As a parent it’s a nice rarity to have 20 minutes to yourself to unwind, have a cup of tea and read a few pages of whatever book you’re trying to read at the moment. The problem a lot of parents have is not having a safe calm area to relax, which can lead to parents hiding away in their bedroom or in the bathroom playing on their phones for 10 minutes of respite from parenting.
To make taking a quick break easier for you, you should have a dedicated calm space in your home that allows you some breathing room but keeps you near the action in case you’re urgently needed.
Which is why lots of parents have started using their home’s conservatories as a relaxing space, which is separate from the rest of the home, but close enough to everything so that if you’re needed your children or partner can come and grab you quickly.
So, if you’re a parent and have a conservatory I’d bet that you just asked yourself how you can turn your conservatory into a parent friendly haven to hideaway in. And wouldn’t you know it? That’s exactly what we’ll be talking about today, so read on to start your conservatory hideaway journey.
Add Comfortable Seating
The first thing any relaxation station needs is some comfortable seating, it’s a lot easier to be calm and relaxed if you are comfortable, so getting some nice, comfortable seating will be a great first step in giving you a space to relax in.
Unless you have a particularly large conservatory, you’ll find that adding in a regular sofa may take up a bit too much space, so instead look for a few smaller single seat chairs like an armchair to add into the conservatory. If your partner will also be using the space to relax having an armchair each at either side of the conservatory will work perfectly, giving each of you your own space.
Add Some Separation
Next up, it’s time to add a level of separation between the conservatory and the rest of the house, which should help set boundaries for keeping your children out whilst you’re trying to relax. Sure the conservatory can still be used as a fun family area, but with some elements of separation, you can keep the space for yourself when you need a break.
Adding some conservatory blinds to the windows will help here, when you want a quick break simply close the curtains as a signal to not disturb you and open them back up when it’s not in use or you want to use the room as a family. But with the blinds, you’ll have an easy system that let’s people know to give you space when you’re relaxing or to come and join you if the blinds are open.
Keep Supplies On Hand
When you take 20 minutes for yourself, venturing back into the house is rarely a good idea, you’ll take two steps outside your relaxation station and suddenly you have kids jumping on you, asking what’s for dinner. To avoid this it’s smart to have a few handy supplies in your conservatory so you needn’t cut your relaxation short.
In your conservatory you’ll just need a few snacks on hand, maybe a mini fridge with your fizzy pop of choice or a kettle with some teabags and a mug so you can whip up a cuppa without drawing your kids attention. This will finish your conservatory transformation leaving you with a bonafide parent break room!