15 tips to recreate holiday style at home for less than £50
Over the past year, 60% of Brits have cited missing holidays as one of their biggest upsets. Additionally, four in 10 Brits have said that, since 2020, this is the longest they have gone without a holiday. So, it’s safe to say we are missing our travels. But what if we can bring our holidays to our homes?
tombola has worked with interior designers to provide tips on how you can create zones or small sanctuaries for yourself within your home to replicate the UK’s most favourite destinations: New York, Bangkok and Malaga.
5 tips to create a New York-inspired reading corner in your living room for £36
Your checklist:
- White, unfitted bed sheet: £6.40
- Battery fairy lights: £13
- Books from your house: Free
- Black chalkboard paint: £5
- Vintage travel poster: £12
Create your own curtains for £6.40
When you think of apartments in New York, you’ll think of tall ceilings and industrial decor. But did you know you can replicate the effect of living in a larger space - with tall ceilings - for under £7? All you need is a long bed sheet that drapes to the floor, and you can create your own curtains. Just find the seam, unstitch a section to make a hole for the curtain rod to go through and hang up.
Hang battery fairy lights for £13
As the city that never sleeps, bright lights are synonymous with New York. Tiffany Ratclife, Head of Design at art art art, said to “hang fairy lights from wall to wall (with the corner in the middle) to make a city skyline.”
Stack your books in varying heights to reflect the skyline for free
If you have books gathering dust in your home, you can use them to reflect the city’s iconic skyline. Tiffany suggests “stacking your books in varying heights to replicate the city skyline.”
Use blackboard paint to design the skyline for £5
TikTok has made famous painting zones within your home to create features. So, instead of spending time and money painting your entire wall, you can do so in less than one hour and create your own NY-inspired reading zone. Tiffany Ratcliffe, Head of Design at art art art, says to “use black chalkboard paint on your walls and chalk the New York skyline”, or any other inspired artwork you can think of. The beauty is that you can draw and change the design whenever you feel like it.
Display vintage New York artwork for £12
To really inject the character of the ‘city that never seeps’ to your home, look for vintage travel posters or even maps of New York to display on or next to the New York skyline you have painted with the blackboard paint. You can find posters for as little as £6 to round off your slice of New York.
5 ways to create a breathtaking Bangkok retreat in your garden for £44
Your checklist:
Make your own stones with cement and water for £3.70
A strong, natural element that works well in Bangkok-inspired gardens is stone. You can get crafty with this element and create your own stone pathway, leading out to your Thai oasis. All you need is clingfilm, cake tins, cement and water. You need to mix your cement and water in a separate tub, line your tins with clingfilm and then pour in the cement - leaving 24 hours to set.
Get a bamboo feature plant for £11.99
Colourful plants and bamboo, in particular, can be an eye-catching feature for your Bangkok-inspired garden and are typically associated with the style. Bamboo is one of the easiest plants, but they can grow significantly, so try to keep them in pots.
Opt for bright coloured flowers for as little as £6.99
Plants such as jasmine, orchid, hibiscus and gardenia will change the face of your garden and reflect the vibrant and natural wildlife. You can create your very own garden - with the stones leading up to your oasis - and you can sit outside when the weather is warm and take a few moments to yourself like you would on holiday.
Bring beach vibes to your garden with a woven rug for £15
To cement your Thai oasis, reflect the sandy shores with a brilliant bright, woven outdoor rug. You could place this in the centre of your garden sanctuary, surrounded by the bright flowers and bamboo plant to truly inject a slice of Bangkok to your garden - before you can book your holiday for next year.
Spray paint your garden furniture for £6.40
Bright colours and lights are synonymous with the capital of Thailand. Tiffany Ratcliffe suggests “spraying your garden furniture in bold pinks, greens and yellows to emulate the bright lights of Bangkok.”
Recreate your favourite Malaga beach in 5 steps for £40
Your checklist:
- White chalk furniture paint: £8.50
- Charity shop books: £5
- Maize basket: £10
- Blue striped throw: £7.40
- Succulents: £10
- Collect pebbles from beaches: Free
Upcycle existing furniture for just £8.50
To bring the coast to your home, there’s no need to hunt for new furniture. Take your existing furniture, perhaps a coffee table or even a set of drawers and upcycle with chalky furniture paint. The whitewashed, rustic look harks back to memories of the sand and sea. For those new to upcycling furniture, the rustic look means that it doesn’t have to be perfect - you can be as messy as you like.
Shop for blue charity books to display for as little as £5
To further replicate the sun, sea and sand we are all missing, hunt down books in charity shops with different shades of blue covers and place them on your upcycled drawers. Not only does blue represent the sea but it is also recognised as a calming and peaceful colour - perfect for your home sanctuary.
Think light colours for storage for £10
Light, maize or rattan style accessories and different textures can also help replicate the cool, beachy vibes of your favourite holiday destinations. You can place these items next to your drawers to take the beach home with you. Plus, they are super handy for storage for kids’ toys, blankets or anything else taking space in your living room.
Add a striped throw to create a focus point for £7.40
Nautical-inspired neutral blue stripes will inject instance beach vibes to your home without buying new furniture. You could even go so far as to move a chair (whether that be a dining chair or even armchair) next to your drawers and storage to create a ‘chill-out zone’ and place this throw on top of the chair. And there you have it, your very own beach sanctuary in your living room.
Add potted succulents and pebble accessories for under £10
Another suggestion by Tiffany Ratcliffe is to ‘add potted succulents to your corner and fill the pots with pebbles, to remind you of pebbly beaches.”
Three benefits to creating areas for yourself in your home
Kiran Singh, a Lifestyle and Wellness Coach, said: “Having your own private retreat actually offers a number of benefits. When it comes to physical clutter, it makes sense to choose just one room so that you can lessen the overwhelm that comes from trying to manage a house full of too much stuff.
“Having one dedicated space to calm can help you to release a great deal of mental clutter, as well. You’ll have a Zen oasis to which you can retreat after a long day or when you’re feeling particularly anxious. This is something from which everyone can benefit.”
Additionally, it has been reported that designing a space in your home to care for yourself can reduce stress and anxiety. So, if you are looking to create your own zen den in your home, here’s how to start.
- Know your space. If you are thinking of creating a zone within your living room, for instance, you need to know how busy it gets, if it’s regularly used by other people and if it is a calm enough area for you to carve out your own space.
- Track your habits. If you always sit and read in the same spot, you might want to make this your reading area.
- Make your zone a focal point. To really create your own space, you can paint it a different colour or add unique accessories that describe you to really define your own area.
If you are also looking at other factors that can improve your mental health, tombola can reveal how your pets can do so. Additionally, if you have now got the decorating bug, read more on our simple gardening hacks using items you have in your home.
