By HEATHER M. O'CONNOR, SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA
Everyone's singing the down-and-dirty recession blues these days. Homeowners are responding to our uncertain economy by scaling back and reaching out. The result? A growing interest in entertaining friends and family at home.
Just as the staycation has reshaped the way we holiday, entertaining at home is reworking the way we decorate. This isn't cocooning -- retreating to the seclusion of your own private space. It's inviting people into that space, playing host and having fun.
At the recent International Home Show in Toronto, decorating gurus Karl Lohnes and Peter Fallico demonstrated how homeowners can transform their home sweet hideaway into a hospitality hotspot.
The open-concept design featured in many new homes suits the trend to a T: Island kitchens and great rooms make it easy to mix and mingle. But a hospitable gathering place can be cultivated in a kitchen, family room or recreation room, too. The switch calls for a vision, organization and a dash of style.
Redoing the kitchen may top the list for the cosmopolitan and the gourmand, says Lohnes. A more luxurious ambience can be achieved simply by replacing countertops with classy granite and investing in chic countertop appliances.
If your main floor can't accommodate an entertaining area, redesign the basement. You'll quickly learn that the new incarnation of the rec room has no "wreck" about it. By upgrading the technology and adding in cushy furniture and quality flooring, you can cook up a fabulous media or games room that serves a crowd.
"Whenever I think 'recreation room,' I think of wood panelling and shag carpet," Lohnes chuckles. "But recreation nowadays means board games and poker tables and flat-screen TVs. And the basement bar is back. It's all about entertaining at home but having all the comforts of going out."
If your idea of fun with friends means lowering the lights, breaking out the popcorn and screening the latest blockbuster movie or challenging them to Wii Sports or Rock Band, a home media room may be the way to go.
A cinema-quality experience can be yours for $5,000, says Fallico. All it takes is an investment in technology -- a sleek flat-screen television, a DVD player and home theatre sound. Then use a darker decor palette for better viewing, and factor in plenty of comfortable seating, a large coffee table and a variety of lighting to set the mood. Action!
If your main floor can't accommodate an entertaining area, redesign the basement. You'll quickly learn that the new incarnation of the rec room has no "wreck" about it.
