Hanging Out at Home:
A guide to transforming your home spaces to benefit every part of your lifestyle.
Have you ever found yourself wanting everything to go back to normal? I know I have, but I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t even really know what “normal” is, considering how rapidly things tend to change. It was hard to keep up with all the changes even before adding a worldwide pandemic into the mix. When I can’t fall back on my comfortabilitites, and my routines, I make it up as I go (in a way as organized as possible). That’s exactly what people are doing with their home spaces as they transition into a post-covid world. Whether you find yourself in sudden need of a desk space, or an area to hang out, or a place to store your creative projects, there are ways to rework your home spaces to benefit you and your new-found wants and needs.
Your Home Office Doesn’t have to be an Office
There were a ton of people who moved last year, and a ton more who suddenly found themselves working and learning from home. With this creates a need for a home office space. For adults with office jobs, companies are learning that the 3-hour meeting could have been a zoom call which could have been a memo which could have been an email. Kids have had to adapt to their new learning experience, with some being online, some being in person, and almost all being uncertain of what the next year will bring. Some people are finding out that they might have been totally and completely unprepared to be spending so much of their time at home. For homes like this one (The Greysen), it is super easy to turn the front bedroom into an office, but what if you don’t have an extra bedroom? There is a good chance that there are still ways to create a dedicated working / learning space in your home. This looks different for everyone, for some it’s a TV tray, for some it’s a breakfast bar, for some it’s the end of your kitchen island, and for some it’s investing in a desk to be placed in bedrooms. Once you find the best option for you, you can work toward it and any other spaces you might need.
Gathering in the best places with the best people
When jobs, and stores, and restaurants and pretty much everywhere else closed down, many of us were forced to spend some time with ourselves. This can be very lonely, and create a desire for human interaction, which can spark inspiration to create more functional gathering spaces. Outdoor fire pits and seating areas are a great way to experience nature, as well as being conscious of those around you. Many people have also revamped their living rooms to accommodate friends and family once it becomes acceptable for them to be within arms length once again. For some people this means buying a sectional sofa, or upgrading to a projector screen on the wall, or adding to a collection of board games. With your gathering spaces complete, your home can become the hot hang out spot, and hopefully you won’t have to face the “me, myself, and I” conundrum ever again, unless of course, you have a desire for more “me-time” spaces.
Making space for the things you are passionate about
While being isolated from society, many people picked up a new hobby, such as home improvement, gardening, drawing/ painting, reading, cars and so many more, but those take spaces too. This could mean turning a bedroom into a studio, or utilizing garage space for a work table, or investing in a big comfy chair and a bookcase, or even doing internet research for the difference between annuals and biennials and the best soil to get your plants to be the best on the block. Questions? Good! Ask your designer how you can transform your living space to work with your needs and help you to settle into a new normal that just might be better than the old one!
