New Living Rooms for Everyday Life
Today, homeowners, builders, and designers alike are inventing secondary living spaces near the bedroom. These additional spaces offer a secret getaway from the rest of the house where family members can gather, have fun and interact without worrying about non-family members. These new secondary spaces are referred to as ‘pajama lounge’. Most homes in America are characterized by open floor plans thus making it hard for homeowners to enjoy their privacy after having a busy day. Whether you have a spacious kitchen or family room with seats, having an alternative space to relax and have fun is recommended.
According to Rebecca Pogonitz (a Chicago designer), most of her clients crave having enough time for their family and self-care. Even though most people used to spend time with their families while growing up, that is not the case today. Their busy schedules and widening circle of friends have made it hard. As of now, most people are trying to recreate their human connection by spending time with their loved ones.
The pajama lounges are usually upstairs and close to the bedrooms and family members go there wearing sweats or pajamas. Family members spend time together after dinner or before they retire to bed. Nowadays, the existing layouts can accommodate these trends with ease to create multipurpose bonus rooms. With the current lifestyle and technological advancement, homes should evolve to accommodate how people want to live now. We cannot be living the way we used to in the past. Things have changed and we should look for alternatives to make our lives better. Realtors should understand that potential homebuyers might be looking for these spaces even if they don’t know they’re trending. Ergo, if you have oversized hallways, attic spaces, oversized bedrooms, and finished basements, you can consider having a pajama lounge in your house.
The trend now is to scale back the bedroom accessories and furniture to create a better sleeping space. Homeowners are shifting from bedrooms that offer other functions like reading, hanging out and homework. For instance, the 20 ft. × 20 ft. floor plans are being reduced to 14 ft. × 16ft. With such a reduction, your pajama lounge can be 10 ft. × 10 ft. or even larger to serve other functions like a home office, working out and paying bills.
After the pajama lounge is complete, you can add some tables to play games, seats, good lighting, bookshelves and carpet flooring. Consider having food nearby instead of going downstairs while enjoying a great time with family. Other features you can add include a coffee or espresso machine, sink, microwave, and a mini-fridge.
Some families can use the pajama lounge to watch movies and favorite TV shows while others prefer the lounge being tech-free to avoid disrupting conversations and the relaxation mood. Finally, if you prefer watching, consider buying a TV/ a screen and installing WI-FI but if you want the lounge to be tech-free, you can buy books or magazines. Alternatively, you can hold intimate family conversations, debates and family games to bond and have fun.