In 2020, we had to adapt our home environments quickly in order to cope with a new way of working. The pace of the change took many of us by surprise; we had to hurriedly convert spare bedrooms into offices, or hurriedly clear spaces in the corners of kitchens and lounges. This year, it’s worth being a little bit more flexible – so that whatever life throws at us, we’ll have a home that’ll cope with it.
Fortunately, it’s easy to make a space multipurpose. Let’s take a look at a few of the ways we’ve been doing so.
Kitchen-diner
Knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining area can create a single, imposing living space. The kitchen tends to be a social hub for the modern household, rather than being a functional space. You might set up a laptop in the dining area, so that you can work after everyone else has finished eating – just make sure that the ergonomics are appropriate for long hours sat at the table.
Spare Room Office
We’ve already touched upon this one – your spare room can be converted into an office space. Installing a fixed desktop computer, a desk, and a high-quality office chair can all contribute to your productivity. You might install a fold-away bed, or even a sofa-bed, to create additional space. That way, you’ll still be able to have guests over. A fitted home office can make an enormous difference to your working life, both now and long into the future. Moreover, it can bolster the resale value of your house.
Child’s Play Area
If you’ve got an outdoor play area, or even an indoor one, then you can make it that much more interesting with the addition of a tent. Indoor tents are an inexpensive way to create interest – they’re temporary, by their very nature, and can be improvised with the help of a bedsheet. With children spending more time at home this is a great way to create excitement and provide them with their own space.
Space beneath the stairs
For most, the space beneath the stairs is for storing things. But it doesn’t tend to be used all that efficiently, and in some cases it can be adapted for much more. You might create a nook with a computer, or even create a purpose-built area for relaxing, reading and meditation. If you must use it for storage, then make sure you’re taking advantage of every available cubic inch.
Mezzanines
If your ceiling is tall enough, then you might have room to create a mezzanine space overhead. Children’s bedrooms are a great candidate, here – you might have the bed itself six feet over the top of a study and play area.