Your home is a more than a place you and your family reside. It’s a place where good times are shared, memories are made and quality time spent with the people you love are in abundance. It involves places where everyone meets at the dinner table after a long day of work or school and breaks bread while catching up on their days.
A family-friendly and functional home is optimal. Your home is a representation of yourself and should be a warm, inviting space where you can take shelter and recharge your batteries when the day is done. Each member of your family will have specific needs and wants when it comes to the home and these must be taken into consideration when customising your home for your family.
Know Your Environment
Knowing your environment can really make a difference. Designing your house, making the most use of natural light will benefit you and your family in many ways. For starters it will cut down on the electricity bill and your family will be receiving the health benefits of the sun’s vitamin D rays. Also knowing which direction, the breeze is going is also a great way of taking advantage nature and keeping your house fresh and cool. Utilising the environment and designing your house in accordance with the sun and the breeze will ensure your home fresh and filled with light. It will also give you an idea of what type of blinds you need or maybe even tinting on the glass sliding doors.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most important places in the house. After all, it’s where most of the activity is in the morning, as everybody gets ready for work and school and at night time as dinner is prepared for the family meal.
I like to keep my kitchen nice and open. I have an island in the middle with burners and a large breakfast bar for my family to chill at and maybe catch up while cooking and munching on snacks. Storage is important and I like the idea of hanging my pots above the cooktop above the island. Your kitchen should have a nice view of the yard or some outdoor area and this can be created by using large open windows.
I’m a big believer in open plan living as it makes for a more communal atmosphere. So, the kitchen and dining room should be an open plan without too much separation. Basically, it’s one large room only sectioned off by the differing furniture.
Recreation Stations
If you have children, recreation stations such as a study, library or multimedia room are essential. I like to make these space a little closed off from the rest of the house for privacy and peace and quiet. A media room is a great spot for family movie nights and if you’re serious about your movies (and no doubt the kids will love video games) it might be worth investing in some acoustic panels to get the most out of your sound system and get the full cinematic experience.
Study areas are great. A nook near or around the kitchen is a good spot for the study area, especially if you have young children. You will be able to keep an eye on them while preparing dinner and you will be right there if they need help. It also keeps the traffic going to the kitchen, so you always have the opportunity to have a chat.
Utilising Space
It’s not how much you have – it’s how you use it. I’m a bit of a minimalist. I try to keep all furnishing to a minimal, practical level. If it doesn’t get used, it goes, or I won’t buy it in the first place. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that they have to fill their house up with furniture. Practical furniture placed well should create a nice flow and inviting vibe into your house for all your family to enjoy.
If you have small children, you will want to able to keep a watchful eye on them as they are playing in the backyard. Having big windows in the kitchen and dining room should allow for this. I like to have privacy in my backyard so I opt for a high fence and a big gate. It also doubles as a safety net, so children can play freely in the backyard.
When the children are young you might want to have their bedroom right next to yours. But as they get older they may want some independence and a little bit of freedom. So once your children have grown up a bit, turn the nursery into a study or office. It’s a good foresight for the young family.
Making your home family friendly is pretty easy. Keep the common areas nice and open plan and but also have space for privacy as well. Thinking about children and how they will grow up and their needs will change should be taken into account. If you bear in mind these tips you can’t go wrong.