As the family unit grows and
evolves, rather than going through the headaches of selling their existing home
and buying one that more suits their needs, more families are looking to adapt
their current one. Even first time home buyers anticipate changing needs, and look
for homes with what I call flex space:
rooms that are versatile and can readily be adjusted to fit the needs of a
changing family and serve multiple purposes.
Alternately, families are looking to
downsize. A smaller home has an even greater need for flex space. Every family
member needs their own “escape space”.
A second bedroom multi-tasks as guest
room and home office. Instead of decorating with a queen or two twin beds, a
trundle takes up far less space. It serves as a sofa, and leaves space for a
desk, storage, computer, and extra pull up chairs.
A living room corner is a perfect
place to create a cozy reading area. A chair, ottoman, and reading lamp create
an area to sit quietly and enjoy solitude. It gives more life to a living room
that so often sits empty. The ottoman can be moved around, providing extra
seating when entertainint. Placing a table with four small pull up chairs under
a window or behind a sofa, instead of a console, designates a place for playing
cards or board games.
Bedrooms are where your day begins
and ends. Most of us limit the room to sleeping, perhaps some reading or
watching a little TV in bed before drifting off to sleep. Most of my clients’
bedrooms have a lot of underutilized space. Even clients who are downsizing,
continue to furnish their bedrooms traditionally, wasting precious square
footage with dressers, highboys, and other unnecessary furniture. I like to
design rooms to serve multiple purposes. It’s my job to assist clients in
developing a mindset to eliminate the “bedroom set”, and create a more useful
space.
By replacing oversized, unnecessary
furnishings with two comfortable chairs and an ottoman that doubles as a low
table, I created a cozy conversation area. There’s now additional “escape
space” in the bedroom
when company takes over the library
and living room… or simply an extra place to sit quietly.
Having your closets organized with
built-ins is a great investment. You’ll be amazed at the extra space you’ll
have. By placing more things in your closets, furniture pieces can be
eliminated, leaving extra square footage for a desk, dressing table, or
conversation area.
Although new homebuyers are looking
for formal dining rooms, many families that have large eat-in kitchens, and design
an elegant setting for dining. The dining room is repurposed into a media room,
den, or library. I hung an elegant glass and crystal chandelier over an antique
walnut table in a client’s kitchen, added beautifully upholstered chairs, and
voila, a stunning dining space was created. The dining room was converted into a
media room with plentiful comfortable seating, layers of window treatments for
total light control, and nested tables to move around as needed.
Furnishing a child’s bedroom with
bunk beds, or loft bed with a desk underneath leaves plenty of space for a play
area, eliminating the need for a separate playroom. It keeps all the toys in
one room, and the rest of your home in order.
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| There's plenty of storage space under the sinks |
Bathrooms are another room in the
home where I see a lot of wasted space. The current trend for floating vanities
and vessel sinks leaves the space underneath the sinks empty. Wicker drawers
hold a lot of necessities. Rolled up towels tucked into baskets are attractive
and don’t take away from the look. Floating wall shelves hold extra bottles of
shampoo and liquid soap. Transfer them from their store packaging into pretty
plastic dispensers available in kitchen and bath departments.
Flex Space can be a den, library,
office, playroom, media room, finished basement, etc. Few homes offer this
feature, yet these options are what savvy home buyers are looking for. Does
your home have an attic, unused basement, extra bedroom or 'bonus room' that
adds additional value to your property? Let Robin Lechner Designs carve out a
Flex Space in your home that is for sale or rent.
Screens offer a simple solution for delineating space. Use them as room separators, to close off a study area, or add a little privacy.
The photo below is of an open concept living-dining room.
How would you organize the space to accomodate an entertainment center, seating and relaxing, and dining?
Use your imagination and send your ideas to:
Robin@robinlechnerdesigns.com
I look forward to assisting you with your projects. Call
with your questions and ideas: 631-848-8469
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