hidden gems in a home
Do you ever go over to someone’s house and find a cool feature that blows…...your…... mind?! Sometimes a little extra thought goes into taking an everyday design and pushes it to the next level. We are firm believers that when ‘things’ have a home, it makes us a little more productive, helps us stay organized and takes a little away from the every day stress. Let’s dive into our list of the hidden gems in a home that we can’t get enough of!
Chutes..... mail, garbage, escapes or laundry cloths chutes, these little guys are making a comeback. Back in the day, laundry chutes were seen everywhere to get cloths from upper levels to the lower. Nowadays you can spot them (or maybe not) as we are seeing them being put into spaces to add some modern-day convenience. They fit in tight little spaces and are a budget friendly way to get laundry from point A to point B. Where the laundry lands is also something to consider when designing. Think laundry basket inside an upper wall cabinet or maybe it lands in a cute basket that can be wheeled to the washer……or it lands on the floor (no judging here). No matter what, we can all agree that laundry chutes save us a little bit of time (and a few less nicked knuckles) that we are all looking to get more of!
*Mom note: putting in laundry chutes comes with knowing that more than just laundry items are eventually going to get tossed down them.
What’s behind door number 1? Pantries, libraries, bathrooms and more! A great way to maximize every inch of the home is to design for a hidden door that leads you to a great space you can’t live without. Maybe the floor plan doesn’t allow for a hallway, maybe there’s a need to keep the kiddos out, wanting some added privacy, or maybe its intentional design is to simply have a secret hideaway space. You can easily hide these access points by adding textures to the sub straight…paneling, louvers, shiplap, crown molding, etc. all can be hidden details to these little pass through.
Raise your hand if you have hidden a Christmas present and forgot where it was until you cleaned that little secret hiding space. Hey-yo…. holler atcha girl! The uses for under stairs spaces are endless and so darn creative. Storage, coat closets, laundry rooms, reading nooks, bathrooms, pet kennel, kids toy rooms, mini bar, work station, or a Christmas present hideaway… I mean this list could go on and on! Talk about maximizing the homes space … even the smallest of spaces can be transformed into the most functional designs! Imma be right back after I go look at what I can fit under my stairs...brb!
Crisp nights under the stars all while keeping warm and cozy, can be accomplished in many different designed ways. It’s like the balance of sticking one leg out under the bed covers while the other half is nice and toasty. When outdoor spaces get chilly at night, these guys take the edge off allowing you to enjoy the outdoors to its fullest. Gas, electric or infrared heat warmers can be squeezed up in a ceiling, under an umbrella or pop up out of coffee table. Standalone heaters are like besties, you can take them where ever you go. Mobility and flexibility can be huge benefit in planning and re-configuring spaces.
TV, what TV? You have the most perfect wreath for the holidays that MUST be hung over the mantel… but that is where your TV lives. Why not have your cake and eat it to! TV’s make a lot of sense over the mantel as a focal point of the home, but to some can be an eye sore. Consider many ways to conceal the TV with a sliding barn door, a sleek modern wall, in a piece of furniture or art piece. Keep in mind that finishes can help hide or call out TV’s and how you are hiding them. When planning for a TV over a mantel, consider if it can be set back into the chase, or does it need to be mounted on the surface? If so, make sure you TV has enough guts behind the wall to hold those big boys up!
We hear far too often “we don’t have a lot of storage”! And then we hear the glorious “ahhhh-ha” after finding the right piece that has a bonus feature to hide or store items in. We can find so many cool pieces today that really make an OCD girls heart go pitter-patter. Ottomans with a removable lid, post for cookbooks, bulky seasonal pillow storage in a headboard… yessss please! Gimme all the simply hiding spaces and a memory to remember what we stashed there!
Now that your wheels are spinning, go take inventory of your spaces and see if one of these is a solution to add to your home!