New Space for Outdoor Enthusiasts: Adventure Rooms

OutdoorDo you love spending time in the great outdoors? Are you more likely to hit the trails than the malls on the weekends? If so, then you probably understand the logistical challenges that come along with your favorite hobbies: trying to store gear such as bikes, helmets, skis, poles, golf clubs, kayaks, surfboards, fishing poles, and so on. Lacking a better option, most people tend to force these items into closets, front porches, and already overstuffed garages — creating stress and chaos in their homes in the process.

A fun and logical solution? Create an “adventure room” that is dedicated to your enjoyment of these activities. This can be done in any underutilized area of your home that has easy access to the outside: a large mudroom, basement storage area, or a double garage that can be partitioned off for this use. And the finished space can offer more than just attractive equipment-storage solutions; it can also feature items like a television, comfortable seating, a beverage chiller, exercise equipment, and memorabilia from outdoor events. The possibilities are virtually limitless.

Aside from providing a place for keeping your gear safe and protected from dirt and damage, adventure rooms are also a great home base for enjoying “staycations,” as many people will spend the coming summer holiday close to home due to the dual challenges of a still-sluggish economy and the skyrocketing cost of gas.

Image: Rick McCharles.

The Man Cave Evolves

On a recent trip to a local design center, we met with an audio visual pro in a room that in the 1990s would have been called a “man cave.” My, how times have changed. This AV pro said that fully 50% of his buyers are women now, and the man cave has evolved accordingly.

This shift in buying population came with the economic downturn over the past three years, when family budgets for non-essentials were steadily shrinking. Now, discretionary spending decisions are made by both people in a couple, and the women want a say in what this traditional “man space” looks like.

Here are some of the features of these kinder, gentler, family spaces:

No more macho black leather recliners with mega screens and surround-sound giant speakers on view. Now, these rooms are multi-functioning family rooms with discrete and hide-away sound and visual systems. Screens roll up and out of site when not being used; speakers and TV screens can be hidden behind artwork.
Tasteful wet bars that look like smaller versions of the main kitchen.
Instead of stadium-type seating, multiple seating areas are employed that work for screen viewing, music enjoyment or conversation sharing.
Window treatments are motorized and triggered wirelessly, so you can click a remote control and darken the room for screen viewing.
Whole-house A/V equipment, lighting and window treatment controls that are wirelessly commanded and triggered from a smartphone or iPhone anywhere in the world.
Attractive soft furnishings like drapery, fine art, and other decorative features

Johnny Cupcakes Showin’ How Sexy, Fun, Nice Philly Is!

This is a great video of Johnny Cupcakes visiting Philadelphia. The city looks amazing and the people here, as you can see, are really nice.

Great to see young business people making good happen, especially in our town. These folks are having some good clean fun, and sharing their positive energy. Thanks Johnny!

Johnny Cupcakes

Ice Sculptor Roger Wing

Roger Wing competes in the 4th Annual Ice Sculpture Competition in Poznań, Poland. In just eight hours Wing and teammate Kirk ‘the Sand Guy’ Rademaker

Kirk 'the Sand Guy' Rademaker and Roger Wing
Kirk 'the Sand Guy' Rademaker and Roger Wing


created ‘Fortune Teller’ from one ton of ice.

Fortune Teller
Fortune Teller


Roger is a friend of Myers Constructs, Inc. and worked with us some years back. Cool fun stuff. For more, visit Wing at his website: rogerwing.com or on Facebook.