SELLERS | Around the Kitchen Island 

One of my favourite things about summer showings is that buyers aren't just looking at a house—they're imagining their life there.

They're picturing coffee on the deck, kids playing in the backyard, evening barbecues, and quiet nights under the patio lights. Summer has a way of turning buyers into daydreamers, which also means they're noticing things they probably wouldn't in the middle of winter.

Outdoor Space Matters

In July, your outdoor spaces become an extension of your home.

A tidy lawn, healthy gardens, clean patio furniture, and a welcoming deck all help buyers picture themselves enjoying the space. You don't need a magazine-worthy backyard—you simply want it to feel cared for and inviting.

If you have an evening showing, turning on your outdoor lights can make the space feel even more welcoming.

Comfort Counts

Nothing distracts buyers faster than walking into a hot house.

If you have air conditioning, make sure it's running before the showing. If you don't, close the blinds during the hottest part of the day and use fans to keep the home comfortable.

While they're inside, buyers are also paying attention to natural light, where the sun hits throughout the day, and whether there are shady spots to enjoy outside. These little details help them imagine what everyday life could look like.

Let Summer Tell the Story

Every season highlights something different about a home, and summer is all about lifestyle.

If your flowers are blooming, let them shine. If your herb garden is thriving, leave it looking its best. Set out a few cushions on the patio furniture and let buyers see how the space is meant to be enjoyed.

You're not just selling a house—you're helping buyers picture the memories they'll make there.

Around the Kitchen Island

We spend so much of our summer outdoors. Morning coffee on the deck, dinners with friends, backyard games, gardening, and those evenings that seem to last forever.

When buyers walk through your home this time of year, they're looking for a place where those moments can happen. Helping them picture that lifestyle is one of the simplest—and most effective—things you can do before a summer showing.

If you've spent any time with me lately, you've probably heard me talk about English gardens.

What started as a few plants here and there has quickly turned into a bit of an obsession. Every time I open Pinterest, visit a garden centre, or walk through an established neighbourhood, I'm looking for ideas and imagining what my own garden could become.

What I love most about an English garden is the balance it strikes between structure and softness. At first glance, they can look almost wild, with flowers spilling over pathways and plants weaving together as though they've simply found their own place to grow. But underneath that relaxed appearance is thoughtful design. Every pathway, shrub, and perennial has a purpose, even if it doesn't immediately reveal itself.

To me, that's what makes them so beautiful. They don't feel overly planned or perfectly manicured. Instead, they feel as though they've evolved over time, growing a little fuller and more beautiful with each passing season.

I also love the elements that seem to get better with age. Weathered stone planters, aged garden gates, rusty trellises, and antique bird baths all develop character as the years pass. Unlike so many things that are replaced the moment they show wear, these pieces become part of the garden's story. The fading paint, the patina, and the imperfections are exactly what make them appealing.

It's never just about the plants, either.

Some of my favourite English gardens include the little details that invite you to slow down and stay awhile. String lights draped through trees, bird feeders attracting visitors throughout the day, climbing vines winding their way over an archway, and quiet corners that feel tucked away from the rest of the world all add to the feeling that the garden is meant to be experienced, not simply admired.

Lately, I've been searching for the perfect spot to place a bench in my own garden. Not because I need another place to sit, but because every English garden seems to have that one destination, a place that encourages you to pause for a few minutes with your morning coffee, a good book, or to watch the kids play with the soccer ball in the yard.

Maybe that's what I love most about these gardens. They aren't created overnight, and they're never truly finished. They change with the seasons, grow a little differently every year, and continually evolve into something more interesting than what was originally planned.

Much like a home, the beauty isn't found in perfection. It's found in the layers, the memories, and the life that unfolds there over time.

Erika

HOME | Around the Kitchen Island (4)

After another long Calgary winter, there’s something special about that first evening spent outside.

The BBQ is finally uncovered. The patio furniture comes out of storage. The evenings stretch a little longer. Suddenly, the backyard becomes the place everyone wants to be.

Tomorrow is Canada Day, and in true Calgary fashion, the forecast is looking… hopeful with a side of “maybe keep an eye on the sky.” Mostly cloudy, around 20 degrees, and a possible afternoon thunderstorm.

So basically, summer.

It’s still the perfect excuse to spend a little time getting your outdoor space ready. Not because it has to be perfect, but because it’s about to become your favourite “room” of the house for the next few months.

For me, the best outdoor spaces aren’t the fanciest ones. They’re the ones that make you lose track of time.

The Ultimate Summer Backyard Checklist

☐ Comfortable seating that invites people to stay awhile
Pretty is nice. Comfortable is better. If people can settle in, they will.

☐ Twinkle lights overhead
Nothing makes a backyard feel more magical than twinkle lights once the sun goes down.

☐ An amazing deck with incredible plants
A great deck becomes even better with lush planters, colourful flowers, herbs by the BBQ, and greenery that makes the whole space feel alive.

☐ A BBQ that’s ready to go
Because summer dinners should be easy, casual, and ideally eaten outside.

☐ Backyard games for everyone
Cornhole, ladder golf, bocce, giant Jenga, or whatever gets people laughing and off their phones.

☐ A cozy backup plan for Calgary weather
Blankets, a covered spot, an umbrella, or somewhere to run if the clouds decide to be dramatic.

☐ A backyard movie setup
A projector, a screen, lawn chairs, blankets, popcorn, and friends gathered under the stars. One of the best summer traditions.

☐ Lighting, warmth, and somewhere to linger after dark
Lanterns, candles, a fire table, or extra blankets can stretch the evening a little longer.

☐ Good people and nowhere else to be
The most important part. The furniture, flowers, and lights are just the backdrop.

It’s Not About Perfection

You don’t need brand-new furniture or a magazine-worthy backyard.

A few fresh cushions. Healthy plants. Twinkle lights overhead. A clean BBQ. A good outdoor rug. Maybe a basket of blankets by the door for those cooler Calgary evenings.

The goal isn’t to impress people.

It’s to create a space where your family lingers after dinner, neighbours stop by unexpectedly, kids make memories, and summer somehow feels just a little longer.

Tomorrow, people all over Calgary will be celebrating Canada Day in parks, at festivals, around campfires, and in backyards just like yours. And whether the sun shines all day or the clouds roll in for a classic Calgary surprise, summer is officially here.

We wait all year for these few precious months.

We might as well make every evening outside count.

See you around the kitchen island (… or maybe the backyard fire table…)

Erika