Housekeeping: Your June Checklist for a Smooth-running Home
Embrace the warmer months – inside and out – with these easy summer jobs
Summer’s finally here and now’s the time to enjoy some of the hard graft you’ve been putting into getting your house and garden shipshape over the past few months. Keep things ticking over by trying out some of these ideas this June.
Extend the daylight hours
With the prospect of evenings spent outside, you’ll want to think about exterior lighting. This needn’t mean a costly visit from the electrician, however, as solar-powered LED lights have come on leaps and bounds in recent years.
Look out for solar-powered lamps you can sit on your outdoor table, or consider stringing up some pretty festoon lights. Try running them around the tops of your fences, or arrange in a crisscross configuration overhead.
Be inspired by more outdoor lighting ideas
With the prospect of evenings spent outside, you’ll want to think about exterior lighting. This needn’t mean a costly visit from the electrician, however, as solar-powered LED lights have come on leaps and bounds in recent years.
Look out for solar-powered lamps you can sit on your outdoor table, or consider stringing up some pretty festoon lights. Try running them around the tops of your fences, or arrange in a crisscross configuration overhead.
Be inspired by more outdoor lighting ideas
Create some shade
In the height of the summer months, the sun can feel a little relentless at times. A canopy or awning can be a great alternative to a parasol for creating shade and it will cover a larger area, too.
Create a chic sheltered spot by rigging up some fabric and allowing it to drape down onto your decking or patio. Make it semi-permanent by attaching some wooden battens to your walls to support it, or simply make use of any pipes or fencing to tie it to. Top off your shady outdoor retreat with a decorative outdoor rug.
In the height of the summer months, the sun can feel a little relentless at times. A canopy or awning can be a great alternative to a parasol for creating shade and it will cover a larger area, too.
Create a chic sheltered spot by rigging up some fabric and allowing it to drape down onto your decking or patio. Make it semi-permanent by attaching some wooden battens to your walls to support it, or simply make use of any pipes or fencing to tie it to. Top off your shady outdoor retreat with a decorative outdoor rug.
Lighten up
The rustic-style interiors so popular last winter (think dark, reclaimed woods, antlers on walls and earthy-coloured chunky textiles) might seem a bit overpowering for the summer months. Completely redecorating for the new season is a little drastic, but try making a few simple changes to help your space feel more seasonally appropriate.
Consider covering dark tabletops with some linen or ticking fabric in a fresh palette, and store any bulky throws or heavy rugs up in the loft. Swap cushion covers for summery cotton or linen ones, and even consider temporarily changing heavy curtains for floaty voile drapes.
The rustic-style interiors so popular last winter (think dark, reclaimed woods, antlers on walls and earthy-coloured chunky textiles) might seem a bit overpowering for the summer months. Completely redecorating for the new season is a little drastic, but try making a few simple changes to help your space feel more seasonally appropriate.
Consider covering dark tabletops with some linen or ticking fabric in a fresh palette, and store any bulky throws or heavy rugs up in the loft. Swap cushion covers for summery cotton or linen ones, and even consider temporarily changing heavy curtains for floaty voile drapes.
Plant new shoots
Whether it’s new plants freshly moved outside after growing in the greenhouse, plug plants from the garden centre or runners emerging from existing plants, there’s lots of new life in the garden right now.
With any baby shoots not quite ready to go in the ground yet, or simply for a vintage look, try planting them in decorative food tins. By drilling a couple of drainage holes in the bottom, they make surprisingly brilliant planters; try your local restaurants for leftover tins, or a speciality food shop for slightly larger varieties.
Check out what to do in the garden this month
Whether it’s new plants freshly moved outside after growing in the greenhouse, plug plants from the garden centre or runners emerging from existing plants, there’s lots of new life in the garden right now.
With any baby shoots not quite ready to go in the ground yet, or simply for a vintage look, try planting them in decorative food tins. By drilling a couple of drainage holes in the bottom, they make surprisingly brilliant planters; try your local restaurants for leftover tins, or a speciality food shop for slightly larger varieties.
Check out what to do in the garden this month
Make the most of melamine
With meals in the garden becoming more of an everyday event, make sure you have a good selection of melamine plates, bowls and tumblers close to hand. If you have open shelves in your kitchen, consider swapping some heavier pieces, such as casseroles, which might not get much use for the next few months, to make space for these cheerfully colourful sets.
With meals in the garden becoming more of an everyday event, make sure you have a good selection of melamine plates, bowls and tumblers close to hand. If you have open shelves in your kitchen, consider swapping some heavier pieces, such as casseroles, which might not get much use for the next few months, to make space for these cheerfully colourful sets.
Create comfy seating
If your outdoor space is small, having enough seating for when guests visit can be tricky. Rather than worry about where to store extra chairs, consider investing in a selection of outdoor floor cushions. Easy to tuck underneath beds or sofas when not in use, they make for an informal, cosy alternative to a traditional table and chairs, and offer a charming spot in which to relax with a drink at the end of a long day.
If your outdoor space is small, having enough seating for when guests visit can be tricky. Rather than worry about where to store extra chairs, consider investing in a selection of outdoor floor cushions. Easy to tuck underneath beds or sofas when not in use, they make for an informal, cosy alternative to a traditional table and chairs, and offer a charming spot in which to relax with a drink at the end of a long day.
Add a nautical touch
If you’ve been on your summer holiday already, or it’s in the pipeline, those first hot days of the year can suddenly make you want to give your home a nautical, Hamptons-style mood.
Avoid taking it too far and looking like a cliché, however, by sticking with a neutral scheme and simply bringing in touches to get the look. Decorative pieces such as lanterns, a nautical-themed cushion, or curtains in a classic blue and white stripe will all nod to the look without being OTT, and you can easily swap them out again later in the year when the weather turns.
If you’ve been on your summer holiday already, or it’s in the pipeline, those first hot days of the year can suddenly make you want to give your home a nautical, Hamptons-style mood.
Avoid taking it too far and looking like a cliché, however, by sticking with a neutral scheme and simply bringing in touches to get the look. Decorative pieces such as lanterns, a nautical-themed cushion, or curtains in a classic blue and white stripe will all nod to the look without being OTT, and you can easily swap them out again later in the year when the weather turns.
Maximise garden blooms
Make the most of the abundance of flowers growing in the garden right now by regularly cutting stems. As well as prettying up your interior, with certain plants, regular cutting will promote further growth.
If your flowers are all still at an early stage in their season, you can still snip off the odd bloom to create a cute display without leaving your plant barren. Pop single flowers into individual small bottles or vases. Dot them throughout your home or group them together for added impact.
TELL US…
Which tasks do you have planned for your house or garden this month? Share your tips and ideas in the Comments below.
Make the most of the abundance of flowers growing in the garden right now by regularly cutting stems. As well as prettying up your interior, with certain plants, regular cutting will promote further growth.
If your flowers are all still at an early stage in their season, you can still snip off the odd bloom to create a cute display without leaving your plant barren. Pop single flowers into individual small bottles or vases. Dot them throughout your home or group them together for added impact.
TELL US…
Which tasks do you have planned for your house or garden this month? Share your tips and ideas in the Comments below.
With your winter gear safely tucked away for now, make the most of the fact your coat hooks are no longer bulging with bulky layers and have a little fun using them as a styling spot.
Try turning your outdoor accessories into a display feature, hanging up sunhats and vibrant beach bags. Keeping an outdoors-ready bag packed at all times – with a picnic blanket, sunscreen and a tiffin tin ready to be filled with treats – will make any impromptu trips that much easier to quickly pull together.
Check out more great hallway organisation ideas