It is difficult to imagine how the younger generations “accustomed to staying outside” are facing the age of Covid-19.
In the last twenty years, the new generations have lost interest towards home furnishing – except for the PC – and domestic space.
But during a pandemic like what we have today, the new normal is actually a much-needed reset. We now realize how much we need our homes, and how important it is for them to work for us in the way that suits us best.
Now is a great time to rethink the formal living or dining room that you rarely use and turn it into your home office, yoga studio, game room, or whatever really works for you.
With everyone forced to work at home, if there ever was a time to think about what home means, it is now.
Family room at the center
Today, the true heart of the home is the family room.
Before we begin with the family room Ideas and decorating tips, ask yourself these critical questions:
Does my family room function for my family’s lifestyle?
Do my home decor and furnishings make us feel good? Or are there things we are constantly having to move around to utilize the room for our lifestyle?
Can everyone in the family comfortably have a seat?
Are you able to relax? Play games? Watch the television from all the seats?
Declutter, go for rugs to chill on
Decluttering is the first step to success. Purge what you can.
To make the entire house a peaceful place to live, rugs and textiles are a good idea. Rugs or carpets provide a gathering center point. Rugs feel good on our feet, plus they absorb sounds and prevent echoes.
Have you ever been to a house where a kid dropped a toy in the family room and the sound echoed all over the house and almost woke the neighbors? It’s most likely because a rug, or fabric window treatments, were not present to absorb the sound. Then echoes ring in the air forever.
Make room for coffee on the coffee table
You’d be surprised how many people load up their coffee tables with useless decorative accessories. A coffee table should leave plenty of space for you to set down your morning coffee or a glass of wine. For coffee table decorations, stacks of cocktail or reading books are good if you read or enjoy flipping through art.
Add decorative toss pillows, throw blankets
People’s toss pillows and throws often don’t coordinate with their decor. When selecting things you need for a room, search for items that blend in and work nicely in the space without looking displaced even if they are.
These are pillows your kids drag in from the bedrooms and blankets from their rooms. Consider a storage cabinet to house some throws, blankets, and pillows that look like they belong in the family room even when they are out of place. Storage baskets are also a great solution to hide extra blankets and pillows.
Closed cabinets, built-in bookshelves
Most families need some form of storage in the family room. Take note of the items in your family room that may be sitting out in plain site. Could those items be stored behind doors? Drawers, or would they look best on shelves? If so, this will help you determine what types of end tables, or entertainment center your family room needs.
Be creative with your fitness
You may not be able to go to the gym, but it’s okay to walk, run or bike outside, so long as you keep a safe distance —ideally about three feet—from other people.
If you’re working out at home, get creative with things you already own. Use wine bottles for weights, dish towels for sliders (for exercises like lunges and mountain climbers) or a sturdy chair for step-ups.
There are also plenty of no-equipment-required exercises—like squats, burpees, sit-ups, planks, push-ups and mountain climbers—you can do in even a small space.
Take comfort in the fact that physical activity doesn’t have to mean a gym-style workout. Everyday activities like walking, gardening and cleaning slash your risk of premature death and improve your overall health—so any amount of movement you can squeeze in counts.
Find your stress-free place
Set aside a specific area in your home that’s free of technology, except maybe a speaker for music. Stock this area with things that calm you, like your favorite blankets and pillows, a scented candle and house plants. Plants can help purify indoor air—if nothing else, they can help boost your mood.
Remember, over-exposure to news, to chaos, creates a lot of anxiety. If you can create a quiet space to reflect, to journal, it helps to calm you. Designate specific areas for work and fitness, to mentally separate the parts of your day.
