Housekeeping: Your August Checklist for a Smooth-running Home
Make the most of summer with these tips and tricks for keeping your home and garden looking their best
If July was all about preparing your home for the warmer months, August is the time to enjoy the fruits of your labour – whether in the garden with a drink in hand, on the balcony taking in the sunshine, or indoors cooling down and enjoying the breeze. You may not fancy taking on any big DIY projects, but there are still plenty of little things you can do this month to keep the household ticking over nicely, from organising the family to making sure you’re always ready for cocktail hour…
Seek out a sunny spot
Whether it’s for enjoying the view of the garden in full bloom or taking advantage of the long evenings, try reconfiguring your furniture slightly to take in that vista or catch the best of the rays. Often there are spots here and there in the home that prove to be real suntraps – make the most of them by popping a comfy armchair there for ultimate relaxation.
Whether it’s for enjoying the view of the garden in full bloom or taking advantage of the long evenings, try reconfiguring your furniture slightly to take in that vista or catch the best of the rays. Often there are spots here and there in the home that prove to be real suntraps – make the most of them by popping a comfy armchair there for ultimate relaxation.
Give bifold doors a little TLC
It’s tempting at this time of year to fling open the doors every day – and why not? However, while bifold doors are a real luxury, they also need a little maintenance.
Make sure yours are clean both inside and out, and brush out the runners to keep them sliding smoothly. Also take a little time to ensure any decked or patio areas directly outside your living space are kept clear to avoid detritus flying into the house. A good sweep should do the trick, though if your space is quite small or self-contained, it might even benefit from a quick whizz around with the vacuum cleaner! (Disclaimer: Houzz takes no responsibility for the funny looks you might get from your neighbours…)
It’s tempting at this time of year to fling open the doors every day – and why not? However, while bifold doors are a real luxury, they also need a little maintenance.
Make sure yours are clean both inside and out, and brush out the runners to keep them sliding smoothly. Also take a little time to ensure any decked or patio areas directly outside your living space are kept clear to avoid detritus flying into the house. A good sweep should do the trick, though if your space is quite small or self-contained, it might even benefit from a quick whizz around with the vacuum cleaner! (Disclaimer: Houzz takes no responsibility for the funny looks you might get from your neighbours…)
Hang it up
Pottering in the garden is pretty much compulsory at this time of year, and as such, your basic gardening tools are likely to be having regular workouts. Get your equipment organised for ease of access and general tidiness. A cute hanging device like this – made from a wooden ruler with hooks screwed into it – would work brilliantly on the side of a shed, is perfect for trowels and gloves, and can even be used to hang decorative items.
Pottering in the garden is pretty much compulsory at this time of year, and as such, your basic gardening tools are likely to be having regular workouts. Get your equipment organised for ease of access and general tidiness. A cute hanging device like this – made from a wooden ruler with hooks screwed into it – would work brilliantly on the side of a shed, is perfect for trowels and gloves, and can even be used to hang decorative items.
Reimagine the lawn
If your real turf is looking decidedly less than lush, now might be the time to consider faking it. Artificial lawns have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and not only are they more or less maintenance-free, they can also be surprisingly convincing and pleasant underfoot.
Artificial lawns also provide a softer surface on which to sit – great if your space catches the sun. Try placing some in an area where real lawn might not be expected, such as a roof terrace or balcony.
Learn everything you need to know about fake grass
If your real turf is looking decidedly less than lush, now might be the time to consider faking it. Artificial lawns have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and not only are they more or less maintenance-free, they can also be surprisingly convincing and pleasant underfoot.
Artificial lawns also provide a softer surface on which to sit – great if your space catches the sun. Try placing some in an area where real lawn might not be expected, such as a roof terrace or balcony.
Learn everything you need to know about fake grass
Embrace the planner
With weddings, holidays, festivals and various other social engagements to factor in for all the family, school holidays can be a seriously busy time. As such, it may be worth having a visual reminder of all the activities going on each week, even if you already keep a separate diary.
Chalkboard stickers in a prominent place are perfect for this, and can easily be refreshed by all members of the family, so you can see at a glance what everyone’s up to. You can buy chalkboard stickers divided into days of the week, or on a roll so you can create a calendar that works for your family.
Don’t fancy messing about with stickers? Wall calendars are often cheaper halfway through the year and come in a huge variety of styles and designs.
With weddings, holidays, festivals and various other social engagements to factor in for all the family, school holidays can be a seriously busy time. As such, it may be worth having a visual reminder of all the activities going on each week, even if you already keep a separate diary.
Chalkboard stickers in a prominent place are perfect for this, and can easily be refreshed by all members of the family, so you can see at a glance what everyone’s up to. You can buy chalkboard stickers divided into days of the week, or on a roll so you can create a calendar that works for your family.
Don’t fancy messing about with stickers? Wall calendars are often cheaper halfway through the year and come in a huge variety of styles and designs.
Be ever-ready for gin o’clock
With entertaining at home being almost inevitable at this time of year, set up a fun bar cart ready for whipping up a fruity tipple to surprise guests. Make the most of the kitsch connotations and raid your local charity shop for fun and affordable accessories to dress it with.
For the ultimate retro look, top it off with a supply of miniature cocktail umbrellas. Piña colada, anyone? Equally, if retro isn’t your style, a silver tray with crystal glassware is sure to impress – and don’t forget the ice bowl.
With entertaining at home being almost inevitable at this time of year, set up a fun bar cart ready for whipping up a fruity tipple to surprise guests. Make the most of the kitsch connotations and raid your local charity shop for fun and affordable accessories to dress it with.
For the ultimate retro look, top it off with a supply of miniature cocktail umbrellas. Piña colada, anyone? Equally, if retro isn’t your style, a silver tray with crystal glassware is sure to impress – and don’t forget the ice bowl.
Brighten up with white
There’s something about an all-white interiors scheme that feels just so right on a warm, sunny day. Other than choosing white upholstery and soft furnishings, another simple way to lighten up a room is to choose artwork with a light palette for a brighter feel.
Unite the look by painting all your frames white, or ensuring each print has a white mount. You can minimise damage to walls by investing in some 3M Command picture strips to hang your display with, which will attach your frames to the wall without damaging them, and remove without a trace.
See how to choose the right frame for your artwork
There’s something about an all-white interiors scheme that feels just so right on a warm, sunny day. Other than choosing white upholstery and soft furnishings, another simple way to lighten up a room is to choose artwork with a light palette for a brighter feel.
Unite the look by painting all your frames white, or ensuring each print has a white mount. You can minimise damage to walls by investing in some 3M Command picture strips to hang your display with, which will attach your frames to the wall without damaging them, and remove without a trace.
See how to choose the right frame for your artwork
Build in outdoor fun
If you have small children and your outdoor space is as slick as your interior, you won’t want clunky plastic toys littered about the place. Opt to incorporate them into the fabric of the space instead, as with this clever integrated sandpit, which is easy to hide away once family time is over and you’re ready to switch your outdoor area back into the elegant grown-up space it is.
If you have small children and your outdoor space is as slick as your interior, you won’t want clunky plastic toys littered about the place. Opt to incorporate them into the fabric of the space instead, as with this clever integrated sandpit, which is easy to hide away once family time is over and you’re ready to switch your outdoor area back into the elegant grown-up space it is.
Lighten up with soft furnishing
Heavy curtains can feel imposing at this time of year, but some rooms require window dressings to give them privacy, as well as to diffuse harsh sunlight. String curtains can work wonderfully, providing a subtle shield without cutting out too much light, and softening the look of a room with clean lines, as in this serene bathroom.
TELL US…
How do you keep your household running smoothly throughout August? Share your tips in the Comments below.
Heavy curtains can feel imposing at this time of year, but some rooms require window dressings to give them privacy, as well as to diffuse harsh sunlight. String curtains can work wonderfully, providing a subtle shield without cutting out too much light, and softening the look of a room with clean lines, as in this serene bathroom.
TELL US…
How do you keep your household running smoothly throughout August? Share your tips in the Comments below.
If your plants are mainly potted or in slim raised beds, they’ll be more prone to drying out than ones planted into the ground. Consider installing a simple irrigation system and set it up with a timer to help keep things blooming. This is especially crucial if you have holidays planned and are likely to be away for a long period of time.
A simple DIY system can be inexpensive to install and run, and is certainly cheaper and much less work than replacing perished plants. Talk to your local garden centre to see what they have to offer.