What to Consider When Designing a Family Sized Home

Way back when, a standard-sized home in Perth was made up of three bedrooms, one bathroom, and the living area. If more space was required as the family grew, an extra room was added on but more often then not, bunk beds were the solution!

As times change, so does the standard of living and now the expectation of a family home is much bigger. Four bedrooms, which would include a fabulous master suite with private ensuite plus the shared bathroom, home theatre separate to the family living area, outdoor living alfresco, a stand out kitchen, and of course an impressive elevation.

With lot sizes decreasing, how do you have it all?

Two Storey Design

The most popular choice is a two storey home design, this means no matter whether your block is narrow, square, or even house behind a house you can have a design that fits. By choosing to build a double storey home you don’t have to make the choice between internal living areas and outdoor space, you can have it all. And when you choose a builder like Residential Building WA, you have the choice of 60+ double storey home designs which can be built better, faster and for less. The best part is, if these designs aren’t quite what you’re looking for, you can work together with an award-winning design team to create your own home design!

Family Lifestyle

When you begin thinking about designing your new home, think about the size of your family, if it’s likely to grow in the near future, the needs of young children vs teenagers, and how your family likes to live on a day to day basis. This will impact how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need, their size, and also where they will be on the plan. Older children will want their own space but you might prefer to keep younger children close by, perhaps by dedicating the second storey to your family’s quiet zone.

Are you a home chef or a novice in the kitchen? A scullery for all of your gadgets, dishwasher, and fridge/freezer would be handy, but if you prefer a simpler approach to meal preparation then it might not be practical for you. Regardless of your culinary skills, the kitchen is usually a great spot for the family to gather at the beginning or end of the day so an island bench with enough room for everyone can be key for family bonding.

Do you enjoy entertaining and spending time outdoors? You might require a larger than usual alfresco space with an outdoor kitchen, or if you’re a bit of a green thumb then a bigger garden might more your style? And how about the dog and/or cat, what do you need to consider for your fur babies? Or is a cubby house and swing set for your children a necessity?

Once you’ve thought about your lifestyle, you’ll be in a much better position to start talking to your builder about a design that will be tailored to you.

Savvy Design

Once you’ve completed your planning stage, next comes design. This is when you put into action the lifestyle requirements of your family, and begin to incorporate spaces to suit, such as a home theatre, office or study nook, indulgent master suite with stunning ensuite, impressive kitchen.

And the savvy space saving ideas to help you keep your home organised. If you have school-aged children, a mudroom or drop zone might be key to keeping coats and schoolbags off the dining room table. If you have an overflow of toddler toys, under the stairs is a fantastic space to utilise for storage. And for particularly outdoorsy families, the garage can be designed to allow for racks to accommodate bikes and camping gear.

Don’t forget about your laundry as this can be another key storage zone. Design the space for maximum functionality to include a colour sorting laundry hamper, a hanging rail to dry or air clothes, lot’s of storage, and a floor to ceiling cupboard with an electrical point to house your stick vacuum, ironing board, and mop.

Make the most of your double storey plans.

The key to a true family home is to create a warm feel with plenty of space, and a natural flow where your family has room to grow in comfort for many years to come. The team at Residential Building WA is proud to create award-winning client homes that reflect style and quality in a double storey home that’s surprisingly affordable. Contact us to learn more about Residential Building WA and tell us how we can help you get into your new family home.