Families need a place to spend time with one another, connect, and enjoy common-ground activities. So, a family room is the perfect addition to any home. If your current home that you love lacks a designated area for this special time, then a family home addition is the perfect solution for you.
Of course, it takes time and thought to create a beautiful space that will serve your family well for years. So if you’re considering making the investment in a new home addition, here are some of our top considerations.
What to Consider in Your Home Addition’s Design
Function and Usage
At the forefront of your mind should be how your family will use the space. What kind of activities do you and your family enjoy—playing board games, watching movies, reading, or hanging out? This will determine the overall layout and design of the space.
Most family rooms are multi-functional. You’ll want to designate space and function to each type of activity you and the kids will engage in. Working with a professional design team can best help you achieve this.
Home Cohesion
Your newest addition shouldn’t feel like an afterthought. It should flow seamlessly with the rest of your home, so it’s important to consider where your addition will be located.
Are you converting an already existing room or structure? Will you be converting your attic space? Or will you need an entirely new structure built from the ground up? The best way to integrate a smooth and seamless addition is through working with a home addition professional.
Current Kids’ Age/ Future Growth
You aren’t just investing in a space for today. A family room is an investment for a lifetime. While you need to curate a usable space for your current family needs, it is also important to consider what your family will need in the future.
Keep an eye on what’s to come and how the layout of the addition you create can evolve along with your family. This will really set your investment apart from other home additions or renovation projects.
Storage
You’re going to need space to store board games, video games, extra blankets, movies, or whatever else you have in your family space. Consider installing built-in storage like closets, under bench cupboards, or a shelving unit.
The right furniture pieces can also be great storage solutions—including entertainment consoles, storage ottomans, and trunks.
Seating
Your family room may need multiple types of seating from lounging spaces to organized game table chairs. The colors, fabric choices, layout, and size of your seating all need to fit and flow throughout the space.
Again, this means taking into account the types of activities you plan for the space.
Lighting
Lighting will play an important role in the mood and function of your space. How much natural lighting does your room receive?
Natural lighting is perfect for daytime activities, but if your space doesn’t get much natural light, you’ll need to consider what kind of fixtures you need. For brightening the space, add recessed lights. For a simple light and temperature controlling solution, install a ceiling fan. And if you want lighting level options, install a dimmer.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, quality blackout shade can be used to darken a room with lots of natural lighting to enhance movie watching and game time.
Other Electrical Needs
The placement of outlets, TV aerial plugs, phone charging stations, TV stands, computer desks, and other electronic outlets needs to be considered. Their placement will greatly affect the layout of your space, so you’ll need to consider the overall room design, furniture placement, and home integration.
Design and Color Scheme
Work to create cohesion with the rest of your home, but also note that a family room may experience more wear and usage than other spaces.
Use semi-gloss or high-gloss paints, which are the easiest to wipe down and clean. Opt for a medium to darker colored flooring to hide dirt and stains. And purchase easy-to-clean furniture.
Work with a Professional Design Team to Achieve the Best Results for Your Family’s Addition
Family spaces tend to be multi-functional. They often become a mix of a TV room, game room, lounge area, or a variety of other things. So, working with a contractor that has a specialized design team is the best way to achieve the perfect addition.
A design-build team has the advantage of creating a unique space that will flow with your needs and current home, while taking into account how you will need the space to function in the future. It won’t look or function like a separate space, but will rather feel like it’s been a part of the home from the original design.
Working with a specialized design-build team also gets the job done in the simplest manner. No need to hire a designer and then hire a separate contractor! You get to work with and through the design-build process all at once.
And a good contractor will take care of obtaining the necessary licensing and permits for your space.
If you are interested in other ways to add space to your home, check out our list of other value-adding home additions.
Make the Investment in Quality Family Time
When you need a dedicated space to hang out and enjoy your family, a family room addition is the perfect investment. We want to help you make it a lasting, worthwhile investment. The Lakeside Renovation & Design team’s goal is to personally connect with you to understand your unique set of needs so we can help create the perfect addition for your family within your budget.
To see how we can help create the perfect family space, schedule a consultation.
