Summer Home Tour Series- Up to Date Interiors

I’m so excited to share our next guest with you here on our Summer Home Tour Series! Please say hi to Kathy from 

She is currently living in Japan, which is close to my heart because my oldest son just returned home after serving an LDS mission and living in Fukuoka/Hiroshima/Okinawa for the last two years. Her home is absoulutely beautiful with the perfect tropical touches. Let’s go inside!



Hi there! I’m really excited to be visiting Michele’s awesome blog today. I’ve been enjoying the summer home tour series so much and can’t believe it’s already August and my time to share. I’ve been sharing rental tips, handmade decor, design inspiration, and more at Up to Date Interiors for two and half years now. Welcome to our current home! This is the first summer we have spent in our new Okinawan rental. Yep, we live in Japan thanks for the good ol’ Marine Corpse. Even though we’ve only been in our house for 6 months, I’ve infused Mediterranean colors (I know wrong ocean!) and other fun elements (like my foyer pineapple!) for summer. I love adding in or switching art work for the season. These built-in bookcases are a great place to display art, beach finds, and books. Another summer DIY this year is this Japanese paper lantern covered in silk flowers and hung over a pot light. I love the punch of color but it’s definitely seasonal! After you come through the foyer there is the small open concept living area. A little wall (with a few challenges) serves for my office area. A chalkboard sign is great for seasonal messages. (Sorry if I just got the song stuck in your head *giggle*.) The living room and kitchen are where most of my Mediterranean blues are showcased. I was lucky to find fabric and accessories on sale that were perfect!
The refridgerator plate magnets add a nice touch of color. The table was a makeover you can check out here.
The living room is full of thrifted furniture apart from the couch and piano. We found some amazing pieces on the island after we arrived.
The coffee table was another makeover. You won’t beleive what it looked like before!
There’s nothing like an ocean palette and tropical plants to make a home feel like summer.
This T.V. stand was found at a recylce store
Even this Japanese obi on the piano looks like waves. Love it. Upstairs in our house are the bedrooms. I just made over our master with the same color palette so I have to share that with you too! Oh, and everyone needs a Daphne. She looks good everywhere. I love these beautiful botanical prints I ordered years ago off of eBay for pennies. One on each side of the bed helps balance the mismatched side tables. This Chinese eterge was another great find on the island. Okay, the last summery place I want to share is our upstairs bath. Is that weird ending a home tour in the bathroom? Really it’s just this little rustic bench, bath salts, and another tropical plant that makes it feel like a spa. Perfect for relaxing after a long, HOT day.
This sweet rustic bench was found at an import store.
I would love to share our garden with you but it’s not so pretty after our last typhoon. 😉 So here is the beach behind our house instead. Thank you Michele for having me today! I hope the rest of summer is enjoyable for all of you.

I don’t know about you, but I’m about ready to make a visit to Kathy’s. I’d sure like to dive into that ocean! What a beautiful home and an amazing back yard! You know what else is amazing? Her blog, it is chalk full of wonderful ideas and inspiration! I’ll see you back here next Friday to share Jill’s home from Sew a Fine Seam. Can’t wait to see you again! 😉