Simplified summer decorating

It's finally warm enough in New York to qualify as summer, and lately I've developed the itch to get rid of stuff. Last summer I wanted to toss green floral pillows on everything. This summer I want to strip down to the bare minimum.

This could be because:

• I brought several bulky items into the room, namely birch poles, throw pillows and something else I'll tell you about that is bigger than a really really big bread basket, which was just enough to make our 480-square foot apartment feel crowded. For every item brought into a small space, another item has to go.
  
• Bloggie friends Alek at From the Right Bank to the Left Coast and Anne at The City Sage have been posting photo after photo of serene gray rooms. Even though most people brighten up their decor with the change of seasons, Chris at Style North likes cooler colors in summer and just ditched the orange curtains. I am obviously heavily influenced by such things.
  
• The city is already crowded and colorful. I bump up against people all day long. When I go home, I do not want to be bumping up against my stuff.

Below are some before and afters - from minimal to bare minimal.

Here I got rid of a messy magazine rack and a bunch of tchotchkes from the table.

How about you? Do you add color and accessories in the summer or do you subtract? Or do you not change anything so you can go outside and play?