It's a summer spent close to home for most of us.

Don't get me wrong – it's not all bad, and at least we are getting to discover what is great about the sights we have at our own doorstep. But I mean; I don't know about you, but I have started to dream of escaping my own home for the lovely surroundings of a Paris boutique hotel or relaxing Italian resort. However, no such luck right now, I guess. Not right now, anyway. But fear not, because there are, in fact, ways around this. Can't go away to relax and rejuvenate? Well, then just turn your own home into a stylish, stress-free retreat. So get ready to lower those shoulders and indulge in some serious relaxation – just follow these five easy peasy steps and you are all set for your very own home staycation: 1. Invest in some greenery There is something incredibly soothing about green plants, and not only they increase your feeling of health and wellness by releasing more oxygen and moisture into the air (which, of course, is also great for your skin!), they are also scientifically proven to lower your stress levels. As well as this, for the sake of making your home look more chic hotel and less messy home, green plants are pretty much the trendiest thing you can decorate with these days and will make your rooms look far more stylish and on-trend in an instant. (Picture credit: Claire Esparros for Homepolish) 2. Upgrade your bed linens One of the absolute best things about checking into a hotel is the insanely comfy hotel bed you get to sleep in. The easiest way of recreating this at home is to give your bed linens an upgrade – preferably opting for ones in Egyptian cotton with a thread count of more than 800. Sticking to neutral colours like white, grey or beige on the actual linens means that you can easily change up the look of your bed by adding throws or cushions with colour or patterns, and also, sleeping in white bed linens does instantly feel more luxurious and restful. We are obsessed with H&M Home's linen duvet covers – which are gorgeously soft and also a total steal compared to what you would pay at other retailers. (Image via H&M Home) 3. Create an electronics hub and leave your phone there I have started doing this at home always now – and let me tell you, it does make a huge difference not only to my stress levels but also to my productivity in the afternoon. Basically, the idea is simple. Invest (or DIY) a tray that you then leave somewhere like the kitchen island or on a sideboard (mine sits on top of a large chest in our hallway). When you walk through the door at home in the afternoons, make a habit out of leaving your phone there – volume on, so that if it rings you can answer, you just won't be glued to it for the rest of the evening. To be even more organised, leave things like chargers and power banks on the tray too, meaning you now have all these things gathered in one place rather than scattered throughout your house. (Image via Pinterest) 4. Turn our bathroom into the perfect place to unwind Take a few moments (and spend a few euros) giving your bathroom an upgrade – and I guarantee you will soon feel like it is a more enjoyable place to spend time. Take a look at your towels – are they frayed, mismatched and ready for the bin? Toss them – and treat yourself to a set of new, fluffy matching ones. I know white are lovely, but often, these will start to look grey-ish and tired a lot quicker than towels in a slightly darker colour, like beige or charcoal grey. Try to keep as little clutter on surfaces in the bathroom as possible, only display products that are pretty or that you use very frequently, everything else can be tucked away in drawers and presses. Dim the lights and light a scented candle (we are obsessed with the Irish Clean Slate ones at the moment, perfect for adding a little luxury to your bathroom.) And then, to really maximise the feeling that you are in a hotel, soak in warm bath with two cups of sea salt, which is a rich source of trace elements, to relax and de-stress the muscles. (Image via Pinterest) 5. Do a mini-declutter Needless to say, a messy house does not in ay way feel relaxing, we all know that. Do spend a few moments every night tackling things that are out of place or need to be put away – you will probably even sleep better knowing you are doing so in serene surroundings. Get smart about putting thins back in their right place, and invest in some clever storage solutions. Baskets are great for hiding away anything from toys to magazines and are also great for using as plant pots or to move items between rooms or areas of your home. Symmetry is very relaxing to the eye, so it is no wonder decorators use this trick frequently, and natural materials such as wood, wicker, stone and wool all add a feeling of luxury and calmness to space, so are also great for upping the hotel feel of your home. Now; who's ready to check in?!