The Pursuit of Hobbies

Your home is your sanctuary, a place where you can relax and de-stress at the end of a long day. But usually you share it with others: family members, a roommate or pets. How do you give yourself space to let creative juices flow so you can pursue your hobbies without being interrupted or feeling crowded?

The answer is to designate a space in your home as a hobby area, says Aundrea Brown, Vice President of Intermark Design Group, who helps design interiors for properties in major markets. Home builders, such as Meritage Homes, offer flexible spaces to fit your hobby and activities. Or, you can use a single room, an area of your garage or even just a large closet.

To help assemble a vision for your new space, start by creating a mood board — a type of visual presentation or collage with images, text and samples. This will allow you to stay focused on all your ideas and plans. “It’s easy in the process to get distracted by a lot of different products and other things,” says Brown. “But if you stick to your mood board, it’ll help declutter those areas.”


 
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  • "It's easy in the process to get distracted, but if you stick to your mood board, it'll help declutter those areas."

    Aundrea Brown, Vice President of Intermark Design Group

Design your space.

Now you can start thinking about how you want to decorate. The first thing to keep in mind: “When creating these spaces, it’s important to still have them feel like home,” says Brown. For instance, “add a small plant or a basket with pillows and blankets in the corner to give the room a softer feel,” she says.

If you’re a yogi, you can add your personal touch with candles, incense, plants and speakers (for your calming music) to give it a peaceful atmosphere. Those who are into arts and crafts or sewing may want to add extra furniture, such as tables and small sets of drawers, for plenty of workspace and an organizational system.

But regardless of your theme and style, always take advantage of your walls, says Brown.

-Use chalkboard paint on one wall so you can sketch ideas, draw or write quotes and other notes.

 -Install a pegboard with hooks to hang things up. This is a great idea for a sewing room, for example.

-If you want an exercise room, consider putting up a mirror on the wall with string lights behind it.

If you’re looking for more storage, buy cubbies or floating shelves to add more functionality to your room. Or, if you have old boxes, you can wrap them with colored paper and use them for storage on a wall or bookshelf. You can also purchase C tables, side tables in the shape of a “c”, which work great in small spaces and can be tucked around the edges of a sofa. These tables are quite popular, says Brown, because a lot of them have chargers for all your technology needs.

Want to add an extra pop of color to your hobby room? “A horizontal paint stripe is a great way to just add color contrast to that area, whether it be the back of a closet or another wall,” says Brown.

One of the most unique hobby rooms Brown has seen was designed for social media influencers. They’re soundproofed, like a recording studio, and have cameras, microphones and lights set up around the room. It’s the perfect setup for those who like to record makeup tutorials, gaming and reaction videos, exercise and yoga classes, and podcasts.

 

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What if you have multiple hobbies?

Let’s say you want an exercise room and an area to record music. How do you create a functional space for both? You need to separate those two areas, whether it’s with a wall or some other design element. “For instance, use floating art in the middle of the room, a big bench or tall bookcases,” says Brown. “I’ve even seen some people use curtains or pallet wood slats, which are affordable and add texture.” This way, you have two distinct spaces for each of your hobbies.

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Do your research.

If you need ideas for your new hobby room, search the web or social media, says Brown. There are so many pictures and concepts online that can help as you create your space according to your passions.

But most important, have fun with it! This new hobby room will be an escape for you as you bring out your creativity and do what you love most.

 

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