The Light Reset || Summer Shift

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Summer calls for something different, a different kind of reset. Not the big, new-year, get-it-all-together energy of January. Something lighter. One of the best gifts of the season is its ease, and the chance to choose our level of difficulty. Whether you’re planning activities every weekend, with beach bags packed and cookouts booked, or it’s camp and family reunions, the last thing anyone wants is to be stuck inside. Even worse, stuck inside organizing piles of stuff before your nervous system is allowed to relax.

These days are built for heat, long days and that quiet urge to simplify without taking the soul out of your home or your being. A light reset is exactly that. It’s not a purge or a weekend overhaul. Just a few small changes that get your space back in step with the season, so you can get back to enjoying it.

Here’s where I’d start.

CLEAR ONE SURFACE, AND ONLY ONE

This season doesn’t need minimalism. It needs breathing room.

We’re bringing back K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart! Pick one surface (your nightstand, the kitchen counter that collects everything, the table by the door) and clear it on purpose. Not to empty it, but to reset it.

Keep only what you actually reach for, or one thing that makes you smile a little:

• a ceramic bowl
• a cool glass vase
• a summer candle
• the book you’re actually reading (need ideas? Check out The Bookcase)

Let the empty space do the rest.

If Marie Kondo’s “does it spark joy” method doesn’t move you, I’ve got a more gut-level one. Grab a trash can, an extra trash bag and one clear plastic bin with a lid. (The large men’s shoe box from The Container Store is my go-to.)

This is the main step, and really the only one. Picture each item covered in something gross and hard to clean, like throw-up, poop or syrup. I know it’s gross. That’s the point.

Now decide:

• Would you take the time to clean it so you can keep it?
• Or would you rather just toss it?

• The things that are legitimately junk go in the trash. Let them go.
• The things that are no longer your style, meaning you haven’t worn or used them in the past 12 months, go in a donation bag (the extra trash bag).
• The things you’re keeping need a home in order to stay. You’re allowed 1 or 2 small clear plastic catch-all bins, depending on the size of your household. Go with 2 if one holds all your random electronics, cords, extra batteries and the like, and the other holds the rest of the small things that need a home. Label both BIG and easy to read so they don’t get lost on a shelf.

And note: this only works with clear bins, so what’s in them is always on display.

SWAP THE FABRICS THAT HOLD THE HEAT

Fabric can make or break a summer room. If it traps heat, feels heavy or dulls the light, put it away until fall.

This is the time to bring in:

• linen or cotton bedding
• sheer curtains that let the breeze through
• a light cotton throw instead of the chunky knit (Johanna Howard’s throws are a favorite)
• jute or flatweave rugs over wool and shag, like this Tula rug by Carmeon Hamilton
• slipcovers or light pillow covers in place of velvet

Look for fabrics with air in them. You should see the weave and feel them move.

SWITCH UP YOUR SCENTS

Scent matters, especially in summer. Heavy, cozy scents like vanilla, amber and cinnamon feel great in the fall but can make a warm room feel even warmer. Try something brighter:

• citrus, basil or mint in the kitchen
• a fresh stem of eucalyptus in the shower
• a light linen spray on the sheets
• fresh herbs or flowers you can actually smell

One scent per room is plenty. And please make sure they’re phthalate- and paraben-free. Here are a few of our favorites:

CLEAR THE PATHS, NOT THE CLOSETS

Leave the closets alone for now. Summer is not the time for a deep clean-out, trust me.

Instead, clear the spots you actually walk through every day:

• the hallway you’re running down every morning
• the entryway where the bags and keys pile up
• the kitchen loop you make every single night

You just want to move around without bumping into stuff. Summer is all about movement, so make room for it.

LET IN WATER, LIGHT AND AIR

START ONE SMALL SUMMER RITUAL

The best resets aren’t chores. We’re going for low effort, high reward.

Pick one:

• morning pages on the porch (I like mine with a cup of coffee)
• rearranging one little display each week. An entry table, bathroom counter or desk will do.
• a fruit bowl filled with your favorites and the season’s best
• fresh flowers on Friday, no matter how the week went
• a 10-minute evening wipe-down with your favorite linen spray, and a soundtrack to keep you company. Here’s a playlist to get you started:

Your home is meant to be a sanctuary from this cold, hard world. So whatever we do or don’t do as the seasons wax and wane, a reset makes a space feel different, even if it doesn’t look THAT different. Be easy and enjoy the sun.

More soon,
-Ashleigh

Photos: cottonbro studio and Ksenia Chernaya via Pexels