After a year of spending much more time at home, many people are looking to make 2021 the year to spoil themselves and make a few deluxe additions to their properties. Here at Lifton Home Lifts, we look at the top five additions to improve your home and create a change from the day-to-day.
- Garden office
In 2020 the world of work has changed with employers discovering the benefits of a workforce who can work from home easily and efficiently, and it is predicted that home-working will become much more common even for just part of each week. It has also become apparent to many employees that working at the kitchen table, or in a home where noisy children are playing, just is not practical. An office in the garden could be the answer.
The suppliers of garden offices have seen a huge surge in demand over 2020, and could be the perfect addition to the home. Often flat-rooved, wooden-clad, insulated and glazed cabins, these mini-buildings contain all the mod-cons you need for a comfortable working space, without any of the distractions of being in the home. What is more, by giving your home more square footage, homeowners will add value to their property.
- Home lift
An innovative and stylish way to transform the home is by installing a home lift. Not only is this a fun and luxurious addition the home, but it is also incredibly practical and will earn its keep in many ways.
Modern domestic lifts are sleek, attractive and quiet to run. Many people create a show-stopper in their home by installing the lift in their entrance hall. With large clear panels, striking downlights, and a slim-line shape, the new generation of home lift complements any style of home, from contemporary chic to traditional classic.
Installing a home lift not only means that travelling upstairs is made quicker and easier, but it means there is less traffic on the stairs in busy households. Home lifts can be used for day-to-day life, for carrying washing and bulky items between floors, and for helping to transport heavy luggage. Having a domestic lift in the home means that homeowners have peace of mind should they fall ill or experience
mobility difficulties, and they also ensure the home is ready should elderly or disabled friends come to stay.
- Private swimming pool
In 2020, there has been a focus on health and fitness, but equally, with public pools and gyms shut for periods of time it has often been difficult to get the exercise fix that so many have been craving. With holidays or a new car now off the wanted list, some homeowners who have been unaffected financially this year are looking to add a swimming pool to their properties.
There is a range of cost options around home swimming pools whether it be a simple outdoor pool which is perfect for hot summer days, a pool in a separate out building with doors that can be opened on to the garden, or the more luxurious pool in a sun room attached to the house. If space or budget is tight there are smaller lane pools to swim against a current, or for city dwellers with a cellar, a basement pool is a popular addition to a town house home.
As swimming is one of the best all round forms of exercise, adding a pool to the home is sure to help keep one fit as well as provide lots of fun for family and visitors.
- Wine cellar
For those who enjoy an excellent glass or two of fine wine, what might start as acquiring a few bottles of vintage wine, can soon accumulate into having quite the valuable collection. The question then is how best to store the bottles so they are kept in the correct light and temperature-controlled conditions, whilst being easily accessible when visitors call and you want to select a drink.
There are a few creative options for home wine cellars available. Wine rooms are becoming increasingly popular as ways to display wine collections, or if space is at a minimum, the smaller ‘wine cabinet’ which is a temperature-controlled display unit which stands against a length of wall.
For homeowners with a basement or cellar already, these are ideal for keeping light to a minimum and avoiding swings in temperature that can spoil an expensive vintage wine. They may need fitting out with linings to avoid damp, plus suitable racking and lighting to display the bottles to their best.
However, if the property does not have a basement, there are other ways to use the space under the home, with an innovative ‘spiral cellar’ where a cylinder-shaped space is dug out, lined, fitted with a spiral staircase and shelving around the sides. The space is covered with a circular glass trapdoor lying flush with the floor. This type of spiral cellar can be positioned anywhere in the ground floor of home, be it in the kitchen, hall or dining room, and creates a talking point for any visitors to the home.
- Orangery
If one likes the idea of a conservatory as a light place to sit and enjoy views of the garden, but are concerned about how hot and cold they can become, consider adding an orangery to the home. Like a conservatory an orangery is predominantly glass, but is more substantial, with a brick frame and so is more ambient like an actual room.
Think carefully about where the sun falls on your house to make the most of the orangery. Do you want to be able to read the papers in the morning sun whilst having coffee, or do you want to catch the sunset whilst enjoying a cocktail?
Also consider where to build it. By adding an orangery with access from the kitchen you can create a breakfast room space, or by having access from the living room you can make a reading room or music room area. By adding an extra room to the house, you can change the way you use your rooms and add a whole new lease of life to your property.
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