16 staycation ideas to create the ultimate holiday at home
Spring/summertime brings warmer weather, longer days, and dreams of holidays to beaches or new cities. But what happens when your holiday gets cancelled, you’re budgeting to afford a new house, or travel just isn’t possible because we still need to stay at home? The answer is simple — enjoy a vacation at home.
Whether it’s creating a spa in your bathroom or turning your dining space into a restaurant, here are some simple and fun staycation ideas you can use to transform your home into the ultimate summer vacation.
Recreate a spa in your bathroom
One of the most popular staycation ideas is transforming your bathroom into a spa. Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice relaxation during your staycation. With a few simple changes, you can easily recreate a tranquil retreat in your bathroom or ensuite.
1. Clear out any visible counter clutter
Make sure to tidy up your bathroom and clear off any clutter on the countertops. Now’s a great time to throw out any old products you haven’t used in a while and make your space as clean as possible.
2. Light candles and set up oil diffusers
Whether you have extra candles lying around in a cabinet or prefer to use essential oils, now’s the time to bring them out. Scents of lavender and bergamot essential oils will help bring that spa feel to your home. If you want a beach-side atmosphere instead, consider lighting a coconut vanilla candle.
3. Splurge on the amenities
While spending a spa day in your bathroom may not seem like the most luxurious at-home vacation, it can be with some new towels, robes, and other spa favourites. Splurging on nice towels will bring a luxurious feel to your normal bathroom and maybe even pick up some spa essentials from your favourite local spa to really feel like you’re on vacation.
Redecorate your living room into a lounge
You’ve likely been spending a lot of time in your living room these days and are getting used to the same scenery. If you’re looking for a more unique staycation idea, then consider updating your living room. With a few redecorating tips you can transform your living room into a brand-new space reminiscent of a hotel lounge.
4. Rearrange your furniture
Give new life to your living space by rearranging your furniture in a way you hadn’t thought of before. Try moving your couch across the room or pulling some lounge chairs from another room in your house. By simply moving around furniture in your living room or consulting with an interior designer, you can easily create a new look.
5. Change up pillows, throws, and decor
Sprucing up your current decor is an easy way to upgrade your living room and bring that holiday feeling to life. Think about switching out pillow covers or blankets to something more colourful. Another easy swap is changing up your bookshelves by displaying trinkets from past holidays or adding some travel books to your coffee table.
6. Create a minibar
If you’ve always wanted to decorate your end tables with liquor bottles or set up a minibar in the corner of the room, test it out. All you’ll need is a table to house your favourite drinks, as well as some cocktail supplies like glasses, shakers, and stirrers for a simple yet functional minibar. This may be one of the holiday ideas you end up liking so much that it becomes a permanent home bar setup after your staycation has ended.
Turn your dining space into a restaurant
This is one of the simplest, yet most transformative staycation ideas. By easily changing the feel of your dining room, you can make it more reminiscent of a cosy restaurant for a date night or a cafe you’d find on holiday.
7. Add flowers or plants to create a centrepiece
Order a nice flower arrangement from your favourite florist or take some flowers from your garden to spruce up the interior of your kitchen. If you have access to a garden centre, pick up some plants that remind you of your favourite summer holiday spots to create a colourful centrepiece for your dining table.
8. Make use of your formal dining room and nice dishware
When was the last time you ate dinner in your formal dining room that wasn’t for a holiday or special occasion? Treat your staycation like a special occasion and have your meals in your dining room. Better yet, put your nicer dishware to use as if you were dining at a Michelin star restaurant for a date night.
9. Turn your outdoor space into a cosy dining area
There’s no need to worry about forgetting to book an outdoor table at your favourite restaurant when you holiday at home. Adding a seating or dining area will upgrade your staycation. If your outdoor tables have seen better days, spend an afternoon cleaning off that furniture or adding a fresh coat of paint or lacquer to those well-loved dining chairs.
Spruce up your outside
Whether you live in an apartment and just have a small balcony, or you live in a house with a large garden and patio, there’s a handful of simple updates you can do to give your outside area a resort-like feel.
10. Freshen up with new plants
Make your space feel more like a paradise by planting some new flowers or greenery. Whether that’s adding in-season plants or experimenting with a new flower, like gardenias, they’ll add a paradise-like feel and give new life to your space. If you don’t have a green thumb, contact your local landscaping company to turn your garden into a tropical paradise.
11. Give your outdoor furniture an upgrade
Whether that’s re-panelling your wooden chairs or purchasing some new outdoor cushions for your recliners, changing up your outdoor furniture can make all the difference. If you’ve been meaning to invest in a new patio table or a cosy hammock chair, what better time than before your staycation?
12. Brighten up your outside space with lights
By adding some new lights to your garden or balcony, it’ll upgrade your staycation evenings as the sun sets. The options are endless, from simple LED tiki torches to having a professional install a custom lighting landscape. Adding lights will bring that magical vacation feel to your space and keep your staycation going throughout the summer.
13. Set up an outdoor audio system
Whether you’re planning on dining or setting up a movie night, you’ll want to add speakers or a sound system to your outdoor space. Think about investing in an audio setup that works throughout your home as well as outdoors, making it useful throughout the year. This simple upgrade will help transform your garden into the ultimate staycation set-up.
Transform your bedroom into a hotel suite
For many people, escaping to a relaxing destination and staying at a nice hotel is one of the best parts of a holiday. You can easily transform your current bedroom into a luxury escape with a few tweaks to your current decor.
14. Switch your bed linens
Switching out your current bedding for freshly cleaned white linens will help evoke that tranquil calmness of a resort during your staycation.
15. Spend the night in your guest bedroom
Better yet, if you’ve got a spare bedroom, plan to spend your staycation nights here. Without guests, your spare bedroom may be going unused, so make use of it as your dedicated hotel room. You’ll get a break from your normal nightly routine and wake up to different scenery without having to change a thing.
16. Update your framed photos with holiday photos
Spice up your current decor with pictures of those far-away places you planned on traveling to this summer. Print out your favourite photos, or ones from past holidays, to remind you of the pristine beaches or evergreen forests while you enjoy your vacation at home.