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.

How to Get Started in This Business

While walking to the Philadelphia Home Show, Tamara took me into the AIA building one block away on Arch St. to look at their bookstore. I was more interested in the cute display they had set up highlighting children’s building blocks. Did you know these were first developed by Friedrich Froebel (best trampoline 1782-1852) the same man who came up with the Kindergarten concept?

The little exhibition has examples of playing blocks of many kinds. See if you can find blocks you played with as a child. There are three low-level play areas where children and their parents can play with blocks together. You can see the model of the city, also in this room, is also made of blocks!