At Home Entertainment
Author: Betsy Dell
Word Count: 884
Date: 5/14/09
For the last two months we've been talking about spending more time at home with family. This trend is part of a move towards a sustainable lifestyle in which we are eliminating waste, making better use of our resources and planning ahead. But while we are simplifying our lives, we are not becoming ascetics. We are finding ways to enjoy life without spending extravagantly. Entertainment, like family, has come home, where we can sustain it.
Entertainment in the Kitchen
Dining in has replaced dining out. On the surface, this is nothing unusual. Restaurant meals are typically the first thing families cut out during a recession because it is an easy way to trim budgets. Prior to the downturn, the average person ate one of every five meals out, so dining in represents a substantial savings. But if you only look at where we are not spending, you will miss the important connection between dining in and sustainable entertainment. While we've cut one line in our budgets, we've added another.
Amazon and Borders both report double-digit increases in cookbook sales. Subscriptions to cooking magazines are climbing. Kitchen and tableware sales are strong. And cooking classes, some of which cost hundreds of dollars, are solidly booked. As we try our hands at ethnic cuisine and gourmet delights, the customers have become the chefs. We're even giving our comfort foods a sophisticated twist, like adding artisan cheeses to grandma's mashed potatoes.
Creative cookery takes the sting out of staying in and is a lifelong, relatively affordable hobby. It is, in itself, entertaining. But we are also using it to entertain friends and neighbors. Cooking parties make a night out of preparing a meal together. Progressive and potluck dinners are back in vogue because they allow friends to get together without breaking the bank.
As cooking becomes an increasingly significant part of our personal and communal lives, the importance of the kitchen grows also. Expect that kitchen renovations will continue to be a dominant home improvement—only now we're renovating because we intend to use it.
In the Living and Family Rooms
Though we have axed restaurant dining, we have not cut back at the movies. Movies, which offer a real escape, are historically recession-proof. Television used to be recession-proof too, but that was before cable made watching TV an expensive proposition. Today we're cutting costs by switching to Netflix's unlimited, flat-fee instant home video and online video streaming. And we're transforming our living and family rooms into digital hubs.
Living rooms and family rooms are also becoming game central. Board games sales are up and video console and game sales are strong. Whether board or video, games are keeping us happily entertained.
At home entertainment makes the conversion of the formal living room into a more casual and family-friendly space as necessary as it is practical. Expect entertainment consoles to become the new fireplace or fireplace surround. You will also see a rash of family painting parties as we look for inexpensive and fun ways to cozy up that space. In the same vein, you will see suburban barn-raising parties as neighbors and friends help each other with interior painting and other projects.
In Private Spaces
As much as we are enjoying being together, we also need time alone. We're reading more, but buying fewer novels as we rediscover resources like the library. We're also developing our talents. Dedicated craft or art space will become a regular feature in the home or garage.
The days of spa pampering are over, but we continue to use our private time to take care of ourselves. Since we now view illness as an expense rather than an inconvenience, exercise has become a necessity. Expect to see more garage conversions as we create usable space for the gym equipment that's been gathering dust in the master bedroom.
In Our Backyards
In many ways, we're having more fun than we've had in years. According to a recent TIME poll, our family relationships have improved dramatically since the financial crisis began, giving credence to the old saying, "The family that plays together stays together". But the same poll also shows that our anxiety levels are through the roof. Considering all of our legitimate worries, this is hardly a surprise.
We are, however, finding solace in our backyards.
Outdoor rooms, which were first introduced as an economical way to add living space, are now giving us a place at home to get away. Whether we're looking for a quiet corner or a place to let go with family and friends, the outdoor room is serving us well.
Several studies show that just looking at environments dominated by greenery, flowers or water removes stress from our bodies and our minds, allowing us to rest, relax and recover.
A lot of the outdoor room's allure, therefore, comes from nature's therapeutic beauty.
It is important, however, to not underestimate the value of the room itself, which provides us with a sense of safety. The difference between an outdoor room and a garden with seating is like the difference between swimming in a pool and swimming in open water. So while there are many cheap and cheerful ideas for adding seating areas to the garden, it is well worth the one-time expense of giving this space real permanence.
Good Morning on Friday July 30, 2010
