Family Reunion
Author: Betsy Dell
Word Count: 774
Date: 3/30/09
My mother taught me long ago, "Either you have money or you have time". The truth of this adage is particularly apparent at the local grocery. Two years ago, when the housing market was booming, we had money. But we'd tear through the grocery like we were on a mission.
Today, we have time. We go slowly and carefully through the aisles, looking for bargains and comparing prices. We pick up products, examine them and then resolutely return them to the shelf as we decide that need-to-haves trump nice-to-haves.
In the checkout line, we thumb through the magazines that offer ideas for inexpensive meals and cheap ways to entertain. Compared to two years ago, our carts seem almost empty.
Remarkably, we are taking more pleasure in our near-empty carts than we did in our full ones.
Our larders are less generously stocked, but we feel like we're taking better care of the people we love. And indeed we are because we're investing more of ourselves in them.
We are not only spending more time on our families; we are spending more time with our families.
Though our reasons for doing so also relate to the money or time maxim, we are discovering the same kind of pleasure in an evening at home as we have found in the careful selection of groceries. In many ways, we are experiencing our families afresh-as if we've been reunited after a long absence.
This family reunion is bringing new joy into our homes and we're spending both money and time to preserve it. The home improvement trends we'll be looking at today show the ways homeowners are fostering togetherness:
Togetherness is in.
We're modifying our rooms so we can gather more easily for group activities or engage in a range of solitary pursuits while keeping each other company. Taking a page from patio and outdoor room design, we're rearranging furniture in the living and family rooms to create multiple seating areas.
Game tables and reading corners are an important part of the new arrangement.
With the exception of modular couches, new furniture styles are smaller, less static and more multifunctional. But reports indicate that brand new furniture is low on our list of priorities.
We are, for the most part, working with what we've got. Dining chairs that have been stapled to their matching table are being brought into living areas as extra seating. Decorative tables, such as the ones often found in foyers, are also being repurposed.
As a consequence, furniture suites are giving way to an eclectic, but well integrated style. And we're using consignment and thrift store purchases to fill in the blanks. So the modifications we're talking about are relatively low cost, but do require time, some heavy lifting and a lot of ingenuity.
Togetherness increases use of the kitchen.
Since we're spending more time at home and more time together, we're spending a lot more time in our kitchens. What had been the metaphorical heart of the home is now the heart quite literally. So while we're pinching pennies in a lot of places, we're not scrimping on our kitchens.
We are, however, looking at our kitchens with practical eyes. More time in the kitchen means more wear and tear and more cleaning. We are being, therefore, more careful to choose hard-wearing, low maintenance materials. Though the rich coloration and high gloss finish of granite is still prized, engineered stones are gaining favor.
These have the look and finish of granite, but are less brittle and non-porous. Corian®, which offers incredible design flexibility and is now being shown with stone-like veining, is making a comeback.
In the past, kitchen renovations were viewed primarily as a financial investment with immediate and long-term benefits.
Today's focus on togetherness puts a greater emphasis on the immediate benefits. Even so, both minor makeovers and full-blown remodels retain their handsome return on investment.
Togetherness increases our need for privacy.
Though self-contained enclaves, or caves, for individual family members are out, the need for space to regroup is increasing. As we spend more time together as a family, we need a little peace and solitude. Master baths are fast becoming replacement caves because they offer privacy.
Particular attention is being paid to personalizing this space. And because of the way we're using this room, luxury matters.
At a point in history when we have more time than money, it is extraordinary that we are electing to spend the money we have in ways that promote and facilitates spending more time together. Our family reunion is not simply a weekend bash-it is the way we're choosing to live.
Good Morning on Friday July 30, 2010
