One of the most critical elements of well thought out layouts for your home, have to do with traffic flow, or the path that you take as you travel though the various rooms in your home. A well designed plan will always have short hallways that connect the various rooms in the house. For instance, when entering your home, it is preferable to be able to walk to the bedrooms or kitchen without having to cross through the living room.
Storage is also another key factor of good floor planning. Your kitchen should have plenty of storage in the form of cabinet style pantry systems, and your bathroom should also have plenty of room for linen storage. Make sure every bedroom has closets that are well thought out, with enough space to store all of the clothes and extra belongings.
It is often said that good design should be described as functional design. Although finishes and design details are important, the usability of the home is something that must always be the major focus when designing layouts. Homes that will offer a practical solution to the challenges of your daily routines become much more valuable in the long term, than those that focus on purely ornamentation. When redesigning your home you have an opportunity to really impact your daily routine(see our how to planing guide), make sure you take this opportunity implement functional details. For example, imagine you always had a place to store and charge your cell phone, or hang your keys, or sort your mail. Entries spaces that plan for these details become invaluable.
Finally, although the idea of open concept designs are wonderful for most individuals and families, you must ensure that there is still an acceptable level of privacy in the home, especially for the master suite. Although hallways are often considered wasted space, and can add to your construction costs with no real gain in space, they do proved the opportunity to create buffer spaces between bedrooms and living rooms. Be very careful if you plan to have a bedroom open up right into the living room.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, you are so right. I don’t know how many new homes I’ve been in where the kitchen is all the way across the other side of the house. It is just stupid!
Good things to think about. When remodeling it is easy to forget to take time to consider how one lives vs how one want’s to live. Plan storage according you real needs. If you’ve got 45 pair of shoes plan for it. If you recycle, plan for it in your kitchen design.
Yes we are defiantly both in agreement. It always amazes me how few people really take the time to focus on planning their remodel or new build.
Thanks for your comments.