Spruce Up Your Home for Summer 2019

Summer might be arriving a little late this year in Malta but, I assure you, summer is coming! Now that winter has come and gone, it’s time to usher in a new season. I mean this literally, of course. And also not. Spoiler alert: The Night King is dead, and winter is over. Sadly, it’s true… Game of Thrones has now officially ended! Instead of spending your suddenly-free-Sunday or Monday evenings wondering what on earth to do, why not invest a couple of hours in sprucing up your home? Because of the stark contrast (pun intended) between winter and summer here, many people like to change up the interiors of their homes and apartments in Malta. Say goodbye to the warm rugs and the winter colours and say hello to summer! You don’t have to make any drastic changes, but little things here and there can really make your home feel lighter, cooler, and altogether more ‘summery’.

The Malta Independent has just reported that the daytime temperature is due to rise to the mid-twenties next week. Eek! So, now is the perfect time to make some changes to your home in Malta. Do it now before you get too hot to bother! You could begin by going shopping for some new sheets. It’s definitely time to ditch the duvet! Unless you are a cold-blooded alien, or you sleep with the AC on at 18 degrees Celsius, you will boil under your duvet from next week onwards. Switch to a top sheet. Then, you can always add a light blanket if you feel a little chilly. Floral patterns are popular this summer. Check out stores like Zara Home in Mosta and The Atrium for floral bedsheet inspiration! For something a little cheaper, you could always shop online.

Whilst you’re shopping for new sheets, it could be an idea to invest in some new curtains as well. Light linen curtains would be perfect for windows and balconies that don’t see much direct sun. However, if the sun beams directly through any of your windows, you might want to think about getting some thicker curtains. Thick curtains might seem counterintuitive to use in the summer, but they will block out the sun and keep your home cooler. Blackout blinds are a great option, too. You can leave these closed during the day. This way, your home won’t feel like a hot box when you walk in after a day at the office. What’s more, they’ll help you get a little extra shuteye in the mornings. Summer sunrises begin way before 6am! No, thank you.

Getting fresh sheets and curtains is a good idea for renters who want to ‘summer-ise’ their interior. Normally, if you rent an apartment in Malta, you won’t be allowed to paint or change the wallpaper. Therefore, you have to get a little creative if you want to change up the colour scheme. In the winter, you can use thick rugs and warm blankets to create cosiness. In the summer, you can pop some floral cushions on the couch or add pops of colour in other ways. Popular summer colours this year include coral and mustard yellow. Gold is also on trend. While you might not be able to hang a painting on the wall, you could always fill a standing picture frame to put on a shelf or table. You could go retro and cover your fridge in colourful magnets, or fill vases (or jars or glasses) with fresh flowers.

Speaking of fresh flowers, greenery is in this summer! Not many interior design blogs can agree on whether or not you should or shouldn’t mix prints… but they do all seem to advocate filling your home with plants and flowers. As we’ve mentioned earlier, florals are a big trend in interior design this year. In a rental property in Malta, you can’t put up floral wallpaper, but you can add actual plants! Most pet stores in Malta also sell plants, as well as soil, pots, etc. So, why not visit your local pet and garden shop, and see what they’ve got? There are also a couple of bigger garden centres if you want a particularly large indoor plant, or you just want a greater range of choice. Studies have shown that having plants in your home can boost your health, happiness and productivity. That’s certainly nothing to stick your nose up at! Why not kill two birds with several plants? Boost your health and make your home trendier by introducing some green friends.

Now is a good time to do a little maintenance on your rental property in Malta as well. Keeping your rental apartment clean is good for several reasons. For one, it will make it easier for you when you have to move out. Imagine you haven’t kept on top of the cleaning for a year and you have to hand the apartment back spick and span at the end of your lease? Cleaning that wouldn’t be a fun job. Also, while you’re deep cleaning, you might notice certain things that need fixing. Let your landlord know as soon as you spot something, so that the problems (if any) can be sorted straightaway and don’t become worse.

If your rental apartment doesn’t have fly screens, perhaps you could ask your landlord to fit these. Or, if not, as they are quite expensive, maybe they could supply you with magnetic ones. They aren’t quite as effective, as they won’t be fitted to your windows like traditional fly screens, but you can attach them to the aluminium frames when you have your windows open. There’s nothing worse than getting eaten alive by mosquitos, and they are devils at this time of year! In addition, you might want to request a service for your air conditioner. This should be serviced and cleaned at least once a year. Before the summer really kicks in, it would be great to make sure your AC is working efficiently!