NO PLACE LIKE YOUR HOME
Summer staycation a good excuse to update the outdoor space, Vicky Sanderson writes.
Lots of Canadians won't venture to vacation farther than their own backyard this summer. Research from Hipcamp has 42 per cent saying holidaying at home is the most realistic plan, while Home Depot Canada reports that 19 per cent expect to take more time off for staycationing.
At the same time, a Leger Canada/Aviva Canada report indicates outdoor renos were heavily popular with the 17 per cent of Canadians who did home improvement in the last year. Those sentiments are also expected to drive many of the 62 per cent of them that a BMO/ Ipsos survey says are planning home renovations this year.
Don't worry if you weren't among the early adapters. It's easy and affordable to jump on the home holiday bandwagon. Start with a comfy outdoor chair or two. They needn't cost the earth, especially once summer sales start. For investment pieces, look to places like Jardin de Ville, the Quebec-based maker of outdoor furniture.
Keep a throw nearby for cool mornings, or napping on a breezy afternoon. Check out options from Obakki, a Vancouver-based lifestyle brand founded in 2005 by Treana Peake to promote slow design/ sustainable consumption. (An Obakki Foundation supports clean water access and livelihood initiatives in Africa.)
I like the look of a cable-knit, alpaca-blend blanket in camel. Made in Canada, it's got a comforting heft that will be especially welcome as summer seeps into fall.
It's just one of dozens of their lovely pieces, including a handsome sisal basket in a textured brown, black, and white pattern. Perfect, conveniently, for stashing a throw.
Why not deliver something fun to yourself as a vacation treat? It could be a meal-prep box from any of the many services that have popped up, or it could be a themed basket from GlobeIn.
Like Obakki, GlobeIn is a “purpose-driven” online enterprise that sells handcrafted products from global artisans.
Patrons choose items as a one-off or opt for a monthly subscription box. To stick with the staycation theme, order yourself a bundle like Spark, Stir, or Shimmer that will jazz up al fresco dining.
If watching sports — including the Olympics — is a holiday tradition, you can take it outside with an outdoor screen. Samsung's 55-inch Terrace smart outdoor television, for example, has a “weather-resistant” screen with ultra-HD display, which its makers say delivers crisp, vivid colour. Available at Best Buy.
If you get restless during those lazy afternoons at home, look for a chore that lets you virtuously tick something off the to-do list without working up too much of a sweat.
Outdoor painting on a temperate day is easy with Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan, which can be used on its own or sealed with Annie's Chalk Paint Lacquer for extra protection. Especially cheering in a summery English Yellow, this forgiving, versatile paint can bring new life to anything from an outdoor table set to a garden gate.
Everything looks better when it's clean. One way to get it that way quickly and efficiently is with a pressure washer. Craftsman has an electric cold-water model that it touts as durable, mobile, and powerful. It has three nozzles, one with a turbo function, so it can wash cars, siding, garage floors, and sidewalks. The wand locks in place during transport.
There's also the V20 cordless power cleaner kit, which its maker claims has five times the pressure of a regular old garden hose. It has a quick-connect, fivein-one nozzle and a two-speed pressure setting. A soap bottle applies detergents, and a wand helps shorties like me water overhead flowers.
With that kind of help, household tasks during a holiday hardly feel like work at all. Still, maybe take a nap when they're done. After all, you are on staycation.