While it’s always fun to get away, it can be even more relaxing, enjoyable, and considerably less expensive to make memories at home. As the centerpiece of your family, your home should be a sanctuary: a comfortable, engaging retreat from life’s daily stress. There are an infinite number of ways to maximize your home environment – ranging  from something small and simple to sensational renovations or additions.

Whether you’ve been in your home for one year or ten, it’s always fun to change things up a bit. Sometimes even the smallest change of scenery can provide a surprisingly dramatic punch. Consider these relatively easy and budget-friendly ways to switch up your surroundings and infuse your home with staycation spirit!

Dress Up Your Home's Interior

Chic Curtains – If you feel desperate for a new look, consider changing your curtains. While it may sound like a simple change, replacing dark, heavy drapery with sheer, lightweight fabrics in island-inspired hues, tropical prints, or natural themes can instantly update your space. Window dressings can set the tone of a room while also imparting texture, interest, and dimension. Prepare to be pleasantly impressed by the power of this home staple!

The Right Rug – Whether plush, shaggy, flatweave, braided, or knotted, a rug can totally tie a room together while at the same time imparting a contemporary, traditional, or transitional feel. Additionally, a rug can not only help define space, but it can also help with noise reduction on hard flooring. Don’t underestimate how much a rug can transform spaces in your house!

Alluring Accents – The start of summer is the perfect time to declutter your home, rearrange your furniture, redefine your living space, and spruce it up with a few resort-inspired accents! Think colorful pillows and throws, festive beach-themed tableware, coastal artwork, and even tropical plants such as an Amazon Elephant’s Ear or Monstera. Making your home feel like a personalized paradise doesn’t have to be complicated.

Bring the Outdoors In 

Exotic Elements – Lavish spas and hotels derive much of their luxe resort feel from earthy materials such as mixed wood and natural fibers. Consider incorporating reclaimed or repurposed furniture, bamboo or rattan furnishings, and accessories with natural, organic textures.

Fans and Lighting – Create a cool breeze that is not only relaxing, but aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient as well, with an ornate ceiling fan that summons all things tropical. Enhance your room’s lighting while evoking seaside charm with ceiling fans that feature fern leaf, oval palm, or other botanical-inspired blades in a variety of styles and colors.

Tranquil Fountains – Nothing says “resort” quite like the soothing sound of trickling water. It’s easy to add this dash of serenity to your home with an indoor fountain. Decorative wall fountains create a special oasis that is at once eye-catching, elegant, and luxurious. However, free-standing floor water fountains and smaller tabletop fountains can also lend positive energy and a sense of calm to your home.

Add Relaxing, Fun Details

Light Linens – While most of us may not have ocean views outside our windows, there’s nothing that says we can’t make home feel like a hotel. When you want to channel a vacation state of mind, replace your usual sheets with crisp, white linens. Make sure your bed is made with plumped pillows and cushy duvets. Douse your room in daylight, infuse the space with sea mist diffusers, and toss in some tropical-themed accents for good measure. You could even add a glass carafe of water to your nightstand.

Bath Bliss – We tend to spend a fair amount of time in the bathroom, so why not make it even more relaxing and soothing? Take your bath to a resort-style level with a fresh coat of light paint, ornate lighting, and elegant, framed mirrors. Top things off with a mix of greenery, a bathtub caddy, and fragrant candles. Don’t forget a new set of fluffy towels and luxurious bath gels to complete your at-home spa experience.

Al Fresco Fun – After refreshing your home’s interior with a vacation vibe, consider what can be done to continue the theme in your outdoor space. While a sparkling pool and spa are perennial favorites for a backyard oasis, there are plenty of more affordable ways to enhance your at-home sanctuary. Add a fire pit to create the perfect spot for s’mores and fireside chats. Bring Palm Springs style to your patio with classic Adirondack chairs, a wicker chaise lounge set, and scalloped umbrellas. When the sun goes down, set the scene with bistro string lights, whimsical fairy lights, or mini lantern string lights.

Final Thoughts On Setting Up a Home Staycation

If you are landlocked, craving salty breezes, and travel plans are on hold, creating a vacation mentality at home can translate into an even more enjoyable atmosphere for family and friends to hang out, relax, and recharge. At the end of the day, home is truly where the heart is, so why not make every day a special staycation?

** To discuss ways to add resort-style flair and other upgrades to your home, contact a John Houston Homes New Home Advisor today at 866-806-1762!**