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Planning your staycation around your kitchen - Caple
Hands up if your holiday plans have changed this year? The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put paid to countless vacations – either through cancellation or caution. But that doesn’t mean you have to endure the summer of 2020 without any type of break. With a little forward planning, you can still enjoy a staycation in the comfort of your own home. So, allow your kitchen to become the star of your DIY holiday and you’ll emerge refreshed, recharged and ready for anything. We asked our furniture manager Doug Haswell to come up with some ideas to help you.
Open-plan kitchens, like our contemporary Metz Gloss design, are the perfect setting for a summer staycation.
Plan and prep
I think all the best holidays need some careful preparation and a staycation is no exception. So try to get all your chores done and dusted before your at-home holiday begins. Importantly, blitz the housework in advance. You wouldn’t spend hours scrubbing and scouring in an upmarket hotel! Finish all your cleaning before your staycation starts, so you have a gleaming kitchen in which to enjoy your precious ‘time off’.
It’s no hardship spending staycation time in our stunning Halebury Bone & Thyme kitchen, offering an in-frame look at an affordable price.
For most of us, food and drink is a key part of the holiday experience. So, if you enjoy cooking – but don’t usually have time for it – by all means set some aside for culinary experimentation. Delivery slots are becoming more plentiful, so order all the groceries you’ll need (plus some indulgent extras). If you’re ready for time away from the oven, I suggest you cook ahead instead.
Stock your freezer with tasty meals, which you can easily defrost in the microwave when needed.
Alternatively, order yourself a recipe box service, such as Hello Fresh, and fill up your fridge. There’ll still be some cooking involved, but all the prep is done for you. And you won’t have to rack your brains for recipe ideas either!
Let Caple’s NEW CMS260 combination microwave with steam take the strain of your staycation cooking. This Wi-Fi enabled model is coming soon so keep an eye out for it in our microwave section here.
Enjoy being active on your staycation
Most of us enjoy a little gentle exercise on holiday. This might include a dip in the pool, a stroll around the town or even an organised exercise class. You can do this during your staycation too. Why not embrace your inner child and splash about in a paddling pool? You can also go for long walks. Perhaps it’s time to be a tourist and explore your local area. And, if your open-plan kitchen is large enough, enjoy a workout as there are plenty of online options to choose from. Why not be brave and experiment with something new?
There’s plenty of room to take part in an online fitness class in the eye-catching Stanton painted open-plan kitchen range.
Make mealtimes special
If you usually just grab a sandwich at lunchtime while you’re working from home, switch up your routine.
Pack away all your home office equipment, set a pretty table and linger over lunch instead. Before your staycation starts, treat yourself to a new linen tablecloth or colourful crockery. Create a special centrepiece with fresh flowers. Even a humble sandwich or simple salad will taste better if you make eating an occasion.
Complement our Leigh Dawn Blue and Midnight Blue kitchen with a separate dining area that’s ideal for special occasion staycation dinners.
If your evening meal is usually your main one on holiday, make some effort on staycation too. Create some romanticmood lighting with candles, and perhaps indulge in more than one course. If you’re a little concerned about going out to eat, most restaurants are still offering a take-away service. So, you can enjoy all of the taste without any of the toil! If, like me, you’re a fan of eating al fresco, fire up that barbecue. A few simple strings of fairy lights could make any garden look more magical. And even if the British weather (literally) rains on your parade, simply switch your steaks to the grill instead.
Our Woburn kitchen epitomises classic design and fits happily with any style of home (and staycation),
Time for wine on your staycation
Most of us enjoy sampling the local fare on holiday. If that usually includes the local liquor, get creative in your kitchen. So stock up your wine cabinet in advance. Then you can enjoy a wine-tasting staycation. You could opt for a vertical (based on vintage years) or a horizontal tasting. The latter focuses on a wine variety from the same year, but from different producers. You could even opt for ‘Old World’ versus ‘New World’. Don’t forget to cleanse your palate between wines with some water, and perhaps some bread or crackers.
No bar? No problem! Caple’s new WF1550 wine cabinet holds up to 133 Bordeaux-style wine bottles.
You could even make wine tasting part of a theme night and source your supplies accordingly. If you’re really missing Italy, for example, bring a sense of this country to your kitchen instead. Serve an antipasti platter, some pasta and perhaps a delicious tiramisu for dessert. Pair with your favourite Italian wines, and finish your meal with a strong espresso.
Play Italian songs in the background – and make an effort with your outfit. Just imagine what you’d wear for typical holiday-style dinner attire.
Our Verse Juko Matt kitchen in graphite and ash is the perfect setting for a wine-tasting staycation.
Online entertainment
If you’re a fan of theatre or live music, make sure you include a staycation performance – from the comfort of your own home. I’ve found there are lots of online options to choose from and stream. The beauty of an open-plan kitchen diner or living area is you can enjoy a gig over dinner or indulge in a late-night play. You start watching as and when it suits you with no rushing or queuing required. You can even pause proceedings while you change clothes after dinner or top up your glass.
Enjoy a relaxed night in playing board games around the island in our Harptree painted in-frame kitchen.
Love board games, but never get time to play any? Gather everyone around your kitchen island and set aside one evening of your staycation for a tournament. If you’re competitive, include prizes for extra incentive! And, if you’re after something more relaxing, simply set up a movie night. Pop some pizzas in the oven, slip into your loungewear and fire upNetflix. Dinner, drinks and a movie from the comfort of your own open-plan kitchen: who could ask for anything more?
