For the past year and a half, most of you guys have probably been stuck in your own homes more than ever before because of the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ve been eating at home more and eating out less. Of course, you’ve also been working from home a lot. And you’ve been improvising your exercise program just so you can break a sweat even at home.
But being cooped up in your house can get old pretty quick, right? Well, the good thing is, there are home improvements you can do to make staying at home more appealing to you. Check out some home improvement ideas below.
Transform your backyard
If you’ve got a backyard, then you’ve hit the jackpot. There are many things you can do to this outdoor space. For one, you can just spruce it up a bit so it can become an area where you get to enjoy the outdoors. If there are a lot of bald spots in your yard, consider a professional roll-on lawn installation to get new grass for the area. Then, you can buy some outdoor furniture to make the area functional. A table and chairs set, for example, will allow you to dine or even work alfresco. A hammock will let you spend those lazy late afternoons lounging in your yard.
But if you want your backyard to be a hive of activity, then you might have to make bigger changes. You can, for instance, turn one portion of your backyard into a patio, complete with a barbecue grill and an island with seating. Or maybe you want your backyard to be an area for sports activities. If you’re into swimming, you can have a lap pool installed in your yard. Are you more of a basketball fan? Then, have an area of your backyard paved over and installed with a hoop so you can shoot some baskets whenever you feel like it.
Spruce up your living room
Next to your bedroom, you probably spend most of your time at home in your living room. Make this area more appealing to you with a few changes. It can be something as simple as rearranging furniture pieces to give your living room a new look. Maybe your sofa is placed right in front of the living room window. You can move it perpendicular to the window so it doesn’t block natural light. A low bookshelf doesn’t always need to be pushed against a wall. Place it where it can act as a divider between your living room and another area, say the dining room, in your house.
You can also add a key item or two to your living room to make it more inviting. A 50-inch smart TV, with a home theatre soundbar system, sounds exciting, right? A minibar will definitely bring more foot traffic to the seldom-used corner in your living room. You can also have one of those very popular indoor water fountains installed if you want your living room to be more relaxing. You may have to shell out some money for these key additions, but they’re going to be worth it.
Repurpose an idle room
Be it the study, guest room, storage room, or what have you, any idle room in your house can be repurposed to make staying at home more fun for you. You can, for instance, convert an idle room into a game room. You can set up your desktop and video game console or have a dartboard, pool table, or Ping-Pong table there. And if the room is big, you can even bring in some gym equipment like a barbell and weight bench or a rowing machine so you can get in some exercise in your game room as well.
Obviously, a game/exercise room is not your only option when it comes to repurposing an idle room. If your hobby is more on the artistic side, an idle room will be the perfect spot for your creative pursuit. The painter in you will surely appreciate a home art studio that lets in a lot of natural light. Or you can turn the idle area into a soundproofed music room so you can play your guitar and drums to your heart’s content. And if you’re into old-school (i.e. film) photography, then why not have your very own darkroom at home?
Yes, being stuck at home can get pretty boring. But you know what? It doesn’t have to be. You just need to take on some home improvements to make the time you spend at home a blast.
