Hot Plans
Personalize your vacation pad this summer with these touches.
It’s almost time to pack your bags and head for the beach, lake or mountains. As excited as you may be, if you plan on feeling at home in some one else’s pad – and if you want to entertain on summer weekends – you’ve got to personalize the generic decor that turns up in many summer homes.
With a little planning, there are easy ways to add your own stamp on summer fun (without breaking the terms of your lease). So, that first weekend, pack an extra bag filled with these decorating tricks, and you’ll rid your rental of that barren feel.
Inexpensive throws in summery colors – light blues, yellows and pinks can be tucked into chairs and sofas to create a bright, unified look. Coordinated pillow covers tie the room together, protect the owners furnishings – and are easily washed, too.
Enhance your rental with scented candles. They can get rid of musty odors and add life to coffee and end tables. Place a couple in the bathrooms, as well.
Dining room slip covers can add a punch of color to dreary, mismatched wooden chairs. They pack up flat, are washable and you can use them for several seasons before they start to wear out.
Fluffy towels (and lots of them!) are so much nicer than the scratchy ones the landlord leaves in the linen closet. Your own dishes, glasses, tablecloths and napkins make hosting parties more elegant. An acquaintance of mine hauls her Baccarat crystal martini glasses, china decorated with sailboats and whimsical table linens out to Martha’s Vineyard every eyar. She serves very stylish means and cocktails with them.
Fresh flowers bring life to dull decor. Always pick up a bouquet on the way out of town or at the farmer’s market when you arrive at your destination. Grace your bedrooms, bathrooms and dining table with your fresh arrangements. Also place a few potted annuals on the deck to bring color outdoors they’re bright, cheerful and easy to care for.
A few best sellers stacked up on bedside tables along with some magazines, make guest feel at home.
Place spa toiletries including luxurious French soaps, sea-salt scrubs and fragrant bubble bath and shower gels – in wicker containers for an elegant feel.
Finally don’t forget to bring your barbara k! toolkit to make simple repairs – and your barbecue tools for great outdoor cooking!
If I can do it, so can you!
