Room for Improvement: Fantasies of closet saunas and a place to track the slush

By Mayra David | February 6, 2014 - 12:07PM

Wintertime and the living ain't easy! Dreams of a sauna, heated floors and winterized windows are dancing through the heads of five New Yorkers who share what they would change about their homes to stave off February doldrums.

Mud wrestling Right now, I would love to have a mud room--somewhere I don’t have to worry about tracking in the snow and salt and mud. In the warm months, it’s fine. But now, my hallway is the worst combination of being narrow and having wood floors. That means that our heavy, bulky coats make it look messy and cluttered, and the floors are taking a beating with all the salt and water and dirt we bring in. -Marion, Upper East Side
Work it out I would love a gym in the building! No going outside and freezing my butt off in thin gym clothes and stepping into deep puddles in my sneakers! -Alexey, Harlem
Steamy fantasy I would love a sauna! I fantasize about building a small one in one of my closets. It would be the perfect size for a nice, hot cocoon. I really wonder if this is something I could do. There’s nothing better than a relaxing sauna in the winter. And in the summer, it can still be used for storage, I guess! -Maria, Park Slope
If it's too hot... I’m in the process of buying my apartment and right now I’d love to build my dream kitchen in it. White cabinets, sleek white quartz counters, and a Viking range. And I’d love underfloor heating… lovely for when I get up early in the morning and make coffee. -Susan, Harlem
Window shopping I want soundproof windows to keep the noise, dirt and cold air out. Right now, it’s unbearable with the snow plows everyday, all day dragging across the streets. I work from home and I’m on the second floor. But the worst is mornings when it sounds like every car parked in the street has been snowed in and they spin their wheels for hours trying to get out of their spots. Can’t wait for the spring. -Sam, Hamilton Heights

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