Bright colors, charming details accentuate architectural features

Some folks see retirement as a time to slow down, to stop to smell the roses.

Mart and Buck Comstock, formerly a dedicated teacher and a hardworking engineer, respectively, prefer a different approach: The only blooms they're smelling are the ones they cultivate in the flower beds outside of their home — and that's just when they take a break from all of their other post-employment hobbies, from woodworking to entertaining.

Between garden clubs and book clubs, the couple have managed to carve out enough time to fill their ranch-style home in Elgin's Del Webb community with cheerful, sunny style that matches the floor plan's easy flow. “The open floor plan is what we really loved,” Buck says. “It's very open, with very few walls between the kitchen, dining room and family room.”

The Comstocks did want a little separation between their family room and the adjacent garden room, which is where Mart's vision and Buck's woodworking skills united to create an airy space full of architectural details. In addition to bookcases, pillars and a 14-foot beam denoting the entrance, the space also features what the couple call an arbor shelf extending along an entire wall. “I come up with the ideas, and he'll say, ‘Yeah, I can do that,' ” Mart explains.

Seeking a little outside help with highlighting their handcrafted features, Mart and Buck invited Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad, Debbie Plantery and Nancy Borsodi to share hints for embracing a summery look. Read on for their 20 carefree decorating ideas!

Going up

Channel a vintage vibe. “When I'm trying to achieve a cheery feel, my go-to accessory is retro linens,” Enstad says. Here, a fruit-motif runner plays up the past-tense panache of an old red-and-white table.

Think vertical. Instead of spreading a buffet out horizontally, build up to maximize your available space. The stylists stacked tinware platforms to create a multitiered tea service, which provides enough space for even small touches — such as lemon slices arranged on the rim of a small ceramic pot — to shine.

Contain creatively. Look around your house for vessels that you can smartly repurpose in your grouping, whether it's a bowl or a graphic tin hosting herbs or a pitcher keeping together a handful of flatware.

Sunny disposition

Be dramatic. A plain wall becomes an architectural showstopper thanks to a custom feature that includes a shelf for display as well as a half planter mounted on the wall. “We wanted to create the sense that you can walk through the pergola into something else,” Buck notes.

Improve your frame of sign. Plantery hung a weathered sign inside a red frame that draws attention to the placard and contrasts the room's pale palette.

Watch the birdies. “It wouldn't be a garden room without bird-themed accents,” Plantery says, noting the ceramic birds on the wall. Plus, a canvas pillow echoes some yellow birdhouses Buck built, and, on the table, a rusty bird cage covers candles on a tinware platform.

Wait your lantern. For a different take on a centerpiece, place a bloom inside a lantern or boost a motion-flame candle on an overturned box.

Hear it through the grapevine. Replace traditional chargers with grapevine wreaths to provide a nest-like resting spot for plates at each setting.

Table the discussion. To maximize a room meant for entertaining, choose a mix of accent tables — including a TV tray that frees up space by hosting drinks.

Primary focus

Retask towels. Instead of sticking with their usual purpose, hang primary-hued vintage tea towels on a tension rod using clip rings; choose a rod the same color as your blinds so it blends in.

Know when to fold 'em. Turn another tea towel into a simple pillow cover that follows your color scheme: Borsodi folded a striped towel around an accent pillow and sewed on buttons to hold it in place — you could even use fabric glue as a no-stitch fix.

Boost your shelf-esteem. The garden room features plenty of accent tables. The stylists couldn't resist bringing in one more option: a large graphic tin boosted on a bench and topped with glass.

Go to your happy plates. Take a wall-mounted plate display up another notch by attaching craft letters to the dishes with adhesive hook-and-loop squares. Or, rest jar candles on flower-shaped plates as a quick space filler.

Be seen and herb. Set a petite plant inside a vented glass lantern. “It's like creating a miniature greenhouse for herbs and other small plants,” Borsodi notes. “Choose a bright-colored pot that shows through the glass nicely.”

Glass up the joint. Mount a vintage-look label on card stock, punch holes in the upper corners, and thread a ribbon through the holes to create a hanger. Loop the ribbon over the lid of a glass jar for a dash of graphic charm.

X marks the spot

Make a big entrance. For division between the family room and the garden room, the Comstocks designed this pillar-and-shelf feature crowned by a beam accented with Xs and white lights.

Find greener pastures. A fitting complement to the garden room's moniker, assorted green accessories lend a natural touch to this spot. A sage spice cabinet, an artichoke accent and spring-green stacked baskets highlight varying shades that run the green gamut.

Test your metal. Remember that metal wall decor has an often underrated bonus: “Not only do these stars add dimension to the wall, but you can also attach photographs or other lightweight decor to them with magnets,” Enstad says.

Have a little fun. Bring in graphics somewhere other than the wall or floor with a hooked pillow featuring a whimsical image; this design of a watermelon truck and a dog is well-suited to the white wicker chair and red cushion.

Get crafty. To complete a seasonal scene, DIY a few summer-ready items. Reinvent a chalkboard-adorned wood crate as a planter by lining it in plastic and placing potted blooms and grass inside. Or, capture prim Americana flair with a set of red, white and blue wood blocks bundled together in a flag motif and tied with a burlap bow.