Nephew Fixit was on a roll. Fortunately his new home was spacious enough for fabulous renovations, and even more fortunately, he had the budget. For us galpals over coffee, we felt fortunate too, for with his additions came great discussions doused with a fair amount of envy. In short though, we were impressed by his selection of special features that would certainly add value to his home not just while he was living there, but when he wanted to sell it too.
There is much written about the benefits of creating “wind-down havens” in a home, where he, she or the kids can stretch out, read a book or take a cat-nap. Nephew Fixit really impressed us here, with not just one, but three little spots for just this purpose. His first was an oversized hammock in the attic area. A space not large enough to be a proper room, but with a skylight that introduced a lot of sunlight, it suddenly became a sought-after pozzie for an afternoon nap. Not to rest on his laurels, and while he was thinking cat-nap, Fixit also strung a very strong hammock over the top of the stairwell, creating another spot for teenagers to brood, and possibly, we glinted, an intruder-catcher too – if getting caught in a web is deterrent enough. To make it a hat trick, Fixit also put a window seat across the bend in a staircase, and with the addition of a large comfy cushion created yet another zone-out zone.
Something for everyone
We were pleased to note that nephew Fixit was also investing in quiet spaces for just him and Mrs Fixit – the best being the romantic fire-pit that serves both the bathtub and bedroom. For visitors, the beautiful glass-sided bathtub made a feature of the guest suite –and would certainly dazzle future buyers.
In the kitchen, Fixit was not short of ideas either. With plug points popped into drawers he created out-of-sight charging stations for those needy appliances and their untidy umbilical cords, while an underfoot wine-cellar descending from a glass trapdoor in the kitchen provided a striking focal point. For us the triumph was a vertical herb garden on a sunny kitchen wall, which offers herbs-to-order and glorious greenery.
Outside, Fixit felt that a swim-up bar and grill were perfect for his lifestyle, and mounting his big screen on a protected wall allows guests to enjoy a backyard cinema experience from a floating chair in the pool. And of course his outdoor shower – this we had thought of before! – was a simple and easy addition that creates a holiday feeling all of its own.
After so much innovation and so many alterations Fixit himself needed a holiday we supposed – but probably would battle to find a spot with as many value-add features as his very own home!