How SFERRA's VP of Creative Styles His Home for Summer

ART OF LIVING

How SFERRA's VP of Creative Styles His Home for Summer

As the seasons shift, so too can the mood and atmosphere of your home. In this Q&A, Dean Tomihama, SFERRA’s VP of Creative Design, shares his expert perspective on how to refresh your space for summer, offering thoughtful ideas and product suggestions for updating the bedroom, bathroom, and dining room. From lighter layers to seasonal accents, discover how small changes can make a meaningful impact from one room to the next.

How do you balance aesthetics and functionality when transitioning your home’s decor for different seasons, particularly in terms of fabrics, color palettes, and statement pieces?

How do you balance aesthetics and functionality when transitioning your home’s decor for different seasons, particularly in terms of fabrics, color palettes, and statement pieces? Coming from the apparel industry, I approach my home much like I do my closet. The essentials remain the same—sheets, duvet cover, blankets, decorative pillows, and throws—but the materials and colors shift with the seasons. In spring and summer, I opt for lighter-weight fabrics like linen, just as I would swap in a linen shirt or jacket.

My bedding stays within a neutral palette of greys, taupes, and white, anchored by a jacquard duvet cover and matching shams. For summer, I use SFERRA Giza 45 Percale in Tin, and switch to Tesoro in Lunar for fall and winter—both coordinate beautifully with my year-round foundation. During the colder months, I’ll also layer in a wool blanket, always in grey.

In the living room, I use seasonal accents to create visual and tactile contrast. Lighter-hued decorative pillows replace heavier, cozier ones in the summer, and I bring back more substantial textures and deeper tones once the weather cools.

As summer is approaching, what are some key elements and products that you adjust to evoke the feeling of the new season, and how do they influence the ambiance of your home?

One of the easiest transitions I make is updating decorative pillows and throws. In the winter, I have Pettra pillows in charcoal and the Dorsey cashmere throw in the living room. For summer, I swap the pillows and throw for Terzo in Poolside to introduce a pop of color.

What are 3 SFERRA items you suggest to refresh the bedroom for summer?

Bedding makes the biggest impact when refreshing a bedroom for the season. I recommend starting with lightweight, cotton percale sheets like SFERRA Giza 45 Percale or Celeste.

Opt for brighter, breezier tones to lift the overall mood of the space. Adding a colorful, linen decorative pillow like Manarola or a lightweight cotton throw such as Costa over a chair or bench can instantly “summerize” a darker piece of furniture without making any permanent changes.

What are 3 SFERRA items you suggest to refresh the bathroom for summer?

In the bathroom, I like to stay within the same color family but shift to a lighter shade, like using white Cielo towels in the summer and black Bello Nuovo towels in the winter.

You can pair them with a coordinating Estate shower curtain for a cohesive look, and finish the space with a seasonal scent. I love the Amalfi Citro diffuser from SFERRA's home fragrance collection, Profumo di Casa, in the summer.

What are 3 SFERRA items you suggest to refresh the dining area for summer?

Table linens are an instant seasonal update. I love using Mikela and Mikelina for summer—their plaid patterns have a casual elegance that feels like an alfresco picnic.

Our conversational cocktail napkins like Aperitivo or Fiori add personality and charm to any table. And if you’re dining outdoors, I love to drape the Pitura throw across the table or over the back of each chair to introduce a breezy splash of color that elevates the setting beautifully.