Choosing a new home can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to know exactly what you should be looking for in good home design. One thing to look for when shopping for a new home is ‘Flexible Living.’ A home with flexible living will not only work for your family now, but will also work for your family in the future. That office may seem like a great idea now, but if you have another family member move in and need to convert that office into another bedroom, it’s best if that office already had a closet and window.
Flexible living areas allow your home to adjust as your life evolves or changes. Children moving out of your home, temporary visitors, crafts or hobbies and a home based business necessitate rooms to serve dual purpose for temporary periods of time.
Here are some areas of the home that are commonly build without flexibility that you may want to reconsider; the flex room, the pantry, lofts, and basements.
On the main floor you should look at the spare room, or flex room, and ensure that it can not only be used as an office, but can also be used as a spare bedroom. Generally the flex room has no set purpose and does not include a closet, and sometimes doesn’t even have a window. In that situation, you’re not likely going to be able to turn the room into a spare bedroom. By adding a closet and window to the room you’ve nearly doubled the rooms possibilities. If there’s a nook in the room, it would also be a great place for a reading area or yoga room.
Also on the main floor, is the pantry. If the pantry has a decent amount of space, adequate shelving, and some electrical outlets it can be used as, not only a place to store food, but as a place to store appliances and prepare food as well. If you have enough room you can even add a vegetable sink, this means that the mess you make preparing a meal can be hidden away behind a closed door when you’re entertaining.
Lofts or furnished attics are a great addition to any home as they have amazing flexibility. The loft could be an area for quiet reading, a tv room, an office, or even a spare bedroom! The lofts purpose is generally set by what furniture you place into it.
A furnished basement is one of the most cost efficient spaces in the home and there are tons of options available for these spaces. Basement rooms can be used as a storage room, exercise room, home theater, wetbar and game room, craft area, workshop, and more! One of the best things about these basement rooms, is that if you want to hide the mess, you simply have to shut the door!
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