Most people drive or fly long distances to vacation at a luxury resort. When they get back home, the dream is over. However, it doesn’t have to be. With a few basic changes, you can create a luxurious environment at home.
- Use smart light bulbs
The idea of spending time in a resort is to be free from the efforts of everyday life. Manually turning on a light doesn’t seem like much effort until you’ve used smart bulbs.
Smart light bulbs are Wi-Fi enabled and can be controlled by an app on your phone. You can use the app to dim the lights, set them on a schedule to go on or off at certain times, and some can be connected to Alexa. Fancier smart bulbs can change color.
Turn on your hall light before you get out of bed so you won’t trip over your sleeping cat. Turn on the kitchen light before you get in the shower so you don’t have to walk across the room to do it. You don’t need a reason to be lazy; do it because you can.
- Find a resort-inspired luxury apartment
The term luxury apartment sounds like an oxymoron, and twenty years ago it would have been. That’s not the case today. From the outside, you can’t see what makes luxury apartments live up to their name. Once you pass through the gate, you’ll see.
There’s a reason luxury apartments (even studios) are in high demand. They’ve got community areas, courtyards, poolside barbecues, clubhouses, private bars, and the space to host your own outdoor or indoor gatherings. Most come with smart appliances and other luxurious amenities you won’t find even in newly built homes.
Although these apartments are in demand, some cities are cheaper than others. For instance, Tampa is much more affordable than areas like Manhattan and San Francisco.
- Buy a real espresso machine
Those tiny plastic espresso machines sold at Walmart aren’t real espresso machines. If you don’t have to tamp the grounds with 35 pounds of pressure to brew a double shot, it’s not really espresso.
Ditch the cheap home espresso makers and get yourself a real espresso machine. Get a machine made by a commercial brand name. You don’t need to spend $20,000 on a fully digital Rancilio Xcelsius – you can get a semiautomatic compact La Pavoni for $4-$5k, or a Pasquini Livia for just over $1,100.
The benefit of buying a real espresso machine is better espresso and real foam. Home machines don’t have enough pressure to create real foam. You’ll taste the difference, and you’ll see your neighbors more often once they find out what you’ve got. Didn’t you once dream about being a barista?
- Get a smart speaker or assistant
At a luxury resort, you can call room service and have them deliver a piping hot pizza to your room. With a smart speaker like Alexa, you can also order pizza just by speaking (as long as you like Dominos).
Other smart speakers like Echo and Echo Dot allow you to speak commands to play music while you cook, set timers for laundry or baking, and ask about the weather.
- An essential oil diffuser
Those plug-in chemical-filled scents you’re used to aren’t good for your lungs. Get an essential oil diffuser instead. Essential oils are pure and natural, and unless you’re allergic to a specific oil, or have major sensitivities, your body will benefit from breathing in the vapors.
Essential oils are used for aromatherapy, and the right oil will make your home smell like your favorite massage studio. Most diffusers have settings to control how light or intense you want the scent to be. Unlike a candle with a live flame, you don’t have to worry about leaving the house while a diffuser is on.
- Luxury bed sheets
Whether you like slipping in between silk sheets or something a bit warmer, get yourself a couple sets of luxury bed sheets like you’d find in a 5-star hotel. It’s a small investment worth every penny.
- Luxury bamboo carbon spa towels
The bath towels you’re given in a sauna aren’t cheap $10 towels from Walmart. They’re usually made of bamboo carbon, a material that’s naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and deodorizing. These spa-grade towels are highly absorbent and will dry your skin quickly, unlike cheaper towels.
Luxury doesn’t have to be expensive
You can live luxuriously on a budget. It’s just a matter of choosing which amenities are most important to you. What makes you feel pampered?