How to create your staycation home bliss

Staycations are booming but if you’re more inclined to stay at home and make the most of it: this post about achievable ways to maximise your outdoor spaces this summer is for you.

It’s time to get into ‘vacation mode’ in spite of everything, and enjoy some of the loveliest parts of being on holidays without leaving your home!

2020 is the summer of the garden

Summer in 2020 is turning out to be, well, a little different to say the least. Our homes are doing some serious heavy lifting in that they are now the hub of our lives. If you have any outside space of any size, you have everything you need to enjoy your holiday time this summer.

The holiday at home is in, and there are so many things you can do to make the most of it.

By the way, it really is so important to get fresh air. Actual real scientific benefits of being outside include:

• It boosts your energy
• Being outside enhances your creativity
• Taking a break outside restores your focus
• It helps you get your exercise in
• Being outside lessens your anxiety gives you a positive boost

Holidays at home are what (or where) you make them

Let’s be clear: you do not have to renovate your garden or patio just for the sake of renovation. The point here is to create an outdoor area that you enjoy being in and that fits your life, your needs, your family and your interests.

Yes, scrolling through garden trends endlessly online is entertaining, but you have to take what you want out of them and leave the rest. An easy place to start is by looking at what you do in your outdoor spaces already.

Ask yourself two questions:

1. What do I already do in my garden? What works?
2. What would I like to be doing? What can be enriched?

Suggestions for this are endless, to be honest, from budget options to blow-out extravaganzas, so your solution will look different from others’ and that’s ok: you do you.

“You really need to think about what kind of person you are and what kind of energy you want in different spaces in your home.” - Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead from 2LG Studio (source)

Interestingly, according to a survey from Porch, 61% of homeowners have been doing some work on their garden or patio in 2020. If you flat out don’t like your backyard and want to change it: you’re in good company.

7 ways to enjoy your backyard staycation haven

Once you’ve made your outdoor the way you like it, what next? Well, as the film says: if you build it, they will come. Your hard work comes with fun rewards. Some really cool ways people around the world are making their own home staycation refuges this summer are:

1. Pools are obviously very important when it comes to holidays in the sun, and are central to our own staycations here at the moment. Inflatable pools come in all kinds of sizes and levels of sophistication. Or there’s the blockbuster summer 2020 trend: stock tank pools. If you're looking for some calm, take a gander at the principles of shinrin yoku, or forest bathing. Wild swimming is up there on our bucket list of staycation experiences, and there are ways to create your own little ‘forest’ experience in your own garden (spoiler: plants, plants, plants).
2. Beach reads are another vacation stable, so make yourself a comfortable reading nook. Perfect for smaller balconies! If you have space, build yourself a book fort outside and while away the weekends. Sandpit optional but recommended for lots of toe-wiggling fun.
3. Get a tent and go camping! Grab a few pillows and sleeping bags, and enjoy the great outdoors without sacrificing creature comforts. Bonus: look for walking routes in your area (or make your own) and go ‘hiking’.
4. Hammocks and fire pits or barbecues are always right up there on our priorities list for summer and there’s no reason for that to change now. Short on space? Get a boho-chic hanging chair and luxe it up
5. Build a fairy garden for a solid dose of enchantment. Yes, these really are a thing.
6. Have a picnic – this can be as fancy or as low-key as you want. Get a portable speaker and invite your friends along on voice chat
7. Fancy cocktail o'clock will really put you in that holiday mood. Bowties are optional. Backyard bars can be as elegant or as minimalist as you want. Looking for seating options? We’ve got you covered.

Bonus tip for enjoying your 2020 summer

Whether you’re lounging around in your hammock or just pottering around the garden, disconnection is key for reaping the benefits of holidays at home.

Disconnection is today’s version of vacation, where it used to be all about locomotion. - Avivah Wittenberg-Cox (source)

We’re all scrolling through our feeds for news updates in the need to feel ‘connected’ that it’s doing more harm than good.

Our top trick for staycation bliss at home? Go outside and don’t bring your phone.

What are you getting up to in the last great frontier (our own backyards) this summer? Come chat over on Instagram! We love to hear your great ideas!