With the stay at home orders expired and stores slowly reopening, a new normal is emerging in Park City City. And though we can’t wait to go support our local businesses, we’re still spending more time at home than ever, making this season the perfect time for a refresh. 

Sure, you can go big with a bold bathroom remodel or a fresh paint job, but if you’re looking for quick tweaks to refresh your space without messing with your WFH groove, we’ve got you. Get the scoop from Parkite designers on five simple ways to refresh your home for summer—no general contractor required.

Find your vibe.

Sure Mid-Century Modern is all the rage, but do its sharp corners and low couches make sense for your young family? Not necessarily. “There are a lot of pretty things out there that we might strive towards, but those things we think we want might not be what’s right for your space,” says Rachel Stoeckl, Designer and Creative Director at CCDG Interiors. 

She recommends first looking at how your home is currently decorated and asking yourself what style options make your home functional for your lifestyle and personality. This will streamline your focus, help you wade through the options, and help make your house feel like a home. 

Declutter and organize your space. 

It’s amazing how simply organizing what you already have can revitalize your space. If a room is getting cluttered, interior designer Jennelle Butera of Hudson + Bloum Design recommends using baskets to corral important and everyday items. 

“We love to incorporate affordable baskets from World Market for extra throws, shoes, and toys. And The Container Store has labeled baskets that come in handy for mudrooms, offices & closets,” says Butera. Shop local and buy simple woven baskets at Root’d or artisan options at Sien + Co. 

Apply a fresh coat of paint.

One of the simplest ways to refresh a room is new paint. “Paint goes a long way,” says Butera. “If you have painting skills, you can transform a space by simply painting it.” If you have kids, she recommends using eggshell sheen paints. This paint has more luster than a flat finish but won’t leave your walls overly shiny. Plus, it’s easy to clean if kids cover it in fingerprints or food stains, more durable, and longer wearing than matte or satin paints.

Go bold and paint the kids’ rooms a vibrant color, or embrace the wallpaper trend with temporary options that peel off easily. (If the thought of wallpapering a whole room scares you, try touches of wallpaper inside bookshelves or a small powder room.)

Incorporate live plants or fresh fruit. 

A quick way to liven up drab spaces is by adding live plants to your home for color and texture. If you’ve long opted for faux plants due to a demanding work or travel schedule, the current work-from-home world may be perfect for adopting a plant says Butera, as you can give them the TLC they deserve. Visit Park City Gardens to get help selecting high-altitude options and have favorites custom potted by the store’s boutique team. 

Designer Stephanie Hunt of Flair Hunter/ Stephanie Hunt Interiors fills her vases, soup terrines, and even wooden salad bowls with fresh fruit and vegetables as decor. “On my masked trips to the market, I buy big bags of grapefruit, lemons, artichokes, and green apples. Greens and yellow and the blush of a pink grapefruit rind are all colors that feel fresh,” says Hunt. “I try to keep the fruit and veggies monochromatic if they’re living together in the same dish—think green pears with artichokes and Granny Smith apples—or even just a giant bowl of all apples.”

Hunt recommends placing the colorful bowls on a family room coffee table, kitchen island, or even using a small bowl of lemons in a powder room since they smell great and make the room feel fresh. (Plus, the fruit bowls in the kitchen encourage your family to enjoy a healthy snack.) 

She also buys fresh bouquets from the grocery store or uses clippings from blossoming branches in her yard to fill vases for a seasonal touch. 

Make outdoor spaces shine.

While the weather is still nice, take the party outside and focus on redesigning your exterior space as an outdoor lounge or dining space. Butera recommends mixing high and low price points to keep it affordable while looking stylish. “Spend on a quality outdoor dining table and choose lower price point dining chairs since you have to purchase multiple chairs, which can really add up.”

Instead of a traditional all-wood or all-metal patio set, consider mixing materials for a unique look. “We like to mix teak with powder-coated metal,” says Butera. Book an appointment at Park City’s Christy Sports to see new patio furniture and fresh accents to add to your outdoor living room. 

Refresh your outdoor or indoor vase collection with sturdy stoneware planters from Root’d or add plush outdoor pillows from Sien + Co. Designed to resist mold, mildew, and UV radiation, these pillows won’t get ruined by sudden summer storms and can handle whatever Mother Nature (or your family) throw at them. 

Redecorate by rearranging.

You don’t need a huge budget to change the feel of your home. Instead of buying something new, Hunt recommends rearranging what you already have. “It’s amazing how moving the things you already own, which doesn’t require one extra penny spent, can feel entirely new when you see it in a new arrangement in a different room,” she says.

Another idea: use old items in new ways. “Try moving a side table from the living room to the bedroom in place of a nightstand,” Hunt says. “Or take a small bench or footstool and move it next to a sofa with something taller on it like a stack of books.”

No matter which design ideas you embrace, skip big box stores and shop for home goods in town to help Park City’s local businesses recover from the devastating coronavirus closure. 

Interviews and Story by Jenny Willden for The Scout Guide Park City