With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s the ideal time to embark on a project that includes the needs and opinion of the woman of the household, ensuring it has her tick of approval.
As the saying goes ‘a woman transforms a house into a home’, but is today’s mother looking for more than gingham tablecloths and lace curtains? Does she dream of a secret space where she can escape or does she want a licence to drive the latest power tools?
Perhaps the modern woman wants it all.
The kitchen in family homes may resemble a busy railway station during rush hour and it is a far assumption that even the most liberated females frequently find themselves in this space. Nothing wrong with that - it can be fun and rewarding to nurture starving offspring - but every now and then she may hanker to be somewhere else.
Perhaps a window box-seat with a pleasant view will keep mum happy and satisfy the urges of DIY enthusiasts. As she lounges upon luxurious cushions, sips a steaming coffee and escapes into the latest best-seller the family could be busy whipping up lunch. After all, a recession is the perfect opportunity to teach offspring the virtues of homemade tucker.
For a more challenging project, why not go the whole hog and add a conservatory to the home? This is guaranteed to be well-used year-round. Lots of windows and doors keep the space airy in summer and the glass surrounds let in rays of sunshine for winter warmth. Furniture and upholstery need protection to prevent fading and the eventual rotting of natural fibres. Beautiful throws can shield couches and keep mum snug on gloomy days.
If DIYers have a plumbing urge, this could be directed towards the bathroom. Forget the rush of a shower, give mum a turbo-blasted spa bath and then leave her alone to soak and soothe. Make it a telephone and toddler-free zone where she can cleanse her soul rather than her skin - but remember to have the pipe work signed off by a registered plumber.
