The Quiet Luxury of Summer Living at Home

Belated Happy Canada Day to all my lovely Canadian readers! 

June was a much needed and really grounding month for me and it  also gave me the opportunity to travel to some of my favourite cities. My summer vacation this year was sandwiched between two very lovely design shows in Copenhagen and London and in between I travelled to Stockholm (I have a lot of Swede in my DNA and it does truly feel like home, I was probably a Viking at some point!) and my home home Edinburgh.

But now I am home, back in Toronto for the rest of the summer and my thoughts have turned to summer living at home. 

There is an ease to summer living, sometimes enforced by the heat but I also think we eat simpler foods in the summer, cook outdoors, wear simpler clothing, embrace the light and so life at home shifts as we spend more time outdoors.

We often think of escape as somewhere to travel to, but thoughtfully designed homes can offer the same sense of escape from the outside world if designed for your needs. And truthfully their is no place like home, especially when you love your home. 

The Quiet Luxury of Summer Living at Home

In Toronto, the city I have called home for 24 years, we have two very distinctive seasons – winter and summer and sometimes we also get spring and fall, actually we always get fall but sometimes it can feel like spring is just a passing thought in the calendar.

Designing in a climate of extremes has to be considered regardless of the time of year the design is installed and this is something I am always mindful of. There are certain rooms with large fireplaces that take on a whole new level in the colder months, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also be a welcoming retreat in the summer. 

Balancing the quality of day / sunlight in a home is critical to ensuring all year round enjoyment and to me natural light in your home is as important as the air we breathe. 

Here are a few things to consider – 

Sunlight (strong summer sun) will age your furnishings like it does our own skin. We are always mindful of where pieces will be placed and how much sunlight they will receive. 

A double layer of window coverings is really helpful in a sunny south facing room. This could be a black out blind paired with semi-sheer draperies or a semi sheer blind paired with black out draperies for example. Having the mix of the two weights will allow you to filter in the quantity and quality of light you want. 

For materials, the layer closest to the window should be the most durable, we frequently use sheers with a polyester blend to ensure they can withstand the sun. A 100% linen sheer will start to break apart in a south facing window.

In terms of upholstery an indoor outdoor fabric is really good to use on a window seat or on anything directly in the suns rays. So many  now are woven to have a soft hand and texture, gone are the days of  these fabrics feeling hard and crunchy to the touch. 

When it comes to sleeping – and this to me is a year round plea – only use 100% natural (cotton or linen), breathable textiles. When temps soar our sleep is affected and having sheets that soothe instead of inflame are the best of options!!

My Scandinavian Escape

A holiday to Copenhagen and Stockholm never disappoints – its truly a winning combination and I was able to eat as much salted licorice as I liked, knowing that there was ample supply on hand – Guru Snack Sea Salted Gluten Free Organic Licorice is hands down the best in my humble opinion.

Copenhagen gave us a much needed catch-up with our gorgeous niece and her partner who flew in from Dublin to join us for a couple of days and then we became immersed in 3 Days of Design. I loved this design show, instead of being indoors in a large exhibition hall, you are out and about exploring neighbourhoods, listening to immersive seminars and taking in all the beauty and inspiration that this gorgeous city has in abundance. 

Exhibitions and product launches are set in beautiful locations – several embassies such as Sweden, Portugal and Austria opened to attendees so we could explore those countries design offerings, restaurants and clothing boutiques doubled as pop-ups for lighting launches and textile collaborations. And several designers opened up their homes. It was really incredible and I’m working my way through all the sampling and contacts I returned with.

It’s impossible for me to go to Denmark and not go to Sweden. So three nights were had in Stockholm. Days were magically long as we walked and walked. Saw lots of pretty things and ate beautiful food. 

At my favourite hotel in the world we connected over dinner with several attendees of the show in Copenhagen. We were not the only ones who had expanded our trip. Insightful conversations were had with a large Danish retailer from Australia and a gorgeous Japanese product designer. This can be the unexpected and really rewarding part of travel for me – the connection with people from all over the world over a beautiful meal when time and place simply stands still. 

Reflection

My time away brought so much design inspiration but also a much needed opportunity to connect and be with people I love and don’t see as much of as I wish. 

We had time in Edinburgh and London (more about that next month) after Stockholm and I got to spend quality time with two of dearest girlfriends as well as my sister. These female connections are so incredibly important to nurture, so my words of wisdom for you dear readers this summer is to make the call, book the dinner, go for the walk, but above all find the time to see your friends. Put away your phones and connect in real life in real time. Its the best medicine!!

Have a wonderful July xo

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1 from our Old Mill Renovation, others sourced from Pinterest. Images 4 – 9 are all our work and are featured on our website. Images from my trip are taken by myself.

All professional photos of me and our work are by the wonderful Virginia Macdonald.

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.