Whether you are traveling this summer or enjoying a staycation at home, 10 Home Prep Tips for Your Staycation, by Rose Morrison will help you find more joy of living in your home, particularly if you can’t or choose not to get away. Many thanks to Rose’s guest post for Slipcovers for Your Walls, casartblog for Casart Coverings removable wallpaper and decor. Be sure to read Rose’s bio at the end.
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You don’t have to leave town to experience the perks of a luxury vacation. A staycation is a great way to save money while enjoying time at your house, which you can upgrade to make more relaxing. Here are 10 ways to make your home ready for your staycation.
[Reference links to Casart Japan Designs and the Casart’s Design Portfolio]
1. Get Cozy
You want to feel relaxed wherever you stay on vacation, and your home shouldn’t be any different. Give your bedroom luxury hotel vibes by adding oversized pillows and layering blankets with various textures. Change your bulbs to a warmer shade of white and add blackout curtains with sheers that allow plenty of light in during the day but create perfect darkness to sleep at night.
Think of your favorite things about staying in a nice hotel. Getting plush robes and slippers, adding a water jet to your bathtub and filling an ice bucket with champagne and your favorite glasses can add a touch of luxury.
2. Add New Scents
We often remember the smells of vacation as much as the views, and adding your favorite scents to your home can make you feel like you are in paradise. Even if you do not get away much, you can try a pine scent that mimics being in a forest. Consider diffusing relaxing essential oils like lavender and eucalyptus for a spa-like feel. Many companies now make oils and candles that smell like popular resorts and restaurants, bringing your favorite vacation spots to your home.
[Read our previous post Getting Outside While Staying In that mentions home recipes for on Essential Oils]
3. Bring Nature Inside
Many vacation experiences involve nature, such as beautiful valleys, sandy beaches and rushing waterfalls. You’ll often find these stunning and relaxing areas reflected in spas, resorts and restaurants. Reflect on the scenery you like best throughout your home. Wall decor, indoor plants, and natural colors and textures boost your mental health and create a fun and calming environment. Take things a step further by painting your interior with greens, blues, yellows and clays that mimic natural shades.
4. Indulge with Snack Displays
One of the best parts of staying at a hotel is easy access to treats. A staycation saves you resort fees, so you can use some of your savings to create snack trays and displays at home. Get some favorite pastries, try a new punch recipe, or set up a coffee and tea station.
Set out a bowl of fresh fruits and vegetables on your kitchen table. Set up cookie jars or a dry bar in heavily used rooms to give yourself low-maintenance access to your favorite foods and drinks. You can even customize your counter to look like a continental breakfast display with your favorite muffins, tiny cereals and a waffle station.
5. Add Location-Based Decor
Certain decor lets you feel close to your favorite places. You can often find unique items from stores in those areas online. You can also add vacation-inspired chairs, lamps and pictures to help you feel like you are at your dream destination. Other examples include prints and paintings, blankets made from local materials or souvenirs you got from a previous trip.
[See the inspiration for our Casart Shells Designs here.]
[Here’s what we did with the actual shells after painting them.]
[Reference link to Casart Sea Life Treasures Collection]
6. Clean Up
You likely do the housekeeping at home, and doing a deep clean before your staycation can be more than worth it. Scrub your walls, clean your carpets and refresh your duvet to make your home feel new. Just do whatever helps your home feel more inviting. The less cleanup you need to do during your staycation, the more relaxing it will be.
Consider cleaning with new scents to make your home feel fresh and exciting. A pre-staycation cleanup is a great way to involve the whole family since you can use it as planning time for your upcoming home adventures.
7. Create a Backyard Oasis
You can get time in the sun without leaving your backyard. Consider dressing it up to be a relaxing or entertaining oasis. Switch out your outdoor cushions to different colors and patterns, add some tiki torches to give your yard a tropical feel, and add a sand court or water features to feel closer to the beach.
If you enjoy camping, consider purchasing or making a fire pit to cook food and roast marshmallows. Get an inflatable pool or hot tub. Feel further away from town by adding privacy fences or screens around your yard.
Throughout the spring and summer, many retailers have big yard games on sale that you can add to bring something new to your yard. You should also consider setting up a viewing area and making popcorn for an outdoor movie night.
[Reference Casart Light Rain Designs]
8. Find New Things To Do
One of the best parts of being on vacation is trying new experiences, but who says you must leave home to discover your new favorite hobby? Some activities are location-specific, but you can often find fun things to do at home and in your area with some research. You may have a new type of restaurant or spa in town. You could also look for unique crafts and games to try at home.
Many locations host different entertainment opportunities each season, with indoor and outdoor concerts, comedy acts and festivals. If your town has a history museum, aquarium or botanical garden, your staycation could be the perfect time to revisit them. Put yourself in the mind of a visitor and rediscover what makes your hometown so special.
9. Prepare a Guest Space
Just because you are staying home doesn’t mean family and friends can’t staycation with you. Preparing a guest room lets out-of-town visitors get a little slice of your at-home paradise. Add new bedding, fun decor and scented items in the bathroom to help them get into vacation mode.
Allow them to share your amenities but consider offering them in-room snacks and a mini-bar so they can enjoy time alone whenever they feel like it.
10. Store Your Clutter
Your home likely has clutter from work, school and living your life, but putting some of it away during your staycation can help you relax. Turn off your devices’ email notifications, place backpacks and work bags in closets, and cover up any toys, books or other household items you and your family do not need for your at-home trip. Putting away the things that cause everyday stress separates your fun at home from your responsibilities.
[Reference Casart Quill Designs]
Creating Your Ideal Staycation
Your home can be anything you want it to be. Having a staycation is an opportunity to experiment with new designs and activities you can keep for years to come while giving you that laid-back vacation vibe.
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Additional posts & resources:
- Bringing in the Beach Year Round
- Decor Ideas to Make You Feel Happier in Your Space
- 14 Positive Reasons Why Staying at Home can be Good
- Getting Outside While Staying In
- Refreshing Your Space for Spring
- Interior Design for Wellbeing
Many thanks to Rose for this inspirational article in how to prepare your home and get the most out of your staycation.
About the author:
Rose Morrison is a home improvement and design writer.
She is also the managing editor of Renovated. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.
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