One of the most important areas to focus on when you want to improve your family home is how it functions from a social perspective and how it allows you to share your space as a family better. There are many ways in which you can improve your home to add more and better social spaces to it. It’s easier said than done and if you don’t know where to start. This list will help you see where you should start.
Design an Open Floor Plan
It makes sense to make the home’s interior in general much more open plan. When you have a space that’s more open plan, you tend to spend time in it together because there’s simply more space. When you have spaces that feel closed off and small, they don’t lead themselves well to spending social time together in the home. So see what you can do to open up your interior spaces while keeping them functional and able to meet your needs.
Build a Game Room
A great idea for a social room is to set up a game room . There is no better way for you to ensure your social events stand out from the crowd. Whilst other people might leave their guests to entertain themselves, you will be able to direct your visitors towards a fully functioning games room. Firstly, you should fill this space with plenty of storage, as you will want to pack away all of your games at the end of the night. Next, you should find lots of comfortable seating, so that all of your guests can relax. Lastly, you will need to find a centerpiece for your room. For instance, you could invest in a Pool table, pool cues, and an old-school scoreboard.
Gather Around Your Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most important social spaces in the entire home. If you can make the most of your kitchen, you’ll have the perfect social space for mornings together as a family and evening meals too. Be sure to put in place the things that make this possible For example, you might want to create an open plan kitchen dining space that’s joined as one. A good table with enough room for everyone will be essential too.
Create an Outdoor Space
If you are going to be the perfect host, you should also endeavor to make good use of your outside space. This is an especially important step to take if you are planning on throwing lots of summer parties for your friends and family. If you are lucky enough to have a generous backyard, you should consider setting up an outside kitchen and dining area. Remember that wood furniture can get damaged outside if it’s left out for long periods. It is also vital that you have lots of shade in your garden, as this will prevent you and your guests from overheating. It could also be a nice idea to introduce outside lighting for the joint purpose of safety and ambiance.
Create Age-appropriate Zones
To ensure your social events appeal to a wide variety of guests, you must establish age-appropriate zones and activities. If you have children of your own, you may already have a playroom or a fun treehouse on site. Alternatively, if you are not used to taking care of little ones, you could set up a temporary zone. Perhaps you have a craft room that you could convert into a wipe-down area. You should also think about your elderly guests and remove any trip hazards. Although you can’t predict all of the parties you are going to have, it is worth your while covering as many bases as possible.
Utilize the Garden
The garden is just as important as the interior parts of the home when it comes to making the property a more social space. It might not be a big concern right now in winter, but when the weather starts to improve, you’ll probably want to start spending more time outside. Having a lawn that’s suitable for games and sports with the kids is always a positive thing. Just make sure that it’s usable for the things your family most wants to use it for.
Add a Deck
Another way in which you can improve the social space you have at your disposal in the garden is to create a new decking area . It’ll be great during the summer and it’ll allow you to spend time eating and drinking as a family in the garden. You can hire a team of professionals to get the work done for you. Then all you’ll need is a good outdoor dining setup.
Improve your Living Room
Living rooms are spaces for relaxing, playing, and socializing. To help your friends break the ice and start chatting, consider bringing your seating closer together, and maybe using an oversized rug to define the chatting space. Place the seating so that people can comfortably converse, without having to wring their neck. A living room will seem cozier and more personal if it’s filled with accessories that seem like they’re being used–so not placed perfectly at the optimal angle in the corner of your couch. Think about the many ways your guests can interact with each other, whether standing, sitting, or lounging around. Add cushions on the floor to make up for lack of chairs, put blankets around so people can keep warm, and make sure that there’s enough stable flat space so people can put their drinks down safely–you wouldn’t want to ruin your carpet with a misplaced glass of red wine!
A home is a place that should always offer that social dimension. If you and your family are going to get the most out of the place in which you live, it makes sense to improve your social spaces and to create more of them in the ways described above.