A Fresh Start with Yariel Garcia

Finding Inspiration at Home with Simple Summer Styling

As we embrace the long-awaited summer months, we lean into a slower, more intentional rhythm at home. With windows open, flowers blooming, and fresh local ingredients in abundance, it is truly a season to celebrate. For Yariel Garcia, summer is a time to let your home reflect the ease of the season in a way that is less about acquiring more and instead about embracing the simple comforts that summer brings with it. 

With a recent move to a charming cottage in Pittsford, Yari’s family celebrates the first summer in their new home, where she’s taking a slower, more intentional approach to both decorating and daily living. She shares with us simple styling tips, seasonal tablescapes, and ways to savor everyday moments she leans into this summer.

“To me, summer is sipping my morning coffee on our front porch surrounded by my potted flowers, wearing white linen pajamas, fresh air flowing in, bowls of fruit from the farmers market, potted herbs on my windowsill, and late nights outside, sitting on the patio under twinkle lights while our girls run barefoot in the grass."

Living with Intention 

As an elementary teacher-turned-homeschooling mom of three, Yari has always intentionally shaped her home at every stage of life. Her love of design began in childhood and strengthened as she traveled the world, spending time in California, Spain, London, and Ecuador. With each move, Yari embraced the culture while creating a sense of home – wherever she was, using whatever she had. For her, it’s less about the finished product and more about creating a feeling, one that encourages simple rituals like afternoon tea parties with her daughters. 

Learning to live with very little while traveling instilled an appreciation and intention for the things in her home. Before purchasing anything new, she considers how it will fit into her space, focusing on quality pieces that will last. She then thoughtfully layers in meaningful, seasonal pieces that bring joy and tell a story. That same creativity carries into her next chapter as she settles into a new home, embracing the opportunity to shape and evolve the space.

A Home Reimagined

While her design journey began in a beautiful Colonial home in Fairport, Yari and her family recently moved to an older Cape Cod–style house in Pittsford. Her previous home leaned minimal with mid-century modern influences, while her new home offers traditional bones and more character, prompting a fresh start and a shift toward a more soulful, collected style. Here, she embraces a modern cottage aesthetic with Jane Austen–inspired touches that feel romantic, elegant, and timeless.

To honor the home’s style, she spends time at local antique shops and browsing Facebook Marketplace, thoughtfully layering in pieces that bring warmth and depth. “It is so important to create dimension in the home,” she shares. “You might have a contemporary lamp on an antique buffet with a child’s artwork above it—that mix adds character.” She focuses on storytelling through design, building spaces that feel personal, cozy, and lived-in without clutter, and encourages others to design based on feeling rather than trends, considering what colors, textures, and emotions feel most like home.

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A Summer Reset

As Yari looks forward to her first summer in her new home, she reflects on how the season offers a natural reset, an opportunity to embrace a more relaxed, nostalgic rhythm rooted in simple, everyday living. Her approach begins with clearing surfaces to a clean slate, allowing her to see each space with fresh eyes and identify what feels aligned with the season. 

Rather than buying new, she rotates what she already owns, swapping heavier winter textiles for linen, adding airy throws, and introducing softer, seasonal tones. Even small gestures, like a glass vase with fresh greenery, a floral plate on the counter, or lighter-toned framed photos, can shift the mood of a space, creating a home that feels open, calm, and connected to the season.

For Yari, summer styling is less about adding items and more about using what already exists in thoughtful ways. Fresh flowers, greenery, and natural elements instantly bring life into a home. Branches from the yard, herbs from the garden, or fruit from the kitchen can be used as simple, beautiful décor. Placing a bowl of lemons on the counter or loosely arranged flowers on a bedside table can transform a space without feeling overdone.

Table styling follows the same philosophy, building with layered linens, ceramics, glassware, and collected pieces that feel personal over time. White plates offer a simple foundation, while thrifted or antique finds add character, and finishing touches like fresh fruit, herbs tied to napkins, and garden flowers create a warm, welcoming table. 

Ultimately, summer styling becomes an experience rather than a look, one shaped by soft textures, natural materials, seasonal scents, and thoughtful details that make a home feel alive, relaxed, and intentional.

Embracing Beauty 

Yari’s approach to home is rooted in intention, simplicity, and an appreciation for everyday beauty. Whether she furnishes her new home, refreshes a room for the season, styles a summer table, or enjoys quiet moments with her husband and daughters, her philosophy remains the same: a meaningful home is created not by having more, but by embracing the beauty around you. Through seasonal shifts and thoughtful layering, she encourages us to create spaces that feel personal, bring joy, and reflect the rhythms of each season.  

Parting Gift for Guests:

For every gathering she hosts, Yari creates thoughtful homemade favors—body scrubs, sea salts, or granola—beautifully packaged in small glass bottles and sealed with corks. Each one is finished with a handwritten tag, serving as both a personal note and an elegant place card for her guests.

Lavender &  Rosemary Sea Salt

1/2 ounce glass jar with cork top

1/4 cup sea salt

1 teaspoon dried lavender & rosemary

Yariel's Tips for Creating aCharming, Collected Tablescape

Use a soft pale green or off-white gingham linen tablecloth paired with wicker placemats to bring warmth and texture to the table.

Mix in collected glassware for an elegant, layered look that feels personal and timeless.

Keep dishes simple with classic white plates so the food remains the focal point.

Tie fresh sprigs of lavender or rosemary around napkins with twine for an effortless, fragrant detail.

Decorate with fresh fruit from the public market and seasonal flowers from places like Trader Joe’s—or even foraged blooms from your own yard—for a natural, gathered feel.

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Follow @yarigarcia_home on IG for more inspiration!

photography by YARIEL GARCIA