Whisper it quietly, but the ravages of winter are little more than a distant memory and the fresh fragrance of summer is upon us. Embrace the seasonal change in style by sprucing up your home to welcome longer days, shorter nights, higher temperatures—and spirits—all round.
There are plenty of things you can do to usher in the new season and make sure your humble abode is ready. Here are a handful of handy ideas to get you into the swing of things and match the sunny complexion of the sky to your home.
- Dust off fans
There’s little cause to use your household fans in winter, during which time dust is apt to collect atop their blades. To avoid unnecessarily spreading that dust around your home, potentially causing respiratory problems or exacerbating allergies, make sure your fans are thoroughly cleaned and dusted before switching them on.
- Rearrange the furniture
Take advantage of longer daylight hours by maximising the amount of sunlight that can enter through your windows. To achieve this, you might want to rearrange your chairs, sofas or other furniture to allow more of those glorious rays to compliment your furnishings as best they can. To learn specific techniques, see this informative article on the subject.
- Consider installing light timers
Again, the fluctuating hours of daylight means that you’ll need your exterior lights to be on for fewer hours. Installing cheap and efficient timers can save the environment by reducing energy consumption – which will translate into cheaper bills for you, too!
- Upgrade your caffeine machine
Now that the sun will be putting his hat on earlier in the day, you’ll want to make sure you’re awake and alert to take full advantage. A top-end cappuccino or coffee maker is an essential tool to achieving this – see this extensive range from Tassimo to get some inspiration.
- A lick of new paint
Winter snows and sub-zero temperatures can do no end of damage to your exterior surfaces – give them a helping hand with a fresh coat of paint. Jazzed-up sidings, shutters and doors can transform your home from tired and weather-beaten into welcoming and warm—the hard-wearing line from Wickes is a good place to start if you’re looking for ideas.
- Dig out the BBQ
It’s better to make sure your barbecuing equipment is in full working order prior to planning your first big bash of the summer – there’s nothing worse than inviting all of your friends and colleagues around for an afternoon of laughing at your red-faced exertions to get the thing working! You might want to give it a thorough clean at the same time, ensuring your food tastes chargrilled, not like charcoal. For some ideas on what to get cooking, check out this great blog from the Food Network.
- Wipe down patio furniture
It’s an easy bet that the stack of patio chairs and tables that you hoarded away in the garage during the colder months has accumulated a healthy amount of spider webs and dirt. Again, avoid having to deal with dirty seats when you need them clean by hosing them down and wiping them off immediately. Then they’ll be clean and dry when you need them!
- Replant!
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, ensure that your flower beds are weed-free and looking as spectacular as can be by repopulating your green areas with the odd sprig of colour. Not only will they brighten up the front and rear of your house, they’ll also release delicious aromas that will invoke the spirit of summer.
Coffee, plants and DIY images courtesy of Shutterstock.
