Making a statement that you’re stepping up in life is best made with changes to your home as it reflects your personal lifestyle. A few upgrades and alterations can make your home seem and feel more opulent — impressing both your neighbors and colleagues.
Proper Gates
Exclusivity is a sure mark of affluence. Make your home inaccessible to anyone but guests and family with proper walls and gates. Opt for big metal gates — preferably dark in color. A residential aluminum gate will make the entrance to your property more imposing and intimidating. They also make your home a less attractive target to burglars and thieves. Add an intercom system together with automatic gates, and you’re one step closer to being Bruce Wayne. Package and mail deliveries might get more difficult (unless you have an actual butler), so make sure to schedule packages when someone’s at home and demand deliveries be handed off to your chosen recipient.
A Swimming Pool
Your home immediately stands out from your neighbors if you have a swimming pool. You can host amazing pool parties, and your kids will undoubtedly be the most popular in their circles (at least to a certain age). Of course, a pool requires constant maintenance and cleaning. If you have toddlers or pets, you might want to install fencing for extra safety. A pool is a great addition to any home. It allows your family to get a bit of exercise anytime they want — and swimming is probably the best exercise for weight loss. Even if you don’t actually swim, just immersing yourself in the water will burn tons of calories. Soaking in a pool is comparable to walking when it comes to the number of calories burned. While you probably can’t walk for 5 hours (or at least detest the thought of it), you can easily stay in your pool for the same amount of time. Build your pool next to a shade tree, or add canopies for a bit of sun protection. If your family gets a bit fitter due to your swimming pool, just think of the investment you put in it as savings on hospital visits that they avoided.
An Outdoor Kitchen
Turn your home into the social nexus of your community with an outdoor kitchen. If you like cooking or having guests over — an outdoor kitchen will make entertaining guests easier and a lot less messy. Build it close to your actual kitchen or use portable stations so that you can split tasks between your two kitchens. While a grill is certainly a staple, it shouldn’t be your only cooking appliance. Get an oven with a stovetop so you can serve more than barbecues and burgers. Reserve a station for cocktails if you want to get the party going. You can even hire a bartender who does cool flairs for particularly large gatherings. Add a few LED Christmas lights or cantina lights to set the mood. Blast music through wireless speakers, and you get to be the DJ with just your phone.
A Conservatory
For a more classical upgrade, go full Victorian with a conservatory. While it’s just a fancy word for an attached greenhouse, a conservatory serves more purpose than just growing plants. Conservatories are a place to entertain guests in your home while enjoying the sun, as well as the plants and flowers that you grow. Plants require a lot of tending, so make sure you have a green thumb — or at least an interest in growing plants — before building a conservatory. Fill your greenhouse with either ornamental plants their aesthetics, or go for kitchen herbs if you prefer cooking.
A Wine Cellar
Using a regular basement to age wine most often results in disaster. If you’re a wine aficionado, you’ll need a proper wine cellar to get results. While wine is fine as it is when you buy it, aging it for another 3-10 years can add layers of taste that will take it to a whole different level. If you collect wine or have more than a dozen in your home, a wine cellar is a good addition. Red wine has more tannins, so it ages better, and the conditions it requires are less demanding. It requires temperatures of around 60-65 °F, while white wine needs to be colder at 45-50 °F.
You don’t need a mansion to make your home more opulent. A few changes to your house can make it stand out from the neighborhood — all the while making it more enjoyable for your family to live in.
