To celebrate the change of season and the sense of optimism in the air, I’m sharing my favourite tips and tricks to style my new Noosa Sunseeker print collection – including what to wear, drink and do to get yourself in the Sunseeker mood.
Our homes and how we live within them have deep emotional value. Home is where we relax, connect and create memories with family and friends, and your walls are the backdrops to these moments.
Create the perfect fresh haven to share with family and friends and get ready to enjoy the new season of slow summer afternoons together.
1. Rearrange the Furniture
I love a rejig! There is nothing more satisfying than moving furniture around to reset the feel of a well lived-in room and make your home feel new and fresh again.
Little tweaks and changes really make the world of difference and allow beautiful natural light to enter your space from different angles and this in turn makes you see your home in a different light.
Above left: Our living room on the island with existing frames and objects before I start removing everything / Above right: Taking away all the elements so I’m working with a clean slate to create my sunseeker mood at home.
Above left: Taking down a pair of my own photographic pieces, ‘Seashell Still Life’ in the 10 x 10″ size and ‘Australian Summer’ in the extra large 44 x 66″ size / Above right: Moving in an extra large ‘Sunseeker’ framed print in the mix.
When I’m rejigging I like to remove old frames and collected objects I have scattered about the room and move them into a stack elsewhere out of sight.
I like to start with a blank canvas with no distractions, so I can really ‘feel’ the room and how I what my family and friends to feel when they are in the space too. It’s important to create a space which encourages your loved ones to feel as though they can relax, let their guards down and feel comforted.
Above left: I always love to have a traditional sepia print somewhere in the room. I love the timelessness sepia pieces give to a space / Above right: Here I am deciding between ‘Tea Tree Bay’ in the small 11 x 14″ size and ‘Summer Sea’ in the large 32 x 48″ size.
Once I have my blank canvas I like to anchor the room with my ‘hero pieces’ – hero pieces are the large art pieces that have the most visual impact.
I have used a vertical extra large ‘Sunseeker’, a large ‘Summer Sea’ and a small ‘Tea Tree Bay’ to really help me achieve an endless summer feel at home.
I love how this collection of Noosa prints sets a calm and relaxed atmosphere within the home and a portal out to sea. The full colour photographic prints are so vivid and atmospheric, while the traditional sepia tones set a nostalgic summer mood from another era.
Style Tip – select your prints and have them framed with my signature framing service. They arrive at your door, ready to hang. The right print for you is the one you have an emotional connection to, but if you need help selecting – contact me for a complimentary and personal consultation.
2. Refresh the Details
Details are just as important as the big hero pieces when it comes to telling the story of you and how you love to live at home.
Fresh flowers or foliage from the garden, or even from the supermarket always add an uplifting mood to any space.
I love to use jugs, bottles and carafes as vases. If it holds water then it’ s a vase to me. Somehow using other vessels to hold your flowers makes your floral arrangement feel more personal and unique.
Above left: ‘Tea Tree Bay’ looks so perfect above the mantle and I know by having this piece here it will encourage family and friends to come up to the mantle and take a closer look / Above right: Adding ‘Sunseeker’ in the extra large 44 x 66″ size to the living room instantly gives a splash of vibrancy through the vivid colour way.
I’m always on the lookout for old books with interesting spines or covers to help set a mood too. I have a special little book called ‘These Summer Holidays’. I just love how the title on the spine sets the mood.
Style Tip – don’t forget to check under the dust covers of your existing books. Sometimes you might just find a lovely coloured linen cover that has been hiding under an old dust jacket.
I love this glimpse through to the living room and the play on scale. By including ‘Sunseeker’ in the extra large size the piece really compliments the generous high ceiling of the room.
For the smaller piece I decided upon ‘Tea Tree Bay’. I love how smaller pieces really bring people together, as you have to get up close to the works. So intimate.
Above left: Adding my new hat to the coffee table.; Love how a classic straw hat adds so much atmosphere / Above right: Bringing together a collection of seashells on the coffee table. These particular cowries are my favourites.
You will always find a straw hat somewhere within my home. Either a few piled high on a chair or one taking centre position on the coffee table. A beautiful straw hat sets the perfect playful summer sunseeker mood.
This particular straw hat is my new hat I have made in collaboration with hatmaker’s Jonathan. It’s the perfect summer hat and you can read more about it here.
I find when you have small objects like a collection of shells the best way to display them is ‘enmasse’ – all together. I like to collect only seashells found in vintage shops or sourced from sustainable companies, like these ones.
Above: The refreshed living room, with layers of my latest Noosa Sunseeker prints to give that everlasting summery feel at home.
My refreshed living room, complete with both the large and small details, a rejigging of the furniture, and introducing my Noosa Sunseeker prints.
Bringing in these elements really do stimulate the soul and make ‘home’ feel so much more complete and personal.
Like you own special haven away from all the pressures of the world.
3. Style the Afternoon
Make a simple summer drink as a refreshing treat for when friends come over. I like the tradition of a yearly summer drink, it always feels fun!
This summers drink is a Pineapple Paloma – garnished with dehydrated pieces of pineapple – to make the experience that little bit more special. I will share the recipe very soon!
I like to bring together a few other special elements such as my new marigold linen napkins with fun woven napkin rings in the shape of a crab and lobster to make the afternoon feel playful for my family and friends.
Above left: One of my favourite things to do is to set the table for friend and family / Above right: Tumblers of ‘Pineapple Paloma’ ready to go, alongside some fun additions to my lifestyle collection, including marigold linen napkins and woven crab and lobster napkin rings. It’s all about fun!
Above: Baby Edie is at the wriggly age, where she just doesn’t want to sit still…. which means I don’t sit still either.
While I’m prepping the drink I’ll slice a cheek of a cold mango and give baby Edie the cheek to play with and eat (she devours mangoes). This keeps her very happy for a good hour while I set the afternoon mood.
Above left: Glimpsing the setting sun and feeling all the golden light under my hat / Above right: All the thoughtful table details to show my friends and family that I care about them and want them to have a relaxed time while visiting.
I like to change into something relaxed and stay barefoot, but still feel a bit special. I’ll pop on some jewellery and press play on my summer playlist and slooow right down.
If I can get a glimpse of the sunset outside then that really does make for the ultimate sunseeker mood at home.
Hope you enjoyed my easy tips and tricks to set your summer mood.
If you would like to see more from my latest Sunseeker collection tap here.
Kara x
