How to Make Your Home Feel Like a Vacation
Whether you’re planning a staycation or just want to make your home feel like an ultra-relaxing vacation spot to help you unwind, there are many ways to create a refreshing vibe. From simple decor touches to smart routines and strategies, you can make your home feel like a vacation any day (or night) of the week.
Start With Deep Cleaning and Decluttering
One of the most relaxing aspects about a vacation home, condo rental, or hotel suite is that things are neat, clean, and clutter-free. Get ready to replicate this feeling in your home every day by setting up a system to tackle deep-cleaning and decluttering chores. This can be a process you can start in advance, setting a schedule with a room or area to clean and organize each week. Or, enlist the help of professional cleaning or organizing services to get it done quickly. Once you have the cleaning out of the way and have cut back on the clutter, it will be a breeze to make your home feel like a vacation every day.
Set up Easy Organizers and Decorative Storage
After your home’s in top shape, make sure to set up good organization systems to keep it clutter-free. Furniture with drawers or doors to conceal everyday items, accent items with hidden storage (think ottomans and benches), and decorative storage like canvas storage bins and cute seagrass baskets on shelves go a long way in corralling essentials. Install extra hooks in closets and entryways to keep odds and ends like hats, bags, and extra jackets organized.
Keep a Routine Going
Along with organizational decor, it’s essential to set up some solid routines to get your home feeling like a vacation. Have everyone in the family spend a few minutes each evening picking up errant belongings and putting them away. Set up some basic rules to require family members to put things away neatly instead of tossing them on the furniture or leaving them lying around the house (A reward system can help encourage them to do this.).
Get an Idea Board Going of Your Favorite Vacation Spots
If you’re looking for inspiration to turn your home into a vacation-like spot, create an idea board to get your imagination going. Pick out ideas from favorite places, including decor, colors, scents, sights, and more. You can use these to translate into some useful items that add a sense of luxury, fun, and relaxation.
Use Your Five Senses to Inspire a Vacation-Like Home
Once you have some great ideas of different locales from your idea board, use your senses to guide you. Purchase soothing rugs in colors that inspire you, or breezy curtains that add a sense of airy lightness and brightness to any room. Place pretty candles with things like island-inspired or cabin scents around the home. Add cozy cushions or throw pillows in all your favorite areas to relax, and get a personalized throw blanket for each member of the family to create an instant sense of relaxation. Enlarge prints of beautiful favorite vacation spots and frame them for an elegant vacation feel. Get new sheets, bedding, and even bathroom rugs and shower curtains to lend a fresh feel to the bedrooms and bathrooms. Set up a few portable speakers in strategic locations so you can stream vacation-inspired music.
Stock Favorite Vacation Foods and Drinks
No vacation is complete without some indulgent foods and beverages, so get the kitchen stocked with items that will be fit for a vacation. Purchase ingredients to make homemade frozen dairies for the adults and ice cream sundaes for the kids. Stock up on fresh fruit and some gourmet coffee to create a delicious fresh breakfast buffet. To make your home feel like a vacation even on a weeknight, consider frozen meal kits with a theme (like southwestern skillets or Italian pasta dishes).
Get a Vacation-Ready Wardrobe
Another key aspect of that vacation feel is the clothing. Even if you’re at home, you can feel more like you’re on a vacation with the right wardrobe. Cool sundresses, lightweight blouses and denim shorts, and even great swimsuits and stylish coverups are all part of a perfect vacation wardrobe that you can easily enjoy at home. Don’t forget the pajamas, too! Summery pajamas like short-sleeved nightgowns and summer PJ short sets will help you relax and recharge any time.
Carving out Time to Enjoy Your Vacation-Like Home
After you have everything ready for a perfect vacation-worthy home, make sure to carve out time in your schedule to enjoy it. Set aside periods to stop answering phone calls and emails so you can just relax, or mark off specific dates on the calendar for a home vacation. Sprucing up your home and making it feel like a vacation can go a long way in giving you a positive mental boost, so make the time to live it up!