How to Design a Mediterranean Country Summer Home: Outdoor Dining, Flowers, & Fashion

Welcome to my summer home in the countryside

Ladies,

Summer always makes me think of the Mediterranean. So aside from never-ending laundry from sweating through our clothes in one day, I design a summer home reminiscent of this look and feeling of being among the rolling hills of the French and Italian countryside and those coastlines. My vision of this retreat has not yet been fully done but I continually pull from this idea to create the feel wherever it is I live at the moment. The Mediterranean feel, look, and lifestyle has been my favorite template to design my home for summer.

Vacation Perspective

One thing that stands out to me about the difference between dreamy vacations and our own homes is how we view them and treat them differently. It’s not always dramatic differences of having ocean views, or sprawling vineyard scenery before us that makes us enjoy a vacation. Much of our enjoyment of a getaway is from small decisions we live out based on that place feeling special to us. I am always aware of how I live in our home based on my perspective of being home vs on vacation. Would I live differently here if this were a place I just showed up to and it was unique to me?

One thing people do on vacation vs at home is eat outdoors. Coffee and brunch at the cafe. A romantic dinner at a restaurant.

Another thing people do on vacation is wear a nice outfit. They will dress nicely to sit outdoors for coffee, wine, or a meal on vacation at a hotel, restaurant, or cafe like it is the most novel experience.

But these behaviors are not dependent on the location. This is something that we can do anywhere, even at home and with just as much romanticism. I aim to create that romance at home.

But the truth is, the only kind of home that people want to be in is one where there is love and peace. You can have all the money and decor and do all the beautiful things and it can all be a place no one wants to be. A good home is one that invites the Lord Jesus into it and is changed by Him from the inside out.

A good home is built on the Lord Jesus. I pray for the fruits of His Spirit to be the source of our words and behavior: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

Dining Outdoors

In your home, create a place of outdoor dining. A courtyard, a patio, whatever you call it, it needs to be easy to access, comfortable and beautiful. Take the meal or drinks outdoors. Get in the lifestyle habit of going outdoors for meals and drinks. The set up takes design, but the behavior just takes a decision.

A comfortable outdoor dining set is a top priority in our household for the reason that we use it like a dining room, or a date spot, much like if we were actually on a trip.

Since buying this used set, it has been so thoroughly enjoyed we have worn a patio chair’s fabric right through. Unfortunately, when patio furniture takes a turn, it looks 100% trashed without any patina charm. I am considering a set with removable cushions as my next purchase instead of this style chair because now I’m stuck with a ripped chair until we can afford a replacement.

Flower Garden

When I think of wandering through beautiful countryside homes in the mediterranean, I think of the flowers growing on the side of the road, along a fence, in large decorative pots, or in a garden.

Want a romantic summer experience? Take the tiniest of seeds and plant them in Spring, then wake up to water the garden each morning. Watch the little green stalks and leaves peep above the ground and grow day by day. $1 seed packets are all it takes to get this experience. People usually think of consuming experiences on vacation, but gardening requires your active role in creating an experience that is a getaway. Here are a few of my favorite flowers that look like that colorful and airy Mediterranean summer, and they grow easily:

“Bachelor’s button, also known as cornflower because of its prevalence in cornfields in its native Europe, is a cutting garden and cottage garden favorite. Grown for its bright blue, fringed flowers, the stems last for days in a cut flower arrangement. As a rugged reseeding annual that’s hardy in Zones 2-11, bachelor’s button will pop up year after year without needing much help from you.”

Better Homes & Gardens

“Cosmos are annual flowers with colorful, daisy-like flowers that sit atop long, slender stems. Blooming from the summer through fall, they attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden. They’re grown easily from seeds and will even survive in poor soil conditions!”

almanac.com

“One of the reasons gardeners love these flowers is because sunflowers are easy to grow. There are over 70 varieties of sunflowers, and although most of them grow tall, there are several sunflowers that fall under the dwarf category. Dwarf sunflowers, regardless of the variety, never get above five feet, with most of them only growing to a maximum of 2-3 feet.”

allaboutgardening.com

Dressing for a Summer Getaway

Orange sandals. Yellow dresses. Color! I just crave the saturated bright colors of the Mediterranean during the summer.

Many women wait to wear something nice for going out or for a trip somewhere else. Think of going out as having a drink with your husband in the outdoor dining area you created. Wear what you would pack to do that on vacation. A summer dress, earrings, and pretty sandals, so simple but so beautiful. The vacation wardrobe can be worn at home! Dressing for a summer getaway will give you that feel like you are on a getaway. Dressing up is an important signal that this place is special, and this time is special.

Dining Outdoors, Flowers, & Summer Fashion…

These are the things I infuse into our home for that Mediterranean vibe that is always buzzing in my creative juices this time of year.

While I love the novelty of actually traveling, I notice how people do things in new places that can be done at home. We can lean into those experiences at home. We can have romantic and fun experiences right where we live, and to a degree that’s a choice we make. We can design these experiences with a small budget and small decisions.

From my home to yours, have a blessed and beautiful summer season!

whateverlovely.com Country Living – Fashion – Home