If you have a growing family and you’re planning to build a new custom home or remodel your current space, this is a great opportunity to design the beautiful home of your dreams while also incorporating functional and practical design-build features your whole family will love for years to come. If you’re wondering how to make the most of this opportunity and make sure you get things just right for your unique family needs, we’ve got you covered.
Here are our top suggestions for design-build features your family will love:
1. Large, Multifunctional Spaces
However much space you have in your home, make the most of it by making certain rooms do double or triple duty. Depending on your specific needs, you can easily turn larger areas like the dining room, living room, and spare room into multipurpose spaces for the whole family—such as family/play area or dining/homework area, or living/entertainment/game room. Look at the edges and corners of larger rooms for opportunities to create more intimate areas where a day bed, reading nook, or desk can go. For small to medium areas, use functional but stylish storage options and fold-away furniture to create multi-use rooms such as a guest room/craft room/gym or even a “cloffice” (closet/office).
2. Retreat Rooms
Let’s face it, kids are great, but they’re also messy and noisy. So, while large, multifunctional spaces are great for families, architects and homebuilders also recommend having flexible smaller rooms adjacent to the main living area. A separate office or playroom can help give parents some peace and quiet and create a little more sanity to an often busy, messy life with children. When the kids get older, it can also work as a quiet room where anybody can escape to take a phone call, study, or read.
3. Functional Family Kitchens
The kitchen is typically the heart of the home, and the most-used room in the family home—so an all-inclusive, functional kitchen is key to family-friendly living. The most functional family kitchens include a breakfast area, computer/homework station, and an island where everyone can grab a quick bite. You may also want to include lower cabinets where you can stock appropriate snacks and items for little ones as they develop their independence. Butler’s pantries are another fun bonus if you can swing it, as they provide a walk-in space where messy, everyday kitchen activities can be kept out of sight.
4. Bathrooms that Make Sharing Easy
For shared bathrooms, it’s best to keep the design as simple, functional, and clutter-free as possible. For families where small children are sharing bathrooms with older kids or adults, adjustable shower-heads are a great way to go. You can also take advantage of technology that will make everyone’s life easier and safer here by adding digital showers with temperature control settings and push buttons instead of fiddly levers. As with all small rooms, finding fun and easy storage options is a must in shared baths too.
5. Mudroom/Laundry Combo
Laundry rooms are standard in most homes these days, but why not make this room really work for your family by making it a mudroom, pet area, and/or storage space too? Ideally, this room should be located near an outside entrance or the garage—or better yet, give it its own separate entrance. This is a much better spot for dropping backpacks and muddy sports equipment than, say, your kitchen or family room. Another fun bonus idea if you can swing it is to incorporate an old-fashioned laundry chute that connects near kids’ rooms upstairs so they can toss dirties down the chute themselves (who said laundry can’t be fun?).
Are you ready to create a home that truly works for your growing family? Chris Riggins Construction can help! We are a family-operated remodeling contractor located in Coastal Orange County, California. We do home additions as well as new home builds and whole home remodeling. Chris and his team can add a bedroom, bath, home extension, mudroom, and more. Whatever your family needs, we can create it and custom tailor it to your specific needs and desires.
Contact Us today — we are happy to help you on your journey toward a more functional, happy, and beautiful family home.
