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We don’t know about you, but we’re making this the Summer of Spending Every Possible Second Outside. Nothing sounds better than dining al fresco, lazing in the sun, and splashing in the pool. Since our outdoor spaces are going to get so much love this year, we’re going to make them feel extra special. Want to join us? We designed three outdoor styles to get your summer party started, featuring the season’s best and brightest looks from Target.

Carrie is a thoughtful artist whose upstate New York home reflects her personality with a combination of mid-century furnishings and whimsical decor. And while her office setup featured bold colors and playful accents like a glasses holder in the shape of a hand, that character did not extend to the walls, which were blank and bare. She wanted her workspace to have a little — make that a lot — more fun.

Open-concept living spaces are big on airiness and charm — especially when they’re awash in SoCal sunlight, like Katie and Cody’s place in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. But open layouts can also feel a bit muddled. Katie and Cody wanted to make their living area stand out from their dining area: two spaces separated by an archway that, lovely as it is, didn’t help them feel distinct. Their walls weren’t helping either.

Between work and play, Sarah spends about 90 percent of her time in the living room of her Washington, D.C., apartment. The space had been well-suited to her sophisticated style, with a gorgeous period fireplace and striking built-in bookcase, but it just didn’t feel complete — not even with an upgrade to new modern furniture. The culprit: the gray walls, too ho-hum to help the space pop.

It’s easy to get so inspired by incredible designers and magazine-worthy rooms that you forget about your home’s ultimate style expert: you. We love to borrow from the creativity around us, but for the final say on your space’s look, nothing beats your own instincts. After all, how you live reflects who you are!With her cheerful color palette, quirky furnishings, and houseplant jungle, home decor blogger and DIYer Wendy Lau marches to the beat of her own design drum every day.

If we may quote Paula Abdul — and can’t we always? — opposites attract. In design, a little tension sparks interest and energy. Fall in love with a mid-century modern lamp that doesn’t match your boho aesthetic? Bring it to the party anyway. Think those two colors you like don’t go together? Think again! A space that’s too matchy-matchy can feel airless, but a dash of contrast is like a shot of espresso.

We know it when we see it: that visual signature that makes a space stand apart from the pack. Be it bold color themes or iconic accents, if an interior is unforgettable, chances are the person behind it wasn’t afraid to leave their style mark. Distinctive is instinctive — and it’s easier than you might think to wake up your design instincts to create a space that’s unmistakably yours.Designer, artist, and photographer Dabito is about as distinctive as they come.

Maybe it’s so much time spent at home lately, but when we think about interior design right now, we want one thing: drama. At this year’s Small/Cool Experience, designers Jaclyn Journey and Amanda of Jacobs of Journey + Jacobs agreed — and they delivered big time, with lush fabrics, moody colors, and furnishings that command attention. Oh, and deep cherry red walls. Let’s take a closer look at the Moody Musings trend room they designed.