Designing a family-friendly home might seem like an uphill challenge, especially for first-time property owners. The roofing material, wall structure and type of flooring are some of the obvious factors that need addressing in a home construction. However, there are a lot of other features you’ll need to give a lot of thought.
For instance, how much space are you willing to set aside for your children to play and store their toys? The living room should be large enough to accommodate both the family and visitors. Which kind of kitchen layout are you thinking?
Keep in mind, though, your home design can have a huge impact on pest control and other unforeseen issues during or after the build process. Basically, you’ll not only need to have a design that allows for the everyday family functions you need but also one that’s practical for your budget.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of design elements that you need to keep a closer eye on for any construction project you’ll have for a family-friendly home, whether it’s yours or flipping another for profit. Read on to learn more!
1. The layout
Any building construction will always start with its layout. The initial layout gives you an idea how the final product is going to look like and whether your budget will be able to fund the whole project.
Are you designing a family home for the first time? Here are some key elements to contemplate:
An open plan to enhance family togetherness
One thing you should always consider is how the whole building can enhance family togetherness. You may want a layout that clearly defines every room but also gives everyone a chance to interact with one another. Most modern homes have adopted large open kitchens, dining areas and living area plans to this end.
If you’re still not sure which option to go with, open plan should be among your top choices. Additional things to ponder on regarding an open plan layout should be the lighting, external view and practicality.
Private spaces
Inasmuch as an open plan would be ideal for a family, closed spaces are also needed. You’d want to have rooms where either of the members can have their privacy, which is important in any family. For one, bedrooms should be designed in such a way that each family member can retreat to quite environments after a busy day. Remember to also add a den and a study for the same purpose.
Closer eye on the kids
Whether there are kids during the design process or not, this should always be considered. Every parent would want to keep an eye on their kids – both young and older ones. Here you might want to have a clear sight to your garden. Also, think of bedroom locations to make it easier for you to oversee your kids’ activities.
2. Construction material
As mentioned earlier, some home designs may affect your pest control strategies. One factor that plays a huge role here is the material used for designing various sections of the house. For instance, what you use and how you construct the walls may either enhance or hinder your regular termite inspection procedures.
One thing you need to understand about these destructive organisms is that they mostly need wood for their survival. It can be quite difficult to notice termite infestations until substantial structural damage appears in your home. Inasmuch as it’s difficult to keep them away, sometimes your design options could be a contributing factor.
In your design process, you’ll need to think about the type of material you’re going to use for your walls, doors and floors. However, building materials could vary from one room to another. For instance, some flooring materials might work best for the kitchen and living room but may not fit your kids’ rooms.
3. Enough storage area
As you design a family-friendly home, you must remember to add storage spaces. Remember, since you have children in the picture, storage areas shouldn’t only be limited to wardrobes and your other possessions. You’ll need an area where kids can also store their things such as toys and bikes without cluttering the place.
Of course, breaking up the rooms into functional spaces can be quite helpful. Design closets to store clothes, shoes and other related things. If you have enough space for an attic, you can also use this for storage. You might need a little creativity to make this a success.
4. Raise the ceiling
As earlier mentioned, you might need more space for your attic to increase your home’s storage capacity. The best way to make this possible is by raising the height of the ceiling during your construction process. This is something that should be sorted during the design stage because it’s dependent on the overall height of the building. Having a tall roof gives you enough space to raise the ceiling.
The benefits of this design are not only limited to storage. With a high ceiling, you’ll be creating a conducive environment for your family as it improves the air circulation within the rooms. It’s even more advantageous for people living in hot, humid regions. On a hot Saturday afternoon, you won’t have to overwork your air conditioner to maintain an optimal temperature.
It’s also a lot safer for young kids, especially if they have double-decker beds in their bedrooms. Do you want to hang your wall decor? A raised ceiling gives you enough space along the walls to put up decorations. They’ll also be high enough to prevent your children from messing with them.
5. Children’s play area
If you’re designing a home for a family with young children, it’s important you consider a space for kids’ activities. Children spend a lot of time playing, which is part of their growing-up years. Any family-friendly home should have a separate room or area to accommodate more than just their playtime.
Of course, having an entire room set aside for this is a good idea. For one, it’ll also help with the storage of sustainable toys Australia and learning materials like building blocks or flash cards. But then again, it’d be ideal to clearly set aside space or separate the storage area from the rest of the room.
Another option would be to design a space just outside the house like a shed. This is ideal to encourage your children to spend time away from home electronics, explore outside and even enjoy a little bit of sunlight as they play. Having both sections in a home is a great option, though, because children could get bored quickly staying in one place.
6. Room locations
It might seem like a no-brainer, but the location of every room is very important in a family-friendly design. By this, we mean a design that considers the needs of every member of the family and reduces the chances of these needs clashing with each other.
For instance, children can get noisy during playtime. At the same time, parents might be working from home. In such a scenario, having a home office with soundproof walls and doors is the best idea. But you can make it even better by considering where each room goes. Of course, bedrooms can be located in one section, but you can also use them to separate the home office from the living room.
In the end, it all depends on what you or your clients prefer, but the idea remains the same. While you’re at it, make sure the children’s playing area and the office are separated by a few rooms between. Basically, what you should thrive to achieve is to separate the quite areas from those that are likely to be noisy.
7. Home ventilation
As mentioned earlier, the height of the ceiling will definitely help with air circulation. However, that’s not enough to keep rooms cool, healthy and comfortable. Since this is a family home, it’s always going to host multiple people at a time. Therefore, every room should have proper ventilation system to allow fresh air.
Apart from the dedicated ventilation systems, the design and location of the windows can also play a role in the same. Make sure that when the windows are opened during the day, they provide fresh air circulation but aren’t the source of any distractions, especially for workspaces.
8. Budget
Finally, it’s all about what you’ve got in your bank account. How much are you or your client willing to spend on the construction project? Obviously, the larger the home, the more you’re going to spend. With such a project, the cost of the materials, for one, will be high because you’ll need them for your house’s structure and other sections.
But it’s more than just the size of the house. Some smaller designs can also be expensive basically because they require expensive materials. Also, be sure to consider the cost of labor. Finding a good contractor can be quite tough, especially for a first-timer. But among the things you’ll need to consider are their charges, experience and competence.
Conclusion
Designing a family-friendly home can be quite demanding and daunting because it requires you put a little more thought to it than regular residential buildings. For one, you’ll need to consider the kids’ rooms, which include their play area and storage section.
The location of each room should also be considered to avoid unnecessary distractions. All these plans, however, should be done within the available budget. As such, you should be well-informed about the cost of everything, from the materials to the labor.