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Take time to create space for yourself
If you are like me, you crave a little bit of time
alone to relax and rejuvenate. Have you created a special
place in your home for this purpose? Some of you may
have the luxury of having a designated room to yourself.
Perhaps it is a home office where you can close the
door and catch up on paperwork. Or perhaps it is a
sewing room where you create beautiful quilts. Others
of you may have a special spot in the house such as
a reading chair in your bedroom. Whatever the space,
make it a comfortable, inviting space to be.
One of my clients has a beautiful sunroom off her
kitchen. She enjoys the warm sunshine while curling
up with a cup of coffee and a good book in the cozy
sitting area. Photos of her precious grandkids adorn
the end table, and she always has fresh flowers on
the coffee table.
Another client has devoted an entire armoire to her
scrapbooking hobby. The armoire has a pullout worktable
and plenty of storage for all of her things. This beautiful
piece of furniture looks terrific in her family room,
and at the end of a session she can close the doors
and hide any clutter.
For my husband, our newly remodeled garage provides
a quite space for him to work on his laptop or to exercise.
It may sound funny to enjoy being in a garage, but
since we had it sheet-rocked and painted, and new cabinetry
installed, our garage is an organized, clean, well-lit
place to be. He hung a few favorite photographs and
brought in a CD player to personalize the space.
I am enjoying my new home office. I have all of my
paperwork, catalogs and files in easy reach, and my
new sofa gives me a comfortable spot to watch my favorite
HGTV shows. I treated myself to new furniture, rather
than rely on a mismatched assortment of hand-me-downs.
The windows by my desk let in lots of natural light
and give me a view of the backyard.
The master bathroom provides a place for rejuvenation
and relaxation for lots of folks. If you are lucky
enough to have a spa tub, use it! Light some candles,
add some bubbles, and turn on some music. You will
emerge refreshed and relaxed. For those of you
embarking on master bath renovations, I would encourage
you to splurge a bit to create a special haven just
for you. Natural stone, a soft, neutral color scheme
and luxurious features such as "his and hers" shower
heads all help to create that spa feeling. To
add luxury inexpensively and easily to any bathroom,
treat yourself to new fluffy towels, fragrant soaps
and lotions. Install a dimmer switch to allow you to
soften any harsh lighting.
Regardless of the size of your home or budget, you
can create a special spot for yourself. Make it personal
with things you love, and you'll have a place to enjoy
for years to come.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on Sept. 17, 2005.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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