Welcome to the house of fun

Ah yes – the swimming pool. Who doesn’t dream of having their own splash spot in their backyard? We all know the feeling of experiencing hot and humid afternoons, and that indescribable feeling of jumping into cool waters. 

Well, that indescribable feeling could be experienced by you as many times as you wish, and you could share it with your family and friends as well! How cool (pun intended) would it be if you could be the host of the best pool party around? 

You don’t even need to fork out hard-earned cash to host a pool party every weekend – simply have the friends drop over for a casual swim on those sweltering days, and let each one bring his own meat to slap on the grill.

Plus, having your own pool gives you ample time to work on that just-right tanned look!

From a cool splash to a slightly hotter dip (if you want to), we move on to a hot tub. Significantly easier (and quicker) to acquire, the hot tub is your answer for when you still want to be partially submerged in water, yet don’t have the urge to practice your diving or laps. Oh yes, and the hot tub also gives you the option of setting the water from cool to lukewarm to nice and hot.

And who could forget about those bubbles? There’s just something about them that drives kids wild – and to some extent, adults too. What could be better than watching the kids frolicking around in a hot tub, chasing bubbles and enjoying themselves? Or fixing some cocktails and sharing your bubble space with a few friends while enjoying some raucous laughter?

How do we usually celebrate special occasions? We cheers to them! Whether we pop a cork of champagne over somebody’s engagement announcement, or just raise our wine glass to that promotion at work, enjoying a drink with family and friends is both fun and special.

If you want to be ripe and ready for that next batch of good news, why not invest in a mini bar? You don’t need to save and stock up for a multi-thousand rand wine cellar (although wouldn't that be dreamy too?). There are many many options to choose from when it comes to a home mini bar. 

Think about it: you’ll be set for those winter evenings when nothing but a glass of port will do. You’re halfway there to hosting a fun wine and cheese evening with the friends. And you can enjoy that relaxing sundowner with your loved one without having to drive to the nearest cocktail house. 

Plus, a mini bar can be a great furniture piece, complementing the rest of your house and décor excellently.

Just like charity, fun starts at home. That means your attitude and approach to situations are the key ingredients to make your house feel like a home to family and friends. But some additional elements can also help to enhance that fun vibe, which brings us to an important factor to add to your space: colour. 

Colour therapy teaches us that the colours we surround ourselves with affect our moods and subconscious without us even knowing about it. Orange, for example, conveys friendliness and happiness, which is why it was used so exquisitely in our example by Loloca Design, above.

Of course we don’t expect you to use everybody’s favourite colours to make them feel happy in your house, but some touches of bright tones can make a difference to how people perceive your space – why else do we use vivid colours in our gardens or to decorate children’s rooms?

Your home is your personal space, so use it to reflect your personality and to tell stories. If you’re a self-proclaimed movie buff, for example, you’ll want to reflect that in your décor. So why not add some framed vintage movie posters to your TV room wall? 

Think about adding some unique elements to your house – fun artwork, a collection of snow globes, uniquely-shaped bookcases, etc. These not only add some eye-catching effects to your home, but can also be great conversation starters for when you invite new friends over to your place for the first time. 

Be careful not to go overboard and have each room look like a mini museum. Less is more! 

Speaking of bookcases, check out our: Novel Bookshelf Ideas You’ll Love.

Last, but not least, your kitchen. It is, after all, the heart of any home, so be sure not to overlook it when dishing out fun and interesting touches. 

Colourful Mediterranean tiles can be a great eye-catcher, especially if only applied to a portion on one wall (for example, the part behind the stove). Or add some unique patterns to your window dressing / chairs to make them stand out superbly. 

Another hot trend at the moment is using wall words or sayings – inspirational words or quotes to help us think and feel positive. These can be anything from “Have a great day” to “Live. Laugh. Love”. Since so many actions take place in the kitchen (cooking, laughing, sharing, eating), there’s a world of possibilities to consider.

Think of what you want yourself – and friends – to feel in your home. Amusement? Encouragement? How about love and relaxation? Then put it in writing!