Prepare your summer cottage for the season with these essential tips and tricks. Get ready for summer in Coastal Maine with us. From maintenance to a vintage market, let’s go!

Vintage Coastal Style Living Room, get summer ready

Get Summer Ready

The frost warnings have passed,

the trees are budding,

and the Forsythia is starting to bloom.

It’s time for a jaunt to our home in Coastal Maine to get ready for summer.

What does this mean?

Well, there are a few things that need nurturing to get a home summer-ready, along with enjoying a few pleasantries along the way.

  • Clean and declutter: Start by thoroughly cleaning your house. Dust and wipe down surfaces, vacuum or mop floors, and clean windows to let in the natural light. Declutter any unnecessary items and organize your belongings to create a fresh and tidy space. I also like to splurge and hire someone to clean our windows inside and out.
  • Check your air conditioning system: Before the hot weather arrives, make sure your air conditioning system is working properly. Clean or replace the filters, and consider scheduling a professional maintenance check to ensure it will keep you cool throughout the summer. We use window inserts, so we’ll be cleaning and reinstalling our AC units.
  • Prepare your outdoor spaces: Prepare your outdoor areas for summer entertaining and relaxation. Clean and organize your patio or deck, wash outdoor furniture, and add comfortable seating and outdoor decor. Consider adding shade options like umbrellas or a pergola to create a cool and inviting space. Check out this A Shady Solution: Sun Shade Sail Awnings post for more inspiration.
  • Inspect and clean your grill: If you enjoy outdoor cooking, thoroughly clean your grill. Remove any built-up grease and debris, check the gas connections, and ensure all parts are in good working order. Stock up on charcoal or propane, so you’re ready for summer barbecues.
  • Check for any necessary repairs: Take a walk around your house and look for any repairs that need to be addressed. This could include fixing loose tiles, repairing leaky faucets, or replacing worn-out weatherstripping. Taking care of these repairs early will prevent further damage and ensure your home is in good condition.
  • Update your indoor decor: Consider adding some summer-inspired decor to your home. Swap out heavy curtains for lightweight and airy ones, incorporate bright and vibrant colors into your accessories, switch up the bedding, and bring in some fresh flowers or plants to add a touch of nature.
  • Create a summer-friendly cleaning routine: With more outdoor activities and guests coming in and out of your home, it’s important to maintain cleanliness. Create a cleaning routine that focuses on high-traffic areas, outdoor spaces, and regular maintenance tasks to keep your home fresh and inviting throughout the summer.
  • Stock up on summer essentials: Make sure you have all the essentials you’ll need for summer. This includes sunscreen, bug repellent, outdoor lighting, fans or portable air conditioners for extra cooling, and any other items specific to your region or activities you plan to enjoy.

You’ll have your house ready to embrace the summer season and create a comfortable and enjoyable space for you and your family in no time.

Now, let’s start getting ready for summer in Coastal Maine by attending our first vintage market;

Vintage Garden Variety Market

My first priority (haha) was to attend Sage Farm’s Spring Pop-Up Vintage Garden Variety Market. See what I found and how these vintage finds helped me get our home ready for summer.

Where I found a fantastic stack of green and white vintage ironstone plates and linen napkins.

Vintage Ironstone Dishwares and flowers getting ready for summer.

You may also enjoy the post, 17 Best Summer Home Decor Accessories to Thrift.

Vintage Ford Truck

We store this old 1977 Ford truck in our Maine home’s garage during the winter.

The time is now to get it started and take it out for a drive.

And I got lucky, as it started right up, woo-hoo. Because many times, it does not.

We’ve had this old truck for over 20 years. It’s been a lot of fun, but we just don’t use it like we used to, and it takes up a lot of space… So, this will be our last time with this gem, as we will be gifting it to my husband’s nephew next time he is in Maine.

But look what we replaced it with in our new blog series, Antiquing Road Trips & RV Decor Series.

Vintage Ford Truck and Bernese Mountain Dog getting ready for summer.

Mainely Grass

This is going to be the year that we work on the landscaping at our home here in Maine.

The soil is awful here, truly making it really hard to grow or garden.

When my parents owned this home, they lost so many plants, such as hydrangeas, witches’ broom, and lilac bushes, that they ended up taking out most of the landscaping and planting pachysandra all around the perimeter of the home. Fortunately, this filled in very nicely.

The front lawn has all turned to moss, and I would like a nice plush lawn once again. So, I have hired Mainely Grass to see what they can do for us. They started with their first treatment this past fall and second again this spring. Fully organic treatments.

It was also time to clean up the yard, which was filled with sticks and debris from the winter months. The lawn was ready for its first spring cutting, too. I use the EGO Cordless Electric Walk Behind Lawn Mower. I actually love cutting the lawn now. It’s so light, quiet, and fun to use.

This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Feet on cut lawn Get Ready for Summer.

It’s still early here in Maine for summer flower containers. Waiting until Memorial Day weekend is important to avoid any unforeseen nightly frosts. But I do prefer to keep the flower arrangements around our house pretty simple. You may see last year’s flowers in the post, Red Geranium Time-Honored Window Flower Boxes.

My mother loved having all-white outdoor flowers. Which I may choose to go with this summer, we’ll see. See them in the White & Green Rustic Summer Flower Planters Sure To Charm You post.

Storm Windows

To get ready for summer, I always look forward to removing the storm windows. They give the home such a bright and new perspective after all those long winter months of hibernation.

Opening the windows and letting all that fresh air in! Priceless.

Do you see Ella, our Bernese Mountain Dog, peeking in from outside?

Bedroom Window and Side Table

My father invented this easy and brilliant way of storing storm windows in the summertime so that they don’t get banged up or broken.

Simple white hooks mounted into the ceiling allow us to hang all the storm windows from the garage ceiling beams.

You may also enjoy the post, Chatting About This and That in Vintage Home Decorating from this same time last year.

Rose’ All Day Patio Party

I always enjoy catching up with friends that I haven’t seen in a while. On one of the most amazing, beautiful spring days, I met up with one of my besties and attended a Rose’ wine patio party at Walker’s Maine Restaurant, just around the corner from our home. It was so much fun!

Get Ready for Summer Bedding

I always look forward to switching out our bedding from winter to summer. I love adding fresh new bedding to the bedrooms in anticipation of summer.

This year, I’m going with Schweitzer Linen’s crisp white Italian bedding sets.

Guest Bedroom

This is Schweitzer Linen’s Hampton Court bedding, which is now ready for our summer guests.

Coastal Cottage Bedroom Get Ready for Summer Bedding.

You may also be inspired by this 12 Cottage Vintage Guest Bedroom Ideas To Inspire post.

Save 20% OFF all Schweitzer Linen products except sale and clearance items with the COUPON CODE: DYGEN20.

Master Bedroom

To get ready for summer, our master bedroom will sport Schweitzer Linen’s Windward Luxury bedding. I just love the embroidered sailboats and coastal vibe of this bedding set.

Crisp, clean, and fresh with a nautical summer vibe.

Coastal Styled Bedroom

You may see more get ready for summer bedding options in the post, 10+ Best Coastal Bedding Ideas For Your Beach House.

A May Beach Day: Get Ready for Summer

As the temperatures reached the low 70s, it was time to dig out the beach chairs from the shed, gather the sunscreen, charge the earbuds, and head out for a few hours on the beach.

The beach was filled with seaweed, the wind was blowing, the bugs were flying, and a bulldozer was moving rocks. But it was still so great to sit in my beach chair with the ocean by my side

Check out My Favorite Beach Day Essentials.

Coastal Maine Beach with Seaweed

I laughed as I watched these golden retrievers frolic in the sand, seaweed, and ocean. They dug holes and gathered sticks completely in sync. Now, this was just pure joy!

You may also enjoy the post, Entertain with Red, White, and Blue! Easy Summer Table Trimmings.

A Spring Visit to Snug Harbor Farm

And, of course, an annual spring garden trip to Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunk, Maine, is always a favorite. Accompanied by my girlfriend, we headed north to find topiaries and succulents to display in our homes to get summer ready. Snug Harbor Farm has the best selection around by far.

See more in the post, Snug Harbor Farm, A Maine Road Trip.

The Snub Harbor Farm greenhouses were filled with beautiful displays of topiaries and succulents in preparation for Mother’s Day weekend. My girlfriend, Lisa, even got poked by a super duper succulent.

Then, of course, we ended our day once again with a fabulous Maine lobster roll at The Boathouse Restaurant.

You may also enjoy the post, Antiquing, 6 Thrifty Finds, and a Lobster Biscuit and Mother Nature And An Antique Millinery Hat Mold post.

Get Ready for Summer: Got Lobster?

Order your authentic Maine Lobster delivered directly to your doorstep and save 5% with the coupon code DABBLINGDECORATING from my friends at Overnight Lobster.

Overnight Maine Lobster

And we got the chance to look through some old family photos, too, in preparation for Mother’s Day:)

Old Photos and Bernese Mountain Dog Get Summer Ready in Maine.

You may also enjoy the Quaint Nautical Decor Corner With a Vintage Wow Factor post and A Bernese Mountain Dog & The Gift of a Whale post.

Quaint Nautical Decor Corner With a Vintage Wow Factor

Our home is now summer-ready, and it’s time to get my hair done and head back to Vermont until we can return to enjoy our summer in Maine. Thanks so much for joining me this week. It means the world to me that you are here!

Gratefully Vintage

If you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you. Please share in the comments below. And be sure to share this blog post link with your friends who are also vintage enthusiasts.

Do you have a flair for all things vintage, too? I would love to see and feature you in our Reader’s Showcase Series. A place for you to share and be recognized for your talents and passion for all things thrifting, vintage, and antique decor-related inspired by your time here with Dabbling & Decorating. Email me at annck@dabblinganddecorating.com

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16 Comments

  1. Deb Matuszko says:

    OH ANN,
    I’m so sad you’ll be gifting your red/white truck away, but I am certain that there’s going to be one happy young man❤️🤍
    I think I told you, we have a green /white truck, the same circa, it’s in storage, I’m not sure my husband would part with it! I’m hoping you’re going to spray for those nasty bees 🐝 you had a couple of years ago! The lawn looks great! You should definitely check with a local nursery, regarding what thrives in that sometimes harsh conditions along the coast! Love the white flower idea, that’s my jam🤍
    So excited to see you bust Snug Harbor, I think Lisa got attacked by an Agave plant, they’re killers!!
    Happy Summer(almost)!! Hi Miss ELLA 🖤❤️🤍
    Deb

    1. Thanks for your note Deb and for stopping by! Agave plant, thanks for the information, we had no idea. And yes the truck will have a new home soon. Fingers crossed! I bet a green and white truck looked amazing!

  2. Kathy Munday says:

    Oh boy Ann!!!
    I love winter (actually I love all the seasons….never boring) But it’s so refreshing to prepare and lighten up for the summer season!! It’s such fun seeing your posts. I can almost feel the fresh air and smell the salty ocean. We visit Maine a few times each year. Maybe we will bump into each other at Bob’s Clam Hut or some other restaurant where the Maine lobster is the BEST. Thanks for getting us in the spirit of the season!!! Love EVERYTHING you do!! Hi Ella !!

    1. Oh Kathy, we think alike for sure. I love winter too but welcome summer for sure, and summers in Maine are the best! I can’t wait for my first summer lobster with corn on the cob! Have a great Mother’s Day.

  3. Jeannie Brandt says:

    Beautiful Ann! Love following you and the information you share! Can’t wait for more!💙

    1. Thank you so much Jeannie, you’re the sweetest to say that!

  4. Kathy Parathyras says:

    Hi Ann,
    I’m a New Yorker but I love Maine – and your blog. May I ask where you bought that beautiful thermal bath robe with the blue trim?
    Kathy

    1. Thank you so much Kathy. The robe is the Fresca from Schweitzer Linen https://bit.ly/40c1EAN But I see it’s not available right now, unfortunately. Shoot.

  5. Lisa Anderson says:

    Hey there bestie! Great post…I’m trending on dabbling:) Love the music with the dog video…they were so in sync with the music!!

    1. You sure are, people are going to start thinking you are me, haha. Good times!

  6. Sigh….love everything about this post. (Haha I always do) I just adore Maine and you touched on all things sing to me. Happy Spring!!

    1. Awww thanks Cara, off to The Fabulous Find today to see what they got in yesterday, haha. Have you been there yet in Kittery, Maine?

  7. I have a summer rental property on the Southcoast of Mass. I am currently getting ready for the summer season. I enjoy looking at your photos and thinking of some fun pretty things I might do differently this season as I re-caulk the Master Bath and fix the odds and ends from last season.

    1. Awww I love that Susan. Isn’t it so fun getting it all ready? Thanks so much for joining me here, I’m so grateful!

  8. Gail Fickle says:

    I don’t know exactly where you are located, but my kids and grands are moving to Hiram next month. I really enjoy your posts and now maybe I’ll feel a little closer to them.

    1. Hi Gail, I’m not familiar with Hiram. We are in southern Maine in York County. Thanks so much for following along and I love that you will feel a bit closer to your family.