There is No place Like Home – now more than ever
Whether we like it or not most of us have spent more time in our homes than we ever thoughts we would. While there are some heroic folk out there working on the frontline that would probably love some time at home the vast majority of us have been locked down or choosing to stay in for a long time now. We have become very familiar with our homes and many of the good and bad bits we may not have noticed. So with another few weeks of lockdown and the possibility of more to come what can we do with our homes to make them better ?!
Work Space
One of the really big things about Covid-19 is working from home. Whether we like it or hate it, it is a reality. So, making the most of your work space can really help you become more productive but also just be more comfortable. Stress levels can be worse when we are not sitting properly, we can get aches and pains and even do ourselves long term harm. It is time to try and invest in a proper desk and a proper chair. You don’t need to buy some huge partners desk, you can get small single seat desks that will do just fine if space is an issue. Choose a chair that offers the right level of support as well as one that looks good, after all you want your work space or office to be somewhere you enjoy.
The Heart of The Home
No matter how much time we spend on doing up other rooms the kitchen is highly likely to still be the heart of your home. When guests come over they always seem oddly drawn to standing in the kitchen, if you have enough space for a dining area of breakfast bar then it will generally be the go to place to eat, especially for kids. It is really worth focussing on this space as the first port of call for renovation. A place to prepare meals, to do washing, to do homework, to chat about the day and when we can, to socialise in. It is well worth investing in something special for this space. It might be some gorgeous made to order bar stools like these! https://cheekychairs.com/pages/designer-luxury-bar-stools or perhaps its time to go all out and get that range cooker you have always wanted! Or, perhaps it’s actually time for a full refurb and a brand new custom kitchen! What ever it is, this room deserves the investment. Where we once spent money on spare rooms we now need to be a bit more selfish and make sure the places we spend the most time get all the love!
Spare Room?
Lockdown has really pushed us to use every inch of our homes and for things we never thought we would! What used to be a spare room that only saw human contact once a month or perhaps less is now a gym, come playroom come place to get 5 minutes of personal space. So, it is important we look at these spaces and try to make the most of them. It might be time to ditch the spare double bed and go for a high quality sofa bed. This turning the spare bedroom into a second lounge. Get a TV set up and it can be as good for a Joe Wicks workout as it can be for somewhere to put the kids so you can actually use your lounge again. The extra space may leave space to create a little bit of a music room to support the new lock down hobby. Don’t let a spare room sit there as a space for sleeping and nothing else, you can always put a bed back in there in 12 months time when this might be all over.
Colour is Important
Colour plays a massive role in our mood, our ability to handle stress and our mental health. So, why not think about making some radical colour changes around the home. Painting a room is actually a really good lockdown project and can bring purpose to some rather bring and unfulfilling weekends, kids can join in too! It is the perfect time to get hunting for ideas and start bringing some rooms to life. Getting rid of the plain colours and moving towards stronger hues can be amazing. It is not all about aggressive and over the top colours, there is still space for pastels, calming greens and mood enhancing blues, but it is time to move away from magnolia and off white.
By reviewing your work space, sprucing up your kitchen, making the spare room work harder, if you have one, and bringing fresh colour to proceedings you may find your home works harder for you and brings you a little more pleasure. Of course, don’t be limited to the rooms mentioned here, maybe a kids room make over will make them feel better about lockdown, perhaps converting the garage could help the while family have more space. The bottom line is, look at your surroundings and think what to change because change is good!
