Summer Decorating: Seashells and Hydrangeas

Decorating with elements of nature is one of my favorite ways to make our home feel ready for summer.  Since the hydrangeas are starting to fade, I cut some and arranged them throughout the house with my seashell collection to bring in a touch of soft color and texture.  I find the repetition of having the same flowers and natural elements in several different rooms makes the decor appear unified and also provides a gentle reminder of the garden outside the walls...

Here a whitewashed woven tray is filled with hydrangeas I'm drying for a future project.  A few shells, from many trips to the Carmel beach, were added and displayed with the blooms in a dessert dish stacked on a cake plate for height.  This is a portable centerpiece that can be set on a table or credenza.

I filled a small vase with hydrangeas and placed it on a tray covered in seashells to adorn the kitchen table.  This served as a centerpiece for today's luncheon with friends!  The layered plates and neutral colors were light and airy.

Although I usually choose plants rather than arrangements outdoors, we've been outside so much in this summery weather that I filled a vase with cut flowers for dinner on the patio.  (I bring them in after dessert to keep the cut flowers happy in our air conditioning!)  

A few hydrangeas also found their way to our family room mantel, where I have them in small vases with twisted willow branches placed behind.