Summer is coming and that means longer days, relaxed nights, and welcoming guests into your home. Interior stylist and owner of Penny & Pearl Design, Rachael Gendrolis, lets us in on some tips and tricks for getting your home ready for those summer soirees.

What are some easy ways people can update their decor to make their homes have more of a summer vibe? 

Ah, summertime on the Cape—is there anything more quintessentially New England?! When I think “Cape House,” I think charm, comfort, and sandy feet. If you’re the friend or family member with the Cape house, it’s a known fact that you have people calling you just waiting for an invite to come down to enjoy a summer weekend. There comes a point in late-spring when you start to think about hosting all those guests and the redecorating begins.

Lucky for us, the Cape is home to some of the most gorgeous natural backdrops so keeping the décor simple is key to curating a comfortable, fresh, and inviting home. First things first—declutter. Donate or store away anything you haven’t used since last summer and keep the items that have a specific function or decorative element that you love. Once you have your blank slate ready, begin your decorating with a neutral color palette. Keeping the palette bright and airy (think white, beige, light gray with hints of blue) allows for the natural beauty outside your windows to become the highlight. White walls are my favorite way to instantly brighten up a space. Some of my go-to whites are Benjamin Moore’s Simply White and White Dove and Alabaster by Sherwin Williams. When you have a white background, the décor stands out, so I like to decorate...