Pier 1 used to show piles of tan, white or black wicker furniture. It was useful, sure, but disappointingly similar. Lately, though, the store has been digging out of its rut, retooling the old porch furniture and showing a much broader range of decor with upholstered couches, bar stools and big vases (obviously designed for big suburban entryways that we, oops, forgot to furnish). Still, some of their best new designs stick to Pier 1 identity, using wicker, seagrass, sisal, but adding metal and splashes of color. And their pricing remains within reach of students and young adults who need a quick furniture fix, or anyone looking to furnish a casual nook without bruising the budget. We like the natural simplicity and economy the rattan “Melanie” chair above on sale for the next few weeks for nearly half off at $49.

All right, it’s the wrong tune, but the right idea. Just wanted to scare you. Here in TX, school starts in a shocking two weeks! So we were checking out the Old Navy selections, because we heard that Old Navy is taking it upscale a bit from their previous super discount approach, which left some of us feeling that their threads had become a little threadbare (or at least market research showed folks were disappointed with their quality). So should the quality be better on these boys’ polos, we’ll be pleased with the price of $10.50.

IKEA has such great space-saving, sleek-looking stuff, and throw in great prices; it’s a pleasure to comb their catalog. The new one arrived this week and featured so many great seating options. Two of our favorites happen to be woven with banana tree fibers or recycled paper made tp look like cane. The Alseda compact circular stool above is perfect for an unfinished corner of a room, as an extra seat for visitors or as a teen member of our group decided, as a meditation cushion. It is big enough to sit in cross-legged and affordable at $29.99. Alas it was out of stock the day we visited our local store, but it is available online. The other chair, the Nandor, would add a natural touch to any kitchen table.

Fans overhead are helpful, but when you want a direct breeze or need a shot of air in the kitchen or at your desk, nothing beats a portable fan. This little retro model by Deco Breeze, which comes in five zippy colors for $66, will cool you quickly. Get it at Fanshack, where you can see dozens more permutations of this trendy item by other manufacturers. For a mini-fan to cool just your sweating brow whilst you work or wait out a power outage, see Amazon, where we found a coy clip-on battery-powered fan for nine bucks that 3 people raved about. Feel cooler?

About those woven wood blinds, we just love the look. Alright, they are probably not the most energy efficient blinds, but they sure do make a room feel cool, filtering the light, cutting the glare and yet leaving a hint of a view beyond, much like solar shades or even like the view from under a shade tree. Yes, we’re obsessed with shade in our neighborhood. Is it 105 where you are? If you like their natural look and simplicity see wovens at several stores listed under Furniture and Decor listings. Look for Levelor and Hunter Douglas (at Blinds Express) brands and you’ll be happy with the quality. The price can be pricey however. Order bamboo or reed blinds and you’ll be using a renewable resource. That makes us smile. If it’s options you’re looking for, Smith and Noble has just enlarged its line of woven woods and blows away the competition with special details such as fabric borders, two-on-one headrail mountings and top-down-bottom-up versions.

We were thinking about how to keep cool. Who isn’t? And so we thought about: windows and dresses. Close the former against the sun, perhaps with the new woven wood blinds showcased by Smith and Noble this summer. They just look cool. As for dresses, they’re an excellent defense against wilt when you have to go out. Check out the heat-dissipating models at edressme. For more varieties, Coldwater Creek, one of our favorites for dresses has a great selection of summer frocks on sale, such as the one above which would work for fun or the office.