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What I Love with Trudy Dujardin, FASID, LEED AP

Summer Blues: Seaside Colors for Your Home

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Trudy Dujardin, FASID, Leed AP

The days of summer slip quickly by if we don’t take the time to celebrate sunshine, warm breezes, and light that lingers into evening. Whether you find yourself summering on the beach, relaxing at the lake, or enjoying life in the city, bringing summer blues into your home can give you the feeling of being seaside all year long.

There’s no color scheme more heavenly than blue and white: from the open ocean accented with crisp white sails to the summer sky dotted with white clouds. As many as half the people around the world say blue is their favorite color! Blue has also been documented as being the most soothing, restful color, making it perfect for bedrooms.

Blue pigment from the earliest days of human civilization was prized almost as highly as gold. A bride must have something blue. Blue flowers are coveted by gardeners almost above all others. Artists use sweeps of blue in nautical paintings that soothe and enchant at the same time.

Objets d’art and treasured collections can be used to add blue and white accents to almost any style of home. One of my favorites is Chinese export porcelain. These classic pieces are the quintessential blue and white collectible, and have been for hundreds of years.

Blue and white porcelain found its way to Nantucket Island, once the center of the whaling industry, as ballast on ships or in trunks brought home by sea captains and sailors.

Blue and white porcelain is particularly striking when used as a container for flowers. Any shape that holds water can become a beautiful vase. Bowls can also be filled to stunning effect with blue hydrangeas,

or with shells collected from the beach.

I’ve repurposed blue and white ginger jars into lamps, giving antique pieces new life while adding historic interest to a room.

Blue and white together lightens the somber tone blue can take on by itself. Even in nature, blue is often paired with other colors: blue jays are splashed with white, the peacock is mixed with green, and for the blue-footed booby, Mother Nature decided blue feet were enough,

Whether the blue is sapphire or navy, the white ivory or alabaster, the beauty of blue and white transcends seasons and years.

On the island I watch the azure sea, white-capped waves rolling to shore, and I am captivated by blue and white once again.

As we begin the dog days of summer, Frank and I are enjoying reading with the two newest members of our family: Bichons Chloe and Maggie. Frank and I are enjoying all the dog days! We hope you are, too.

Counting Stars in Your Own Backyard

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Trudy Dujardin, FASID, Leed AP

Summertime is perfect for travel, to see new sights, taste new foods, and refresh our spirits. Sometimes we return from a vacation, though, only to sigh with relief at the sight of our own front door. There’s something to be said for a chance to relax without packing a suitcase, airport delays, and crowds of tourists. With a little advance planning, we can turn a stay at home into a luxurious retreat.

Start by thinking about what you love when you travel. If the feeling of luxury and being pampered is part of what makes a hotel stay desirable, then recreate that escape at home. Toss out old bedding, and invest in good quality organic cotton sheets. They’ll feel wonderful against your skin, and will support your health by being toxin-free. Buy new pillows, and add a soft alpaca throw at the bottom of the bed.

Rejuvenating your body as well as your mind and spirit should be your priority for this vacation. Consider purchasing a room air purifier. A HEPA filter will remove allergens and particulates from the air you breathe, then recirculate purified air back into the room.

I have a whole house air purification system that keeps the air in my home pristine, and my guests tell me they’ve never felt better or more energized.

Bring the best summer has to offer inside! I love the look of nautical throw pillows. Add shells and beach-inspired decor to keep you feeling like your toes are in the sand.

I love my collection of vintage sand pails, reminding me that this is the season to remember the delights of childhood, or enjoy them again with little people you love.

Plan a day trip (or three!) to places in your area that you just don’t have time to get to on a regular basis. One of my favorite destinations on Nantucket is Madaket Beach. I also love Pumpkin Pond Farm. My good friend Marty McGowan is an organic farmer who blesses the island with gorgeous flowers and delicious homegrown produce.

Indulge in all the bounty of fresh summer foods–-tomatoes, corn, peaches, plums, and fragrant herbs. Try a new recipe every night!

When the afternoon sun starts to make you drowsy, there’s nothing like a window seat where you can curl up with a book to read or to nap.

Since you’re staying home, family and friends may be traveling to see you. Arrange guest rooms with the kind of touches that help people feel at home. A small table or chair where they can place their luggage is appreciated. Fill a basket with books you’ve enjoyed, soaps and lotions, and extra towels. The best way to decide if your guest room is ready is to sleep there for a night yourself.

There’s nothing more romantic than a summer evening, so don’t stay indoors and miss it. Be sure to make your patio or deck as comfortable as the interior of your home, with tables, umbrellas, and lots of wonderful places to sit, with cushions and throw pillows so you can relax.

String white lights…

Add lots of candles..

Then listen for the owls, and count the stars in your own backyard.

Let the Sun Shine In!

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Trudy Dujardin, FASID, Leed AP

After a long, cool spring in the Northeast, the calendar–and the weather–have agreed that summer has finally arrived. Let’s throw open the windows and doors, and rethink the way we live at home. it’s easy to feel as F. Scott Fitzgerald did when he said, “I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

Start with spring cleaning: To fully embrace the beauty of balmy breezes and abundant sunshine, we need to remove winter’s dry stuffy air from the house, and scrub the hidden spaces where dust collects. We don’t need to bring toxic cleaning products into our homes. It’s better to clean with baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar, or else choose environmentally friendly products, rather than dousing our living space with chemicals. I’ve written about how to Clean Green before: read more here.

Think about re-establishing order. Stacks of books and blankets left by the fireplace should be put back where they belong, and then you can recreate the room for a completely different experience. Once the room has become a blank slate again, bring out the things of summer! Bright colors and garden stools definitely belong inside.

Add beauty and fragrance with fresh flowers. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, then you have a florist shop at your fingertips! Cut flowers early in the morning while the sun is still low in the sky and the dew has not yet dried. They’ll be fresher, and last longer. Immediately plunge the stems into a bucket of water, then put flowers or a flowering plant in every space you can, including the bathroom. Summer is a celebration of things that grow!

The days of blocking our windows with heavy draperies are behind us. Make sure your windows are sparkling clean, then let the natural light pour in with minimal window treatments, or if you need the privacy, wooden blinds are a good choice. Simplicity is beautiful.

Change your bedding from heavy down comforters and dark colors to light and white. Your spirits will be lifted each time you enter the room. Color affects our emotions in powerful ways.

I love this room in my Nantucket fisherman’s cottage, decorated with vintage sand pails. Go ahead and celebrate what you loved about summer from your childhood, when the hours between sunrise and starlight seemed to last forever.

Red, white, and blue always works in the summertime. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, let your patriotic flag fly.

Don’t be afraid to have a little fun.

Go nautical, and let your rooms remind you of beaches, boats, and ocean breezes.

The time it takes to change your home’s look to sunshine and summer shouldn’t be seen as work. Homes need to be loved, just as people do. By making your home a welcoming, bright and sunny space, you will effortlessly bring more laughter and joy into your life.

So go ahead: let the sun shine in!