There’s no doubt that during these past few months, many of us have been passing our evenings and weekends binge watching Breaking Bad, Schitt’s Creek, Selling Sunset, The Walking Dead or even going back and revisiting The Office. But those of us who have grown tired of couch surfing have taken to finding creative ways to have fun in the safety of our homes. As Housetrends celebrates our 20th anniversary, during this year of 2020, we thought we’d share some of our spaces that we’ve featured over the years that provide a bit of an at-home, family-fun getaway.
Go climb a tree
It’s a bit of a challenge to travel these days, but we all crave getting out of the house for a bit of fresh air. Consider trading the big house for a smaller one out back, tucked away among the trees. Rigging up a pulley system to send snacks and drinks back and forth is a great way to revisit early social distancing practices.
Hone Your Craft
Call it a man cave, she shed, whatever you want to call it, but it’s wonderful to have a space that’s set up and ready to go when it comes to your hobbies and pastimes. Woodworking, card making, gift wrapping, hat making, all go smoother when your tools and supplies are right where they need to be.
Boost your inner book worm
Avoid the nightly news and escape to your library and pick your favorite piece of fiction to take you away from it all. If you are not in the mood to read, but need to participate in a virtual call, these book-filled backdrops are about as classy a look as you can get for a Zoom or Teams backdrop.
Have a ball
While you need a considerable amount of room for a basketball or bowling alley, there are modified versions of both that might work for your space. If not, a good old-fashioned hoop bolted above your garage door, a cornhole set or bocce balls will get your heart rate up just about as well.
Create Your Own Soundtrack
If you happen to have a musician, or wanna-be musician in your family, now is a great time to dedicate a space to hone that skill. Whether it’s an elegant grand piano in a first-floor music room or a sound-insulated studio tucked away in a basement, it’s great to have a set-up ready to go when you or up for practicing or performing.
Get on Board
It’s a great time to dust off the scrabble set, count your deck of cards or take the time to read the instructions for a new board game. If you are a glutton for punishment, there’s actually a game called Pandemic where “skilled members of a disease fighting team, you and the other players work together to keep the world safe from outbreaks and epidemics.” Good luck with that.
Bring the game home
If your favorite sports team has gone virtual, you can get up–close coverage in your team-themed room dedicated for viewing the big games. While you still may be in front of a TV—or several TVs for that matter—you’re still moving a bit when you yell at the screen or get up for a cold beverage.
