Home is Everything

These days, a home has many functions – school room, science lab, spa, hair salon,  gymnasium, office, communications center, cooking, eating, creating, sleeping, playing, learning, teaching.  It all goes on at all hours of the day or night.  Whether your home is large, medium or small, every room and every piece of furniture serves  multiple functions and users of all ages (and sometimes, species).

What are some of the key elements of successful  multi-purpose rooms? 

Flexibility    A dining table can also be a desk,  game board,  sewing station,  mainicure  table,   An ironing board can become a variable height desk, chairs can prop up a play fort, beds become trampolines or massage tables.  The sofa  and coffee table often becomes the dining area ecause the table is covered with homework, computer and office projects.

Practicality   With kids and pets running loose, it’s a good idea to have washable/cleanable fabrics on your sofas and chairs such as solution dyed acrylics.   Created for heavy duty outdoor use, performance fabrics are tough and cleanable but  as soft as traditional indoor fabrics.  Sunbrella fabrics help you create worry-free indoor spaces that do more than simply look beautiful—they redefine the way we live indoors. From sofas and chairs to high-traffic benches and tufted headboards, Sunbrella  offers  durability, comfort and stain resistance. With Sunbrella performance upholstery you can enjoy all the things that make a house a home—family meals, pets, kids, without sacrificing style and comfort.

Durability  Surfaces like floors, walls and countertops get a lot of use.  Choose granite or quartzite for countertops which won’t etch, burn or scratch when the science project goes awry.  Hard surface flooring is easier to clean than carpet and lasts much longer.  On walls, choose a good quality paint, in eggshell or lo-lustre sheen,  that can be washed many times.  On trims and it bathrooms, consider using a semi glass paint because a higher sheen level is easier to clean.  

Personalize  After years of being in and out, constantly on the go, the Stay Safe, Stay Home movement has allowed (forced) us to look at our homes, surroundings and belongings from new perspectives.  Some items that were important have lost their relevance, while the previously inconsequential has achieved monumental staus.  Paper goods are hoarded while gasoline is less expensive than bottled water.  At home, what is important is to make it your home.      Get out the good china, use the tea set, cherish Granny’s crocheted doilies.  It is all part of our history and will be remembered by our children.  While inspiration abounds in Instagram posts and glossy magazines, nothing can compare to making your home a reflection or you and your family.