Styling My Greenhouse for Summer with Vintage Finds
My summer greenhouse makeover post is part of my ongoing tours of my greenhouse through the seasons. You’ve seen it dressed up for the holidays in my Holiday Home Tour and the old greenhouse refreshed for spring in Spring has Sprung in My Greenhouse. Today I’m going to share with you what my new greenhouse looks like this summer.
I recently took everything out of my greenhouse, gave it a good cleaning, and put it all back together. Sharing my greenhouse decor for summer is so much fun. Filled with vintage finds, flowers, plants, and a few new touches, this is one of my favorite spots to spend time in the summer, especially in the evening.
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If you want to read about our original greenhouse, you’ll find it here in How to Customize a Greenhouse Kit from a Big-Box Store. How we created our new greenhouse, you’ll want to read A Tour of our One of a Kind Greenhouse.
Cleaning Out & Refreshing the Greenhouse for Summer
Before any styling happens, the greenhouse gets completely emptied out. I filmed the whole process, from a time-lapse of me emptying the space, cleaning it, and putting it back together to a real-time video of how it looks now!
Once everything was out, I needed a good, stiff broom to sweep not only the floors but also the walls, windows, and shelves. I considered using a power washer, but I know that will just throw dirt up onto the wall and windows, making the cleaning job even more challenging.
Deciding What Decor Should Be in the Greenhouse
Once everything is out, I do a purge, just like I do inside my home. If something no longer serves me or I don’t really like it anymore, it’s time to go. I threw away some cracked pots. I donated some that weren’t really my style anymore.
The winter heater got temporarily rehomed in the shed along with some of “practical gardening” essentials like fertilizers and deer repellents. I can still access them when I need them, but they don’t have the aesthetics I want for my summer greenhouse.
Using Vintage to Decorate My Greenhouse
I have a lot of vintage and antique pieces that I’ve layered into my greenhouse decor over the years. Old garden tools are scattered here and there, vintage metal watering cans line a top shelf, and I’ve mixed in old baskets, tool caddies, and a few pieces of architectural salvage.
A tabletop-sized library card file is doing double duty as a display for seed packets and the contents of my little grandson’s gardening set.
I also have a small collection of swans in the greenhouse. Most are newer, but one crazed, well-worn swan planter is a true antique—I found it treasure hunting with my friend Michele from Vintage Home Designs in McKinney, Texas.
Vintage Furniture
Since the greenhouse was built with old windows, it seemed appropriate to fill the greenhouse with old furniture too! A very old drop-leaf table anchors the space, with the card file sitting on top and an old gable piece sitting on top of the card file. Two old wood folding chairs flank either side of the table. A handmade shelf of unknown age holds my collection of pots, most of them terra cotta.
I found a metal stool at a barn sale a few years ago. I think it might have been an architect’s chair at one time. It’s the perfect height for sitting at the counter and filling seed trays in the late winter.
Vintage Books
I keep both old and new gardening books in the greenhouse for inspiration and education. I love grabbing one off the shelf to read about garden topics, or just to thumb through for garden design ideas.
Old Frames & Prints
A few old frames and prints are displayed on the shelves. They add interest and a bit of the unexpected to a greenhouse. I like that there’s something to look at no matter where your eye lands in the space.
Caring for Vintage Decor in Greenhouse Heat
One question I get asked a lot: how do vintage textiles, books, and furniture hold up in a greenhouse through a hot, humid summer? A few things to keep in mind:
- Ventilation matters more than anything. We have hinged windows that I keep open most of the time. It keeps the air flowing and helps keep humidity from settling into fabric and paper. We also have a fan built into a wall at the roofline that is on a thermostat. It turns on when the space reaches 80°. This really helps with air circulation. I also open the doors when it’s not raining to keep my greenhouse well ventilated.
- Rugs and pillows: Both my Rifle Paper rug and my pillows are indoor/outdoor. The rug is also machine washable. The throw blanket is small enough that I can bring it in and throw it in the wash with towels occasionally to keep it fresh.
- Books and paper: direct sun fades the covers, and humidity can warp the pages. I keep the ones on the shelves between bookends, and that seems to have prevented wavy pages. I have a small pile on another shelf, and again the weight of the books on top of each other has prevented any warping. I’m fine with the books fading. I think it adds to the charm. I’ve had these books in the greenhouse for over a year through heat, freezes, and floods, and they are doing fine.
- Wood furniture: Heat swings can dry out and crack older pieces like my drop-leaf table, so a little care goes a long way. If you’re concerned, I would give your wood furniture another coat of paint or varnish once a year. Again, I think the cracking and peeling add to the charm. I’ve had my furniture in the greenhouse for years, and it does just fine without me touching it.
Textiles & Textures
Mixing old and new is how I decorate throughout my home, and that philosophy carries into the greenhouse too. I’ve fallen in love with the Loloi x Rifle Paper Co., rugs. They are playful, colorful, and whimsical, and I thought one would be perfect in the greenhouse. I was right. It fits in beautifully and looks right at home in the space.
I added a few floral pillows to the chairs by the table and brought a simple striped throw from in the house, and it adds some warmth to the room. Although we really don’t need it on our 90°+ days.
I also brought a few larger old baskets, including an especially cool picnic basket with a top tray, something I’d never seen before when I came across it at an antique flea market in Chicago, a few years ago. It sits on the brick floor with a large , well-worn woven basket stacked on top. I use the top basket in my veggie garden when I’m gathering produce to eat and preserve.
See the Full Summer Greenhouse Decor Transformation
Now that you’ve seen how it all came together, watch the full transformation for yourself—the time-lapse of emptying and cleaning the greenhouse, the restyling, and a full tour of the finished space in daylight and again by candlelight. Click below to watch on YouTube.
Things I’m Loving Right Now
Flowers and Greenery
It wouldn’t be a greenhouse without some flowers and greenery. In my old swan planter, I’ve mixed an annual grass, a vine, and a geranium with a perennial lavender plant. I’ll move the lavender into my perennial beds at the end of the season.
A cute floral with tiny pink buds looks adorable in a blue and white planter that I recently picked up at HomeGoods. I have a few miscellaneous green plants that spent the winter indoors. I’m not the best indoor plant mom, so they’re still struggling even now that they’re back outside. And every year I plant a Mandevilla vine to climb an old vintage trellis in my greenhouse. The ones I’ve had in the past usually take off, but this year’s plant is taking its time.
Fresh-cut flowers from my garden add even more color to the space in the summer, and I enjoy bringing them into the greenhouse just as much as into the rooms of our house. I’m trying my hand at flower pressing. The greenhouse is the perfect space for these kinds of hobbies.
I’m also sharing the miracle of watching a monarch butterfly start from an egg, turn into a caterpillar, then a chrysalis, and finally a beautiful butterfly with my little grandson. The little cage we have for it has a great home in the greenhouse.
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Lighting Ideas
There’s no shortage of charming lighting in my greenhouse. Christmas lights frame the exterior year-round and look festive no matter the season. Inside, a crystal chandelier hangs from a roof beam and lights up the whole space when task lighting is needed. I have it on our to-do list to put a dimmer switch on this light. For now, if I want something softer, four wall sconces offer a more diffused glow. And when I just want a little ambiance, there’s a lamp on the counter. The shade is an old shade frame that has been stripped of its original covering. I then wrapped the frame with ribbon for a softer look.
When I really want the greenhouse to glisten, I bring in candles and let the old-school way of lighting do its thing.
Final Thoughts
Just like my house, I like to seasonally switch things up in the greenhouse. I’m already thinking about what I’m going to do this fall. 🤔 I hope you enjoyed the tour!
Peace and Love,
FAQ’s
What do you put in a greenhouse for decor?
While I use vintage furniture and garden pieces, you could use modern, new pieces in yours. I think that your greenhouse should be the style that reflects you. However, it’s a great place to add a little more fun and whimsy.
Can a greenhouse double as a she shed?
Absolutely—mine does double duty as a beverage station for entertaining, a spot for coffee with a friend on a rainy day, and a quiet retreat for me anytime.
Where do you find vintage pieces for greenhouse decor?
Flea markets, antique malls, and barn sales are my favorites Newer accent pieces come from spots like HomeGoods to round things out.
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Meet Me
My name is Lynn. I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a 1,300 sq. ft. home with my Handy husband, Keith.
I’m an open book about my life on my blog. You can find out more about me by visiting my “About Me” page.
