KENNEDY CRAWFORD DESIGN BLOG.: Design your Ultimate Summer Playlist!

Need that perfect playlist for those beautiful sunny days on your patio?

Perhaps some relaxing tunes to watch the sunset in front of your outdoor fire pit relaxing with a glass of vino or watching the kids by the pool? Music really helps set the mood for your personal spaces. A good melody or soft beat expresses your personality and reminds you of your favourite summertime moments of past and present, so let our design team help with some of our favourite songs for summer to help you design your very own ultimate playlist!

Early mornings outside in your cushioned armchair while the day is starting to warm up calls for music with a touch of romance that just makes you smile, more so even than that cup of positivity you just poured. Grace, a lead designer here in our office, likes to spend those calm mornings listening to “XO” by Beyonce. Queen Bey’s sultry voice is a dream to wake up to and let the sun’s rays wash over your skin while all you do is grin ear to ear in your Rattan patio furniture. Justin Timberlake ranks high on her list of favourites too. Anything from the new “Not a Bad Thing” and “Take Back the Night” to classic JT like “Rock Your Body” all rank pretty high on her music playlists.

Alan, who grew up in the nineties, absolutely loves his pop and good-time tunes, anything that has an uplifting beat and lyrics that beg for a sing along. Robyn’s “Get Myself Together” and Spice Girls “Stop” or “2 Become 1” just give you those warm fuzzies. Don’t deny it, you know the lyrics. Girl Talk is a really interesting DJ that is actually a biomedical engineer who compiles hundreds of songs seamlessly into one track so eighties and nineties lovers can enjoy the best moments of their favourite songs mashed up with a hundred others! Listen to Fleetwood Mac to Madonna, N.E.R.D. to Smashing Pumpkins and everything in between with one artist. Look for “Triple Double” and “Overtime” for a huge amount of our newest stylists’ top summer song choices. Fun for backyard parties with family and friends especially to show off that new water feature or stone walkway that accents your outdoor haven!

Hailing from Ireland our resident architect, Adam, has a soft spot in his heart for U2, and a song like “Beautiful Day” is a perfect fit when the barbeque is roaring, kids are running around on the pool deck, and everyone has a glass of ice cold sweet tea! “Wonderwall” by Oasis and “Clocks” by Coldplay add great variety to the UK portion of your ultimate summer playlist with beautiful lyrics and catchy melodies. Some classics from the sixties with the more mod feel sounds of England make your summertime barbequing all the more enjoyable.

Candice is particular when it comes to her designs. She chooses only the best fixtures and highest quality fabrics for her clients. When it comes to music she’s no different, only the best for our soon-to-be mother. Enjoying music from the eighties like “Crazy on You” by Heart and “Little Lies” by Fleetwood Mac is how she pictures her long summer days. Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” is another soulful pick for summer drives with the windows down and stereo loud before you get home to settle and relax in your tastefully furnished living room and sink into your Natuzzi sofa!

A modern man, like Michael, on our design team needs modern music. “The Girls” and “I Need Your Love ft. Ellie Goulding” by Calvin Harris rank high for summer workouts and jogs along the seawall, for Mike, and on beautiful days throughout summertime Oceanside on a plush beach towel. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys belt out their love of their city in “Empire State of Mind” a summer favourite for most and when you have an evening playing bartender with classic American cocktails and Grammy award winners Arcade Fire, play “We Exist” when you need a selection to relax on those quiet nights in.

Julie our eternal optimist has a soft spot in her heart for Jack Johnson. His soft smooth voice is a must for those cool summer nights just as the sun has set and you and your best friends and family are sitting relaxing by the fire or surrounded by simple hung low-light lanterns and reminiscing about your last camping trip or the day spent by the lake over the weekend. “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” has an intoxicating melody and begs to be sung along with eliciting laughs and instant good times at the lake house or here in the city.

Listening to local lyricists like Kuba Oms is a favourite past time of Catherine, here in the office. Oms is a local talent from Vancouver Island, performing with Nelly Furtado when she was still an unknown; he has a funk fused with electro feel with soulful lyrics and catchy melodies. Look for “My Love”, “Electrolove”, and “Never Meant to Hurt You” for a good cross section of his work. As well Catherine also loves music by Mazzy Star - “Fade into You” (best song ever!), the Weepies and Everything But the Girl. She also loves the sounds of Dallas Green the lead man for City and Colour, often performing solo endeavors, has performed great works including “Coming Home” and “Fragile Bird” with subtle lyrics and expertly plucked guitar strings to light a delicately scented candle and unwind with a book any quiet evening you have to yourself.

Regina Spektor, another creative songwriter and musician, is a great addition to any music lovers’ collection. Story-like songs lift the spirits and engage the imagination transporting you to Spektors’ own unique world. “Fidelity” and “On the Radio” are some of her best works, but not to forget the theme to “Orange Is The New Black,” “You’ve Got Time.” So whether you’re listening to her albums on CD or catching her sound bites before your newest TV addiction on your wall mount flat screen next to that stone clad feature wall shut your eyes and let her take hold of you!

Hopefully these songs help you tailor make your very own ultimate summer playlist to get you enjoying the fantastic weather and wonderful summertime events this season has in store! Add your favourites with ours and build on for good times; we may even see you on the streets mouthing the words while in your own little world. Have fun and enjoy the summer from all of us in the office!