Once the hustle bustle and frivolity of the Christmas season is over here in Australia we move into ‘holiday mode’.  Think long summer days, barbeques, family visits, relaxing afternoons in the garden…

Take the time to prepare your outdoor areas for the entertaining and relaxation season (aka summer!).  Having a restful and enjoyable outdoor space doesn’t just make entertaining easier, it also gives us a much-needed energy boost and restoration to our senses.

So, right now you’re thinking “I need to know how to create a summer haven, I need one in my life!”!  Here are our six tips for creating a summer home entertaining area that you will not want to leave!

Lots of places to sit

You’ll need to make sure you’ve got adequate seating for your guests and keeping a store of folding chairs in the shed is a great idea for this. 

You also want to make sure you’ve got choices of outdoor seating for your family.  Table seating for dining (or working!), a couple of timber or iron benches through the garden for moments you just want to sit and contemplate, and comfortable outdoor chairs for reading or simply resting.

Quiet places for reading

It’s not all about entertaining during the summer, we also need time-out to relax, enjoy a ‘nanna-nap’, read that novel we got for Christmas, or to simply daydream.

Create a quiet corner in the garden with screening plants (planted or in pots), timber or metal privacy screens, or even a gazebo to give shelter as well as privacy.

Bring in some colour and décor

Bright outdoor cushions give an instant “voomph” to your plain outdoor furniture.  Make sure you choose outdoor fabrics as they’re treated to resist fading and moisture.

Rugs are a simple way to define a space, and outdoor rugs are no exception.  A rug under your outdoor table and chairs marks that area for eating, a different rug for your casual chairs and couches marks that area for relaxing and chatting. 

Crockery, jugs, and drinking glasses in bright, fun colours are a must to have on hand for summer entertaining.  If you’ve got a suitable undercover area why not pickup a dresser that can take pride of place on your deck to hold your new entertaining pieces!

Fun and funky plant pots add a touch of whimsy and personality!  Look for different sizes and shapes – mix your new pots with plainer pots for extra impact.

Painting your fence, verandah posts, or furniture is an instant freshen up for your outdoor and garden.  It also adds value to your property!

Bring your garden to life

Longer sunny days mean more time to spend in the garden.  Weeding, pruning, and adding mulch makes any garden look fresh and alive.  After you’ve done a tidy up do a quick assessment of spaces that need to be filled and take a trip to the local garden centre to pickup a few new plantings.

Lighting

One of the fun things about summer entertaining being able to comfortably spend long evenings outside enjoying great company and creating memories.  But good lighting is important!  A floodlight might be essential for security and safety in some areas, but softer lighting creates ambience and a party atmosphere.

Fairy lights and string lights are perfect for lighting up the garden.  Fairy lights drapes through an ornamental tree or shrub can look stunning and dramatic.  String lights are available in all sorts of light style and shape – string them along a verandah or wall to define a space.

Fire pit

A summer night without a fire pit?  We think not!  A fire pit can be used for cooking on, toasting marshmallows, keeping warm on a cooler evening, or year ‘round to extend your outdoor entertaining area’s season!

Some of our faves for your outdoor entertaining

Hand-thrown Boulder Pot Large Teal Green Spots from Angus and Celeste

Lebello Club 6 chair from Design Nation

Outdoor cushions by Great Outdoor Cushions

Laguna Teak Outdoor Table from Outdoor Elegance

Delta Outdoor III Circle Sofa from King Living

Art Deco 110 Cast Iron Fire Pit by Fire Pits Direct

 

We’d love you to share how and where you’ve used your Vinyl Designs decals and any of our blog picks with us – share on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #vinyldesignaustralia or tag us @vinyldesign. 

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more tips and ideas on how to dress up your world with Vinyl Designs!

No-one is really ‘difficult to buy for’ if you take a little time to work it through!

Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas, or any other occasion that ‘requires’ a gift, there are always people on your list who are ‘difficult to buy for’. But are they really? We say not!

So, what’s the trick you may well be wondering! We’ve put together a list of ideas for unique gifts and tips for finding out what that difficult person would love to receive.

Make the gift itself an experience!

If you’re gifting a voucher or gift card wrap it in many boxes hiding a sweet treat, jokes, or funny tasks (like hop on one leg while drinking a glass of water) between random layers. Guaranteed by the time they get to the end everyone will be in fits of laughter! Or hide a smaller gift inside a stuffed toy … where ‘surgery’ is the only way to extract it!

When selecting a voucher or gift card … think small. Small businesses that is! Supporting a small business over a larger chain is a great way to share the Christmas love even further that the gift!

Literally give an experience!

You could choose a Red Balloon or CherryGift voucher where small businesses benefit, or you could be more select and gift a voucher to a special destination or activity. Fancy an afternoon with the alpacas at Quentin Park Alpaca Farm or maybe hang out with superheroes and sporting legends at Madame Tussauds?! A voucher or membership to a small local cinema also ticks just about every box.

If the venue you’re gifting an experience to doesn’t offer vouchers, ask if you can purchase undated tickets or create your own voucher with a note that you’ll purchase tickets online for the date they choose.

What are their interests?

Ok, so you may think you don’t know this person well enough to find something they’ll love, but take two minutes and make a list of everything that you do know about them … what colours do they wear, do they wear funky jewellery, where do they go on holiday, do they play or watch sport, have you seen them reading? If you’re still stuck … stalk them on the socials and see what you can find out about them!

After making a list you’ll likely find the gift ideas were right in front of you all the time.

Let them live in the past!

Have they recently lost a loved one (person or pet)? A portrait or special framed photo is a thoughtful gift. Let them relive their childhood … quirky 90s snacks and a Pokémon might be just what your 30s aged person will love! Or, for a person in their 70s or 80s rock n’ roll hits of the 50s could hit the mark!

Make them something!

Whether it’s a random piece of art, a knitted scarf, a potted plant, or a box of baked treats, if you’ve taken the time to make something special that speaks volumes! Put some thought into it though don’t just whack a pile of dried pasta on a paper plate and call it art!

Something for their home.

Whether it’s something small like a fun decal for their laptop or light switch, or a Theia table lamp by Mathias Hahn for Marset everyone appreciates something special that shows you put some thought into their gift. Do they cook? One of our kitchen themed wall decals could be top of their wish list but they didn’t even realise it! Do they love to read? Crashmat make fun beanbags that are designed for comfort! Have they just renovated or moved home? House name tiles by Little House in the Valley make a beautiful and thoughtful gift!

Be charitable in their name!

Think of something your person is passionate about, and then make a donation in their name. Are they a dog lover? Donate to an animal rescue. Are they passionate about children’s welfare, indigenous cultural survival, defeating poverty, social justice issues, heritage preservation … and the list goes on. If you don’t already have a charity in mind, The Good Cause Co. are an independent ‘for-purpose’ company that evaluate and list high quality Australian charities

We hope that you’ve found inspiration and ideas for the perfect gift for that person you thought was ‘difficult to buy for’. We’re sure that you’ve at least found one or two ideas for gifts for yourself as well!

We’d love you to share how and where you’ve used your Vinyl Designs decals and any of our blog picks with us – share on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #vinyldesignaustralia or tag us @vinyldesign.

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more tips and ideas on how to dress up your world with Vinyl Designs!