How to Give Everyone in Your Home the Space & Privacy They Need

1. Put in a second or third bathroom with a tub

Bathrooms used to be strictly functional places where you spent as little time as possible, but all that has changed. The latest and greatest bathrooms have all the accoutrements of luxury, including mood lighting, spa baths, massaging showers, aromatherapy and sometimes even fireplaces and TVs. Best of all, they have locks on the doors so you can shut yourself away and, if you have more than one bathroom, shoo any interruptions away to another bathroom.

To read more about bathroom renovations click here.

2. Chill out in your 'Man Cave' or 'She Shed'

A dedicated area, room or sleepout that's just for you! It could be a space to craft and create, or an at-home bar with 70 inch TV with all your favorite sports channels - whatever excites, inspires or relaxes you. If there isn't space in your house or you desire more distance look into building a standalone structure on your property.  A great opportunity to make the most of rules that allow you to build a 30m2 structure (without plumbing services) on your property without needing consent.

To check out Pzazz Home's pre-designed cabins and studios click here.

3. Lose yourself in the kitchen

There are two types of people in the world; people who find cooking or baking to be therapeutic and those who balk at the idea but are happy enough to indulge in the results of the former's culinary therapy none the less!

Our top tips for making your kitchen a place to relax and enjoy some 'you time' is to have a kitchen that can be closed off ideally with doors or if not possible due to open plan living consider creating a second living space for the rest of the family to use for your kitchen takeover (or better yet send them outside). Ensure there is ample storage for specialty cooking and baking supplies and appliances - a great example of this is a kitchen aid storage cupboard that lifts up to bench height.  And last but not least a good sound system - if you're anything like me a good session in the kitchen isn't complete without some music to jam out to!

For more kitchen renovation info and inspiration click here.

4. Shed your preconceptions around sheds

Sheds used to be where you kept the lawnmower or where you went when you were in trouble with your partner. They used to be draughty places with spiders. Today they can be whatever you want them to be – studios, workshops, gyms, you name it. 



Teenagers love the idea of taking their first step to independence by setting up in a building that’s separate from your home, so often the best way to gain back your own space is to build a sleepout or convert an existing shed into living space. 

5. Extend-a-Home

If you’ve got a multi-generational household, this home would be your ideal – a big home designed with separate wings for each different generation. But if you’re like the rest of us, a simple home and deck extension like the one above, completed by our Kapiti and North Wellington affiliate Rudy van Vlerken, might suffice to give us the breathing space we need.