Why linens bring levity to a summer vacation home

Some people are lucky enough to call two places home, as during the summer, many families pack up and hit the shores to enjoy a season away at a vacation house. Those lucky enough to have a place to lay their heads between trips to the beach and nights around a bonfire also get the opportunity to flex their creative muscles by decorating a whole different space than the one their family usually occupies.

When decorating your vacation house, you want it to feel like home but not be too familiar. You're on vacation, and don't want to be reminded too much of the stresses you've left behind. There should be a heightened sense of luxury, as this is that yearly getaway you've worked hard for, but your family will also want to be able to relax and put their feet up. When choosing a window treatment for your home away from home, you want to use a design and fabric that achieves a sense of elegance but isn't too showy.

Linen drapes accomplish this look because they seem delicate but are surprisingly durable. Made from fibers of the flax plant, linens have been in use for centuries because of the relative provenance of the fibers used to make them. However, linen is considered a luxurious material because of the labor-intensive process that goes into making it.

As curtains, these fabrics are great because they are light and let in the sun, but are heavier than sheers. In a vacation home, they will keep the atmosphere airy and won't weigh down on the room's aesthetic. Especially with homes on the coast, you'll want to leave the windows open and not have a heavy drape shielding a gentle ocean breeze. Linens are a relaxed option for the time of year when you've earned a little piece of mind.