Lounge

The summer months are slowly fading away, but what a summer season we have had. This year has possibly seen more dining al fresco, BBQ’s, garden parties and lazy sunbathing days than previous years. The joys of spending this summer season mainly outdoors, lapping up the sunshine with a drink in hand, with the BBQ sizzling away in the background means we’ll be even more depressed to see the back of it.

However, there are lessons to be learnt from the incredible summer we have had, and it gives us a new project to take on throughout the autumn/winter months. What is it, I hear you ask? Updating your home!

With the weather so unpredictable for the months ahead, I’m anticipating spending A LOT more time indoors. So what better way to make use of this indoor time, by making the essential updates and upgrades to our homes, so that by next summer, we’ve got the perfect set up to enjoy what should hopefully be another blissful season. And it needn’t be huge tasks.

I’m not talking about knocking walls down and building extensions and crazy big ideas. I’m talking smaller scale, do-able home enhancements that can completely change up the look, feel and practicality of your home.

Here are five ways to update your home and make a worthwhile investment:

1. Update your outdoor space

Are you contemplating a garden patio update? Were there things you noticed from sitting out in the sun this year that bothered you about your current outdoor space?

From classic looks to quiet sanctuaries, from reading areas to sunbathing spaces to enjoy soaking up the sun, your patio is a key area of your home which often gets neglected – especially in the winter. Make sure your patio is ready for next summer by assessing little changes that can make it so much more enjoyable and pleasant to look at.

It could be a case of preparing the decking and painting it, or simply ensuring you had comfortable loungers and outdoor seating. Or why not look at paving the outdoor seating area, or, depending on your own garden layout, utilising false grass for a softer finish? Finally, consider whether your outdoor patio space is even large enough for your needs? A great solution to create extra garden space are wooden summer houses – visit this website for some great options.

Assess what annoyed you about your outdoor space this year, and start the updates now so everything is all in place for next summer.

2. Look to upgrade to bi-folding doors

Following on from updating your patio, another huge trend that is sweeping the interior world is the addition of bi-folding doors to your home. Bi-folding doors are sweeping the nation. People up and down the country are trading up their tired PVC patio doors for something with a little more style and class. After the glorious summer we have experienced, we all understand the value of bringing light and warmth into the home – and often the best way to do this is with glazing.

External bi-fold doors can open up an entire wall of your home. This creates a seamless transition between indoors and out, making more of your garden than ever before. The styles available now more beautiful than ever before, with slimmer sightlines, clever innovations with glass technology, and stunning colours. Bi-fold doors offer virtually uninterrupted views of your garden or outdoors and make enjoying summer at home much easier.

3. Get hold of some garden furniture

The autumn/winter months are the best time to invest in newer, prettier and practical garden furniture, due to many lines going into the sales. You’ll find a lot of garden retailers add summer lines to their reduced stock, making it a great time to start buying and storing up for next year.

There is so much to be said for newer, nicer garden furniture. You can even make it feel like you’re out in the sunshine (even though let’s face it, you’re most likely not) by bringing your garden furniture indoors. A simple small iron table and chairs perfectly fit a forgotten corner in your house, and if you’re lucky enough to have a conservatory, you can give your room a Victorian conservatory vibe.

But don’t stop there at the traditional garden furniture setup. There are so options on the market today from fire pits and chimneas to sun loungers and hammocks and the latter is a definite purchase if you want to sit back, gin in hand and imagine you’re back there on the Balearic coast beach!

4. Pile in the plants

Plants make so much difference to the look and feel of any rooms in the house, but more so, they completely improve the appearance of your outdoor spaces. However, whilst the weather may not be letting you get outdoors, try getting in the habit of creating your own indoor garden, and improving your knowledge of plants in time for next summer.

Introducing a little bit of greenery to your living space, and learn what you like and what ‘works’. Try large colourful succulents as centrepieces, larger leafy trees as focal points, and hanging baskets at the doorways to add interest without using up foot space.

Voila – your own private jungle can be created! Then by next summer, you’ll be a plant pro!

5. Give your kitchen a makeover

An attractive, hygienic-looking kitchen is essential for both your state of mind and the general upkeep of your home. Nothing makes you feel more content than walking into a clean, clutter-free, stylish kitchen. Before you know it, cooking actually becomes fun!

Before replacing a kitchen, consider the fundamentals such as its shape and position and decide if you are going to make any structural changes to the space, or if you want to relocate it elsewhere. Many existing kitchens can be given a new lease of life by just updating a few items, like the fridge, freezer or dishwasher.

Think about all the fresh food and drinks you stored in your kitchen this Summer. Perhaps a bigger more sleek fridge freezer would be beneficial? Did you wish you had an ice dispenser? Get thinking about what you need and put these thoughts into practice!

Before you know it, next summer will be here and the last thing you’ll have to worry about is your home being ready for it.

By Nick

Nick is the founder of Life of Man with a passion for trying out the latest technology, eating out at the best local restaurants, trying the latest IPAs hitting the craft beer scene travelling the world. As a parent Nick loves to spend time with his family and write about days out as dad blogger.

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