The best summer souvenir? Bring the vacation vibe into your home

Returning to normality after a summer holiday can be challenging. Thankfully many of us came home to glorious weather this year, making the transition a little more bearable. But wouldn’t it be nice to keep the holiday feeling going for a bit longer? Here are five ways to bring your vacation vibe into your home’s interior and maybe even banish those post-holiday blues.

Give your bed an overhaul

Many hotels pride themselves on the quality of their mattresses. I will admit to having replaced my mattress in the past following a fantastic night’s sleep in a hotel.

It’s recommended that you replace your mattress every seven to eight years. This may not seem like a very long time, but even if there are no signs of wear and tear, your mattress may not give you the support and comfort you need to get a good night’s sleep.

When choosing a mattress, go with the best quality you can afford. Look for mattresses with a high spring count. As a general rule, the higher the number of springs, the more comfortable and less disturbed your sleep will be.

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Treat yourself to some new bed linen. This relatively low-cost and easy update will instantly create a more luxurious and hotel-like feel to your bedroom.

Update your wall colours

The wonderful thing about being able to travel again is being able to experience spaces and places in reality. For the last couple of years, we’ve only been able to take inspiration from pictures online or in magazines.

But a picture tells only half of the story. A space can feel very different in reality than it looks in an image. How did some of the places you visited make you feel? What atmosphere would you most like to replicate at home?

The colour you paint your walls can instantly transform the atmosphere of a room. So a great way to recreate your holiday atmosphere at home is to repaint a room or two.

When choosing a paint colour, inspiration can come from anywhere. Natural landscapes, for example, are excellent sources of inspiration, whether it’s the fresh and calming colours of tranquil beaches or the rich and earthy tones of forests and mountain settings. Natural shades work beautifully in interiors. Look over holiday snaps and see if you can identify two or three shades that might work in your home.

Rituals

We get to try to experience new things on holidays, from food to activities. Are there any little rituals you enjoyed while you were away that you could incorporate into your routine at home? It could be as simple as elevating your morning coffee experience by upgrading your coffee cups or investing in a new coffee machine.

Or it might be more elaborate, like constructing a covered area to enjoy a drink outside all year round. Arch Outdoor have some beautiful covered outdoor solutions that can either be attached to the rear of your house or designed as a stand-alone structure. Another excellent idea is a retractable awning. Awnings of Ireland offers a range of solutions that can be tailored to suit your specific requirements.

Low maintenance

One of the most enjoyable things about being on holiday is not having to cook or spend time toiling in the kitchen. Now that you’re back from holidays, you can do a few things to make your kitchen more low-maintenance to minimise daily chores.

Choosing a durable countertop such as quartz will be much easier to keep than marble or timber, for example. A durable floor finish like porcelain tiles will be far more resistant to wear and tear than timber or natural stone.

Pick appliances that take the effort out of cooking and offer self-cleaning functions. Smart ovens, for example, provide preset programs that make cooking less of a chore. You tell it what you want to cook by selecting the appropriate program, pop the food in the oven and it takes care of the rest.

Laid-back style

You’ll likely have been more relaxed while away. Can you identify what it was that helped you to unwind? Perhaps it was reducing screen time, or having time to read a book. We’re all guilty of spending too much time on technology. Reducing our usage can help us to relax. Could you make more of an effort to spend less time with technology? Maybe you dedicate one room as a tech-free zone, even for just part of the week, and create space to read or listen to music.

Why not take a more relaxed approach to your interior style? Put comfort on the top of your priority list when shopping for furniture. Invest in some beautiful throws and cushions to elevate your existing sofa style.

Denise O’Connor is an architect and designer at optimise-design.com