make space to enjoy your hobbies at home-pg电子官方
research for the ikea life at home report 2022 has found that many people aren’t getting as much joy from their home as they want. so how can you create space for your hobbies and get more enjoyment from the place you live?
does your home meet your emotional needs?
over the years, through home visits and surveys across the world, we have come to learn that feeling at home boils down to the same essential ingredients: security, comfort, belonging, ownership and privacy. and this year, our research identified two more needs - enjoyment and accomplishment - which are important to achieve a better life at home.
accomplishment is the effectiveness and productivity people feel from completing tasks, whether that’s work and study, household chores or personal hobbies. people find enjoyment at home when they get the space, both physical and mental, to engage with activities they revel in.
more than eight in 10 people seek accomplishment at home, rising to almost nine in 10 wanting to achieve a sense of enjoyment.
but wherever they live, there’s a persistent gap between what people want from their home and what it actually provides: only around half of people feel that their home is delivering the enjoyment and accomplishment they crave.
this is concerning, particularly as cost-of-living increases are likely to see people spending more time at home – of those surveyed, we found that 43% expect their hobbies and interests outside of home to take a hit if living costs continue to snowball.
so how can people make space in their home to do the things they love and provide a greater feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment? vanessa cosme pereira, retail design lab leader at ikea, shares three simple ideas for putting pursuits you love at the heart of your home.
1. time to turn routines into rituals
vanessa believes that there’s a powerful opportunity for people to turn the daily routines they normally conduct on autopilot into more joyful, meaningful rituals.
“after the pandemic, both wellbeing at home and a better work-life balance became more important. by making small changes to their lives, people can have a big impact on their health, wellbeing and enjoyment.”
to highlight this, vanessa and her team asked people to look into their daily lives and reflect on the little points of purposeful, ritualised joy they make space for at home, day to day – from brewing coffee in the morning to celebratory friday afternoon dance sessions.
“we shared videos and stories of more than 40 real-life ‘everyday rituals’,” says vanessa. “some involve people connecting with their families while others are about personal moments to enjoy time alone. all of them can inspire others to turn routines into rituals.”
2. throw your front door open to others
vanessa also thinks people can boost their enjoyment by being bolder in opening up their interests – and their home – to others.
"when people spend more time at home, they can miss out on the social engagement they get from activities outside the home. we know that when we open up our home to our communities, the magic happens. so invite people in to co-create with you!
“maybe you love baking and can make space in your kitchen to cook with friends once a week. if you do, perhaps you’ll also learn about different diets or cultural heritage. if you have a passion, share it with others.
"some of these hobbies can even become a way of earning a little extra money, perhaps by creating products to sell to friends and neighbours or through online channels.”
3. express your identity through your home
not every pursuit is a shared one, of course. some people’s favourite outdoor interests are ones that find them alone, perhaps connecting with nature. but these, too, can be an opportunity to bring enjoyment and accomplishment into the home.
“we can create super-authentic homes that express who we are by displaying pride in our outdoor hobbies, indoors,” says vanessa. “for example, if you’re a committed cyclist, rather than hiding your bike away in a cupboard or shed, why not hang it from a wall so that it’s proudly visible to anyone who visits? it can make you feel good about your home and help you connect with other people who have similar interests.
“the same goes for a skateboard, surfboard, skis or even your hiking boots. it doesn’t have to be something big, either. it could just mean making space for small accessories or magazines on display. when you come home from your hobby, your passion for it doesn’t stop.”
with enjoyment and accomplishment so central to people’s sense of feeling at home, it’s vital for everyone to find ways to ‘close the gap’ and ensure their home meets their emotional needs. but with a few simple tricks, it’s possible to dial up the joy at home and create space for all the things you love to do.