This summer, roll up your sleeves and get busy with a weekend indoor project. Everyone will be flocking to beach resorts, camping sites, and other tourist destinations in the coming weeks. In DMCI Communities, staycation is as fun as traveling out of town, minus the extra cost and hassles. Living in a condo gives you access to resort lifestyle amenities such as swimming pools, an open lawn, and function halls.
There’s a lot of ways to celebrate summer without leaving your home. Why not revamp your condo unit? You can do a beach-inspired condo design project with family and friends. Here are 8 condo interior design ideas with a summer twist.
#1: Surround yourself with beach-inspired palettes
Let us start with your color theme. What hues remind you of laid back afternoons in the beach? Some of the beach-inspired palettes that will give life to your small condo design include coastal shades (Paradise Beach, Water Drops, and Hale Navy), aroma hues (Novel Lilacs, Water Crest and Pink Cloud), and various shades of yellow (lemonade, yellow-green and pale yellow). You can change your wall paint with these hues or change curtains and pillowcases in these colors. You can also display beautiful artworks that are reminiscent of the sun, sand, and sea.
#2: Seashells by the seashore
Seashells are flexible materials for creative decorative crafts. These can be ornaments on their own. Simply put them in a transparent jar or woven basket and you have a chic beach-inspired décor. You can also use glue them on frames of photo holders or mirrors, or repaint them with pastel hues before hanging them in strings. Another idea is to display them in a gorgeous tray combined with letters that spell out any word you want.
#3: It’s time to construct a vertical garden in your home
Condo designs for small spaces have been trending lately primarily because of the rising popularity of condo living. Filipinos are embracing the convenience and comforts of living in condo communities, which offer a reprieve from the toxic city life. One of the most searched design ideas is the indoor garden. Studies show that trees and plants can lower surface temperatures. Indoor plants can also clean the air of harmful pollutants. Build a wall garden in your kitchen. Some of the best Philippine plants for your vertical garden include cacti, succulents, and herbs. Before doing this weekend project, research about plant choices, the right media or substrate, planting systems, and other essential things about vertical gardens.
#4: Lounge in your very own condo garden
Make your condo space a summer home. You can use your balcony as an extension of your condo living room by converting it into a living-sans-garden space. Aside from sand and waves, what can better remind you of beach life than coconut trees, flowering plants, and lots of greens? NYC-based book author Marie Viljoen shares some tips for growing an urban balcony garden including layering plants based on their blooming seasons, clustering pots to make it easier to water plants efficiently, and cultivating plants that are a “pollinators’ favorites” to attract bees and butterflies. Get more hacks about living in a compact home from Viljoen’s blog 66 Square Feet (Plus).
#5: Design your studio home with decorative pillows
Give your studio condo design a coastal vibe with beach-inspired pillows. Decorate throw pillows with textured, embellished, and patterned designs. You can add ornamental details such as buttons and mother of pearls that suggest peaceful life by the sea. You can place the pillows on your sofa and the bamboo mat in your living area.
#6: Coastal life with a wood design element
If you’ve seen History Channel’s Vikings, you should know about the famous wooden ships that sailed to England, Paris, and the Mediterranean. Wood is an essential element of the coastal-inspired interior design. You can incorporate wood into your beach-style home by recycling planks into floating cabinets, pallets into plant pot holders, and pieces of used wood into a towel rack. Your options are endless!
#7: Live in a rustic beach house-themed condo home
Turn your condo home into a rustic beach house by repurposing old furniture. Raid your grandmother’s attic for antique dressers, coffee tables, and chairs. You can also recreate fairly new furniture into shabby chic pieces by applying whitewash and pastel paint. How to whitewash salvaged wooden furniture? SalvagedInspirations.com shares some tips:
- Clean and sand the furniture
- Paint the body of the furniture with your choice of pastel-colored paint
- Water down white paint in a 1:1 ratio to make whitewash
- Apply the paint to the furniture by working on smaller sections
- Wipe the wash off using a slightly damp shop cloth or sponge
- Let dry and repeat for a second or third coat for more depth
- Apply your topcoat
Place fresh flowers or large seashells on your whitewashed dresser to complete the rustic beach look.
#8: Create a sea glass chandelier
Sea glass are made of bottles, jars, and glass discarded in the ocean and tumbled smooth by the waves and currents. It is “originally made by man but refined by nature.” After 7 to 10 years of being by the sea, the discarded glass becomes well-frosted and develop smooth tactile edges. Sea glass, also known as beach glass or mermaid tears, can be used to create stunning home ornaments. You can tie them up in strings and hang them by your doorway or above your dining room table like a chandelier.
Who says you can’t have a grand time at home this summer? Maximize the benefits of condo living. Plan weekend activities in your condo community with family and friends. You can do creative crafts in the morning and swim in the late afternoon. You can repaint your condo walls and build a balcony garden together while listening to your summer playlist. If you prefer to be alone, you’ve got the luxury of solitude in your humble abode.
