Your home is one of the most valuable assets you’ll ever have. It’s a safe space away from the pressures of the world, supports your needs, and might even be a reflection of your personality. Home improvements are also investments in your quality of life.
This doesn’t mean you have only to do the necessary but quite dull upgrades of insulation or windows. You can also make out-of-the-box design choices that make your home interesting. Let’s look at a few ways of approaching this.
Embracing the Outdoors
One of the ways to reimagine your home is to consider the effect of the outside world. There are various creative and accessible ways to merge your outdoor and indoor lives. The following are just a couple of approaches to this.
A living wall
Leafy living walls are popular at the moment. In essence, you’re decorating an internal wall with plants to provide the striking aesthetics of the outdoors inside. There are benefits to having plants indoors, from boosting your mood to contributing to better air quality. Think of it as cranking the effect of houseplants up a notch.
There are a few things to bear in mind when creating a living wall. From a purely practical perspective, it’s essential to choose a wall in your home that won’t be damaged by the paneling. You should also install plastic sheeting to prevent dampness from affecting the surface. In terms of aesthetics and day-to-day living, think about plants that give you a sense of positivity and calm while also thriving in the environment. You must install low-light plants if you don’t get much natural sunlight.
An outdoor kitchen
If you have a patio or yard, installing an outdoor kitchen is another out-of-the-box option for embracing the open air. It can make a great focal point for entertaining in the summertime.
Planning your area carefully is essential when creating this type of outdoor living space. Prioritize the essentials, such as a sink, preparation area, and grill. If you have extra room, you can get a little more creative. For instance, an outdoor pizza oven can be a great way to get delicious food and imbue your yard with the smell of wood-fired dough.
Maximizing Indoor Space
If you’re limited on indoor space, you can still make your home feel bigger or get more use out of it. With a few out-of-the-box improvement ideas, you can maximize your area and your living experience.
So, what types of creative improvements are we talking about here? Some options include the following.
Multipurpose loft space
A loft space doesn’t have to be just a hole to store unneeded items. With a little planning, you can make it into a solid multipurpose space. Declutter clutter and install cabinets or boxes to store excess items neatly. From here, you can lay floorboards and perhaps insert equipment for a gym space and a desk for a small home office or creative studio.
Hidden room
Hidden rooms add a little fun and mystery to your home while maximizing your available space. For instance, you can expand an underused closet space or even convert your cellar. Concealing the doorway to these places with a hinged bookcase adds fun and offers storage. From here, find creative uses for this hidden space. If the hidden room is in a cool, dark space, it could present the ideal conditions for storing wine. Closets and cellars are particularly good as they minimize exposure to UV light that may lead to over-oxidation. If it’s still too warm, installing a cooling system is a good solution. The result can be an intriguing space to host tastings.
Sustainable and Technological Improvements
We are living in an exciting age. On one hand, we’re all cognizant of the threat of climate change and our role in mitigating it. There’s also a great deal of exciting technology emerging all the time.
Installing a solar energy system is an increasingly accessible way for homeowners to get clean electricity to support their lives and power their tech advances. You don’t have to commit to total renewable energy generation immediately. Before committing to full off-grid electricity with a solar array, you can start with systems to power smaller devices, graduating to a larger secondary power system. The result is a reduced carbon footprint and lower utility bills.
You can also use tech to create a custom home theater for your family. A basement with little natural light can present good projection conditions. If you want to get techie with it, forgo the traditional screen and get virtual reality (VR) headsets instead. Doing so can allow your family or guests to share a digital space for communal entertainment experiences. However, it’s vital to be sustainable and invest in energy-efficient equipment and lighting.
These sustainable and technological advances can represent a significant investment. If you have limited savings, considering a line of credit can offer a more flexible and manageable funding solution than a personal loan. There are pros and cons to this approach, but it tends to provide access to a pool of funding while only requiring you to pay interest on what you actually use. As a result, you can make improvements over time and start new projects as you pay down your line of credit.
Conclusion
Reimagining your home with some non-traditional improvements can make your space more individual and interesting. Consider what changes can impact your quality of life and even how they affect your relationship with the property. Remember that you don’t have to do everything at once. Take your time and plan carefully. This is not just financially responsible but also gives you time to confirm whether your ideas are truly right for you.
Photo Credit
Image is from Pexels
Guest Author Bio
Charlie Fletcher
Charlie Fletcher is a freelance writer from the lovely “city of trees”- Boise, Idaho. Her love of writing pairs with her passion for social activism and search for the truth. When not writing she spends her time doodling and embroidering. And yes, she does love all kinds of potatoes!
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