If you’re building your dream home, you likely have visions of luxurious finishes and high-end design. Your kids probably have something much different in mind. You’ll need to make sure your home works for all of your family members, but you don’t need to sacrifice grown-up sophistication for childhood fun. A few design tweaks are all you need to keep family members of all ages happy.
Build A Mudroom
Childhood is fun, but it’s also messy at times. Avoiding life’s little messes altogether is impossible, so give them a mudroom instead. Designed for easy cleaning, a mudroom is a perfect place to drop mud-caked shoes and soggy wet clothes. You can keep your space basic or add your laundry room to the area so dirty clothes never make it further into your home. For the ultimate mudroom, add a small shower or dog washing station to keep both your human and fur babies from spreading dirt through your home.
A Roomy Kitchen
When planning your house construction with children in mind, remember that not every meal will be a lavish dinner party. A formal dining room is excellent, but you probably won’t use it on those frantic mornings when someone sleeps late. Make sure you have a place in your kitchen for casual family dinners and after-school snacks. Ensuring that your kitchen has a roomy layout will also make it easier for maneuvering with the whole family inside, or when the kids want to help make dinner. Many people do this by having the kitchen and dining area connected with no separating wall and an island counter. This keeps the kids in plain sight while you’re doing meal prep, and prevents the kitchen from feeling too crowded.
The Right Finishes
The right finishes are crucial to keeping your new home looking good as your children grow. If you want stainless steel kitchen appliances, opt for a smudge-proof finish to hide little fingerprints. Granite countertops are a great way to cover up stains and spills with a classy and easy to clean surface. Tile floors are also very easy to clean and maintain. If you’re opting for wood, however, consider getting recycled timber, as it’s more durable than new wood due to the compression it goes through in processing. Having a solid finish over the wood will help it last longer, as well, and still, maintain that softer feel that you don’t get from the tile.
The Open Floor Plan Done Right
As previously mentioned, an open floor plan gives you excellent visibility and makes it easier to keep an eye on the kids while getting things done. Critics of an open plan, however, correctly point out that open sightlines work both ways. You can keep an eye on the kids, but scattered toys and dirty dishes are laid bare for your guests to see. To combat this problem, consider a layout that allows for pocket doors to hide messes and make sure your design features plenty of storage. Creative storage solutions make a quick pre-company cleanup easy.
Even well-behaved children have accidents and create some wear and tear along the way. When planning your custom home, incorporate ways to deal with life’s little surprises rather than hoping you’ll somehow avoid them all. With a bit of planning, you can build a home where you and your children can both live comfortably and enjoy your space.
