Transform Your Home for Warm Weather

• Replace heavy draperies with gauzy linen curtains.

• Place tall, clear vases of white or pink flowers throughout the house.

• Put a white linen slipcover on the sofa.

• Set your table with natural materials like bamboo placemats.

• Dress your bed in crisp cotton sheets in pale colors.

• Adorn a bookshelf with seashells.

• Clean your outdoor furniture and cover them with brightly colored cushions and pillows.

• Repaint an old piece of furniture sea green.

• Display your collection of sea glass or antique bottles in a window.

• Exchange your damask tablecloth for one made of linen, or just leave the dining table bare.

• Plant rye grass in tiny clay pots and place on the mantel.

• Grow fresh mint for making mint iced tea.

• Clear the decks: temporarily pack away all framed pictures and knickknacks -- the breezy new look will be like a breath of fresh air.

• Put a grass rug down in place of an oriental.

• Drape side tables in white linen cloths.

• Move heavy wooden furniture out of your living room and replace with light, painted furniture or bamboo chairs.

• See things in a new light: replace dark lampshades with white ones.

• Place your favorite gardening books or beach reads within easy reach on the coffee table and bedroom night table.

• Put away the quilts and heavy blankets and replace with a white or bright colored coverlet.

• For summer houseguests, keep a wicker basket of magazines and paperback books in the guestroom.

• Instead of flowers, pile fruit or vegetables in a white or glass bowl on the kitchen table.

• Take out the logs from your fireplace and replace with white candles of different heights and sizes.

• On your table, fill large hurricane glasses with lemons. Make sure it's not a closed container or one with a lid, otherwise the lemons will mold.

• Fragrance your home with the scent of spring and summer blooms: rose, honeysuckle, and primrose.

• Enjoy breakfast on the porch on a summer morning.