Decorating a home is fun. Okay, well, except for the constant need to dip into your pockets. But don’t you just love picking out cute items to enhance your space, rearranging for comfort and practicality, and then simply soaking in the beauty of it all?
I’ll tell you what I love even more: decorating my space for the season. We like some consistency in our lives, but we also don’t want things to become monotonous and boring. Making small changes to your home can have a positive impact, especially if they align with the season, even if just for the symbolism of it.
You don’t have to go all out and integrate your new concrete house into a mountain wall, for instance. Instead, bring elements from outside into your home that reflect the season to keep your space fresh and exciting without major renovations.
Drawing on years of meticulous experience in both music and interior design, as well as countless trials in his own home, Nils Ström, an interior designer based in Kigali, compares music to architecture. He explains that his favorite teacher used this metaphor to describe the journey of creating a song.
in the design industry for about three years. All photos are
courtesy of the designer himself
“Writing a song is like stepping into a room that you need to fill to make it beautiful or however you want it to be. But you also have to leave space and not make it too cluttered, so the music can breathe,” Ström told me in June at a cafe in Kimihurura. “When designing a room, it’s that same concept of textures, highs and lows, creating space, and highlighting the parts of a room that you want.”
Ready to bring the summer into your home? Great. Because Ström is opening up his playbook and detailing all the ways to ensure your indoors are truly chic and sum – mery.
Plants and Flowers smell of Growth and Possibilities
We’re starting with the most unpredictable element—and we bet you didn’t guess this one: flora. If it were up to us, your apartment would be brimming with plants and flowers, with the smell of earth and growing things spearing out of enriched soil. But according to Ström, it doesn’t have to be that way.
“A few baskets here and there, either already planted and hung on hooks or positioned in designated corners of your home, are just fine for a summery look and tropical feel,” he advises. He also suggests that “decor pieces with delicate floral patterns could be just the thing to bring a sense of a garden in full bloom into your home.”
Prints and patterns inspired by nature can also have a transformative effect on a space, enriching its look and making it feel fresh.
Get Creative with your walls
“I’m a firm believer that anything can go on a wall,” Ström said, emphasizing that this tip isn’t limited to just summer. “There are so many beautiful baskets and crafts that you can hang up. It’s easy to find stunning artwork in Kigali that can help define a room’s visual identity, but why not mix it up as the seasons change? I want you to think outside the box.”
He leaned forward and gestured behind me to a metal structure supporting a climbing plant. “If you find an old fence, you could repurpose it somehow and mount it on the wall. When I was younger, I decorated my walls with everything that meant something to me—whether it was Barack Obama memorabilia, wristbands, music posters, or souvenirs from my travels.
I even had a pair of skis on my wall at one point,” Ström recalled with a smile. “Your walls reflect who you are and how you want to be seen by the world. So, instead of just hanging up a poster, display something that holds personal meaning for you.”
For the sunnier months, consider tropical hangings to transport your walls to warmer climates.
Add Artisanal touches
We’re talking wicker chairs, bamboo, rattan, and wood—the whole nine yards,” Ström explained. Working in a Rwandan context is particularly interesting because culturally symbolic practices like pottery and weaving already imbue interiors with an artistic and creative essence.
“If we’re being honest, that’s literally nature, and it’s really enjoyable to incorporate these elements,” he said. “The organic textures bring a rustic charm to any space that complements indoor greenery beautifully.”
A wooden stool, for example, a sisal car – pet, or a chair with a rattan back—all handmade from natural materials—may not instantly scream ‘summer’ like green plants would, but “they add a soft, warm ambiance to a space, which is what summer is all about.”
Maximize Natural Lighting
This one’s a no-brainer. No, really. The interior designer cited two simple yet impactful changes if you can’t implement previous suggestions: “Pull back your curtains and open your win – dows,” he advised.
Natural light can make rooms feel larger and airier, so maximizing sunlight in your space is important. If you’re lucky enough to have floor-to-ceiling windows, even better for that sun-drenched effect. Consider playing refreshing music or one of those TikTok sounds that automatically reimagines your life in slow mode and lean hard into the whole romanticizing-your-life feeling that the summer season naturally provides.
Make the most of your terrace or courtyard patch
Picture this: round tables covered with white linens, candelabras wrapped in floral garlands turning from gold to pink in the late afternoon sun, under a sky filled with stars and stripes. Friends and family gathered on picnic blankets, spending hours together enjoying each other’s company, eating, playing games, and culminating the day with movie nights drowned in cheap wine and card games. Show me a better summer day—I’ll wait.
“Just adding a cute little table and two chairs, maybe some – thing like an awning or umbrella for shade, and some lights for the evening can transform your garden space,” Ström said.
“It may not be as elaborate as furnishing a home, but it’s a simple addition if you have the space. Hang fairy lights from a tree or any suitable spot for a charming effect.” “If you have the room, consider mixing different seating options—a relaxed couch, a couple of sunbeds on the side— whatever fits,” he continued.
“And while you’re at it, updating your crockery with bright, summary plates and bowls can instantly elevate your outdoor dining experience. Large chopping boards and bowls can also double as rustic style displays on a dining table or sideboard.”
