Some homes are large enough for everyone in the family to get their own bespoke space. But not everyone is so lucky. Sometimes our families grow a little larger and a little faster than planned. Sometimes we don’t always realise what the true implications of ‘downsizing’ are. And sometimes our circumstances change, and suddenly where one office or hangout space was plenty, we now need two.
At that point there are three basic choices: Buy a new, larger home; renovate and create more rooms in the house; or take the existing space and divide it equally – and here’s where canvas photo prints can come in quite handy.
Dual-Purpose Space
Dividing an existing room like an office, ‘man cave’, or children’s room into two individually-branded spaces can be a challenge. If the adults have been used to using a room in a certain way, the sudden intrusion of their spouse or someone else can be very stressful. And kids who have to share a room can be very difficult to please. Let’s consider some strategies for three common room-sharing scenarios: The office, the bonus room, and the kids’ room.
Staking Out Office Space with Canvas Photo Prints
Adults sharing home office space can sometimes be just as bad as children. The key is to duplicate: While sharing a filing cabinet or printer might be economical, if you can manage to have one for each person things will go much more smoothly. Defining each area is key: Don’t be shy about painting each side a different shade, and use canvas photo prints to define each side as His and Hers, with each of you choosing a range of images to hang over your desks.
Splitting a Bonus Room
The bonus room takes on many roles: A home gym, a media room, a ‘man cave’, a craft room. When one spouse works and the other has the run of the place it can be ideal. When both lay claim it can get messy, fast. In this scenario wall art can be useful, but you need a more substantial divider. Bookshelves or bulky furniture with storage as well as sharply contrasting colour palettes are the way to define space and avoid conflict.
Personal Space for Siblings
One of the easiest places to share space is with siblings who are close in age, because it can be accomplished by parental fiat. But that doesn’t guarantee peace and quiet. In order to give each child their own sense of space, wildly different designs should be employed on each side – and letting the kids choose their own wall art is a great way to give each child a sense of ownership and equality in the space.
The incredibly shrinking home is a common phenomenon, because it’s difficult to predict where you’ll be family-wise in a few years. If your house seems smaller today than yesterday the answer may not be a new one, or a huge renovation project, but simply a good design eye – and some awesome wall art. If you’ve got some room-dividing images to be printed, click here and we’d love to help!
Photo Credit: Organize sem Frescuras!
