As gas prices continue to rise, families are making the decision to forego summer travel. But we still need down time! Perhaps you would be more likely to take the opportunity to unwind if you found ways to carve out spaces throughout your home that are so soothing and inviting you would simply have to slow down and settle in. Since leisure time means different things to different people and embraces every kind of activity, both solitary and shared, make your “relaxing” space as enticing as you would your living room or bedroom.
Begin by making your den or family room a space where everyone from toddlers to high school students and Mom and Dad want to relax. A large screen TV works well on a modular stand. Or to keep your components orderly, use an appropriately sized cabinet to store similar items together. (Black or dark brown cabinetry is a good choice surrounding a video screen. It makes the TV less noticeable when it’s off and minimizes the visibility of speakers in the unit.) In front of the TV, place enough comfortable seating and occasional tables for your family. An ottoman on casters serves as a leg rest, coffee table or additional seating. Away from the TV viewing area, adults can work at the family computer while keeping an eye on play activities. A computer armoire can conceal the work area when it’s not in use.
Making space in your den or family room for children to pursue creative activities is one way to encourage their talents and interests. A play table for children needs to be low enough for them, but large enough for their projects. The surface should be one that can be wiped clean. A small easel with a continuous roll paper is irresistible fun for children, and a great way for you to obtain artwork that can be framed and hung on your family room walls. Nearby storage shelves will be the perfect place to store supplies. For smaller children, open cubbies keep toys accessible and easy to put away.
Space to work on your own projects is equally important. Just a portion of a room or even a large closet will allow you to enjoy your creative time without having to organize everything each time you want to work, whether on quilting or calligraphy, scrapbooking or beading. If you have an underused room for sewing and/or crafts, put a worktable in the center of the space, so that you can walk around the work on all sides. A large work surface can be inexpensively made from a sheet of plywood covered in replaceable self-sealing plastic, which is an ideal surface for cutting. Use file cabinets, stacked drawer units and other storage systems as supports for a desk or worktable to make the most of available space. A shelving unit can provide vertical storage without taking much floor space. Fill it with baskets that hold various materials.
Not the craft type? Maybe you would rather convert an underused guest room into a media center (let the in-laws stay at a nearby hotel). A bedroom is a great location for a media center because it’s possible to darken the space with blackout shades or draperies. Sectional seating suits movie viewers of all ages. Plenty of storage is critical to contain all the paraphernalia associated with TV, movies and music. If you’re using a spare bedroom, closets are ready-made storage areas for overflow CDs, the DVD player, the receiver and the satellite box. Before racing out to buy an extra-large video screen consider the amount of space you have available. Viewing quality is influenced as much by distance from the screen as it is by screen size. To calculate the correct distance for seating, multiply the diagonal size of the screen by at least two for HDTV. For example, if your HDTV screen is 30” across, the best viewing range is 60-75” from the screen. A 57” screen is best viewed from a distance of 10-12’.
Instead of traveling this summer, let the friendly and knowledgeable sales associates at Lacks help you bring style and comfort to all the places in your home where you and your family relax.
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