique farmhouse table. Feels just like summer... doesn’t it? 

 

an alfresco table  

 

If you don’t already have a table and chairs outdoors for dining alfresco, I highly recommend moving a set out there. Even if it’s a small table and chair for one like this one, I think it’s worth it. In fact, I’ve seen the same little garden table and chairs at Ikea for a great price. 

 

Another option that I love is searching yard sales and thrift stores for a funky little table and then mix and match it with a vintage chair or two. 

 

Here’s a dreamy alfresco table, set beautifully and accented with those gorgeous blue hydrangeas in the center. What's your favorite thing about this coastal table?

Dining outdoors is special, even if it’s just you and a friend. A little charcuterie board, a bowl of fresh fruit and something refreshing to drink is one of life’s simplest pleasures. 

 

lemons 

One of my favorite and easiest decorating accents to use are lemons! Just like the sunflowers, lemons are bright and cheery. Place them in a pretty bowl or two, or use them on your dinner table for an instant pop of summer color. 

 

These two blue and white ceramic bowls that I found at Home Goods are the ideal accents for pretty lemons. We do have several lemon trees, so I’m almost never without lemons. I love to use them in the kitchen too. 

 

american flag 

What is summer without celebrating the USA and proudly featuring our glorious American flag? Patriotic décor is so fun, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That’s 98 days of fantastic red, white and blue options for summer décor! 

 

ciao! fabiana 

 

 

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