Kitchen: For most families, the kitchen is the most highly trafficked area of a home. If your family is outgrowing the size of your kitchen you might find the space you need in adjacent rooms. Many kitchens, especially in older homes, are built with a dinette area or breakfast room. Likewise, formal dining rooms are often the least used rooms in a home. If they are not load bearing, the walls that separate these areas can be removed so that both rooms are incorporated into one to give your kitchen a more spacious feel. If the dividing wall is load bearing, you can still combine the rooms, but will have to incorporate some header and support beams into the design. Home Office: Have you ever heard of an "offet"? An "offet" is a home office that has been created out of a closet. Whether you work from home or just need an area to keep household paperwork, bills, etc., consider converting a closet into a home office. A walk-in closet of sufficient square footage would be the obvious choice, but even a standard three-foot deep closet can be used. To maximize space, construct a desk in the closet with one or two fold-up wings. To use the desk, simply open the closet doors, fold down the wings, and you have your desk space. Mudroom: Most families with children, particularly younger ones, can appreciate the benefits of a mudroom. Coats, backpacks, boots, and sports equipment all have a place that is out of the way and easily accessible. Often, extra space for a mudroom can be found by stealing a little room from an attached garage. It is generally an entry point to the home and overrun with clutter that could convert into valuable space. Select a corner of the garage that is adjacent to the house and enclose it with two additional walls. Raise the floor up in this area with new joists to put the new room at the same level as the existing house. One wall can be used for closet space and another for cubbies and/or hooks. Since a mudroom constructed from an attached garage may be cooler than the rest of the house, insulate and heat the room well. Radiant heat that warms the floor may also be a good option for this area. Install a weather proof and fire resistant door to the exterior of your home and maybe add a portico to create a visually appealing side entrance. Outdoor Sheds: You may find the extra living space your family needs right outside your back door. With a growing number of Gen-Y-er's looking for jobs and living at home longer, work at home parents in need of office space, and/or senior citizens looking for a place to live that is close to family, sheds can be an ideal option. If local zoning laws in your area allow it, an outdoor shed with the proper plumbing and wiring can be just the added space your family needs. And, several manufacturers produce modular, pre-wired abodes that come with everything but the contractor to install them. Article reproduced with permission from www.homeownersreferral.com. |
