Summer is rapidly approaching! This is often the time of year for impromptu gatherings at home with friends and family, and for enjoying the warm outdoors. How do you make your home feel inviting yet pulled together for those last minute guests? Here are some ideas:
Brighten up your dining room
Summertime dining can get very hot when done in the confining walls of your home. Instead of a stuffy space with a ceiling fan going or the AC blasting, consider redoing your dining room to include French windows, a bright skylight, or additional window space.
Another idea is to open up your kitchen for those informal meals. Removing a half wall from your kitchen and adding a table insert and some stools can give you a breakfast bar for a buffet, pot luck, or a family bake off.
Expand your Kitchen
Speaking of kitchens, older homes often have cramped, small kitchens. These space can cut the cook off of all the fun happening within the rest of the house or even outdoors. Ensuring your kitchen has a bright, open feeling is important for the cook to feel included in the family or group activities.
Expanding your kitchen space by including a larger window, replacing a wall with an island, or even making an adjacent area into a common room can help those in the kitchen feel included – and include others in their otherwise lonely tasks.
Think of Yourself
Many people think only of common spaces when it comes to a remodel. But what about your own private space? You spend at least a third of your life in your bedroom – why not splurge on this room and make it relaxing? What about your bathroom? Why not add his and her sinks, a jacuzzi tub, or any other amenity you have dreamed about? Be sure to keep your private spaces in mind when considering a remodel.
Focus on your Entry
There are those that say your first impression is the most important. What is the first impression your home makes when a person walks in the front door? Is there a landing space for keys and coats, or is it cluttered? Does it feel enclosed and cramped, or is it open and bright? Finally, and most importantly, how does the person proceed from this space? Are they barging through the kitchen – or does it take them to a common room? Your front entry can help set your, your family’s, and your guest’s moods when they first enter your home.
For more information on remodeling, ideas on remodeling and information about our past projects, go to www.craftsman.com. Our design/build team can help you with all of these considerations and more.