Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Remodeling the Nest
Question: "My three children have all gone off to college (thankfully!). But now I have their rooms to contend with. I'd like to change them up and reclaim the space. What are some things I can do make their rooms more a part of my home again?”
This is a great question for this time of year. Millions of students are leaving home for college during the late September month and parents are finding themselves with tons of extra space that they haven't had for twenty something years. Reworking these spaces can be fun if you have a plan and stick to it. Here are some of the best ideas for turning those old kid spaces into new home spaces for you to use and enjoy.
First of all, it's important to remember that the kids will be home from time to time. It can be psychologically disturbing for them to visit home after the fall semester only to find the room that was once their space completely changed. The rule of thumb here is to make subtle changes that both you and they will appreciate. If your students will be returning for visits, you can paint the walls to incorporate the room back into the rest of the home and still give them a space to occupy.
If your children are leaving the nest for good, that's when the fun really starts. There are a variety of exciting remodeling ideas that will allow you to add a whole new dimension to your home. For larger rooms, you can transform the space into a home gym. Add several pieces of workout equipment and maybe even install a shower area for post-workout.
More business minded individuals can turn one of the kid's rooms into a home office. This will give you a definite space to conduct business within the confines of you home. The room should already be wired for Internet service, so all it would need is some office furniture to complete the job.
This is a great question for this time of year. Millions of students are leaving home for college during the late September month and parents are finding themselves with tons of extra space that they haven't had for twenty something years. Reworking these spaces can be fun if you have a plan and stick to it. Here are some of the best ideas for turning those old kid spaces into new home spaces for you to use and enjoy.
First of all, it's important to remember that the kids will be home from time to time. It can be psychologically disturbing for them to visit home after the fall semester only to find the room that was once their space completely changed. The rule of thumb here is to make subtle changes that both you and they will appreciate. If your students will be returning for visits, you can paint the walls to incorporate the room back into the rest of the home and still give them a space to occupy.
If your children are leaving the nest for good, that's when the fun really starts. There are a variety of exciting remodeling ideas that will allow you to add a whole new dimension to your home. For larger rooms, you can transform the space into a home gym. Add several pieces of workout equipment and maybe even install a shower area for post-workout.
More business minded individuals can turn one of the kid's rooms into a home office. This will give you a definite space to conduct business within the confines of you home. The room should already be wired for Internet service, so all it would need is some office furniture to complete the job.
