Charleston summer interior design trends and tips

Charleston summer interior design trends and tips

Colorful homes are back, wallpaper is in and statement pieces are here to stay.

Here are some interior decorating and design styles trending in Charleston that will make your home feel like summer.

Say goodbye to gray with prints and pops of color

Gray had its grip on home decorators. The neutral was one-half of Pantone’s Color of the Year duo in 2021. It dominated walls, furniture and fixtures in homes.

But lately, interior designers like Kelly Stradling of Cote Luxe Properties are seeing clients shift away from the color, opting instead for warmer tones.

“It used to be that it was white on white, and then a lot of grays. Now I feel like people are really starting to play with color and just have more of a warmth to the color palettes that they’re choosing,” Stradling said.

Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025 was deemed “Mocha Mousse,” an earthy brown that’s “sophisticated and lush” while simultaneously “an unpretentious classic,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said of the shade when it was announced in December.

It’s a versatile color that can be easily paired with any aesthetic and would blend seamlessly into the shades of the coastal palette — a sea of blues, greens and warm, sandy tans. These colors complement natural materials well, like dark-stained woods, wicker and rattan.

Don’t be afraid to pull in some patterns, either.







Gray Benko purple room (Copy)

Gray Benko, an interior designer, added her own personal touches to her Summerville house with bright wallpaper and complementary trims. Color is in. 




As Johns Island-based designer Abby Evans of Metal + Petal told Good Housekeeping last month, “pattern brings a jolt of freshness and movement to a space.” Floral wallpaper or striped linens, Evans told the magazine, can inject personality into your home.

If you’re unable to paint, or afraid of committing to drenching your home in a brand new color, try and bring a few shades into your décor with colorful glassware, vases or an area rug.

Making a statement with thoughtful additions

Sometimes less is more.

And with a statement piece, all you need is one bold item to completely breathe new life into your home or apartment.

Secondhand stores and vintage boutiques are great places to look for such pieces. There’s a plethora of these shops in the Charleston area that specialize in unique furniture and vintage art.

Scour the booths at The Station in Park Circle, a vintage store in North Charleston, or the curated rooms at the Mount Pleasant Antique Mall on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard to find the piece that speaks to you. Both stores, and several others throughout the Charleston area, are packed with secondhand and refurbished home goods.







thestation_2.jpg (Copy)

Vintage furniture and décor at The Station in Park Circle can be used as statement pieces to inject personality into the home.




Midcentury modern pieces have been in vogue for a bit, and in Charleston, the style has melded with the area’s popular beachy vibes to create what Stradling called “coastal minimalism.”

It’s quiet, subdued and clean, but not impersonal, Stradling said.

“It’s a creative and artistic approach that allows the client to really express their individual styles through the furnishings,” she said.

Let the light in

Open up your windows and let a breeze of summer air float in. Let the light in through dreamy curtains and lightweight window treatments that cut the heat but don’t entirely block the sun.

Sheer curtains let in just enough light to keep your space feeling airy and breezy. Avoid heavy or thick fabrics, like flannels, which tend to block out the sun and make your home feel dark.

Bamboo blinds can withstand Charleston’s hot and humid weather in the summertime while still giving your home a fresh look. Linen and cotton curtains are a good option, too, for those sunny days when your heart wants to be outside but the heat index suggests otherwise.

Or forget the window treatments completely.

“I’m also seeing clients just forgo the drapery panels and do like a textured Roman shade or something like that because a maximum amount of light that comes in, obviously, is going to brighten the space,” Stradling said.

After all, sunlight exposure is directly related to happiness and well-being. So help your mental state out a bit. 


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