If you are designing your forever home, we have a few ideas that you may want to integrate into the home’s design. Keep in mind, we are thinking forever home here, so while you may not “get it” at the age of 45, believe me, it will make sense when you are 60 and struggling to get up and down those steps. You obviously will not be able to incorporate them all into your home design, so pick some of your favorites, as long as the budget allows you to, and have a conversation with your residential construction project manager on getting the designer to work them into the plans.
We will be covering this topic all week, so if you do not see something you like today, keep checking back for new ideas.
Mudroom
I will be honest, I never knew the glory of a mudroom until I had one. This is a small feature, but boy does it make a huge difference in your entryway. Being a golfer, I had a space to accommodate my clubs and shoes built into the mudroom. Even a basic one, however, offers a great place for coats, shoes, and extra storage, not to mention an area to clean off the wet dog or those muddy shoes before entering the home. If you have multiple entrances that are used in the home, have multiple mudrooms to accommodate everyone.
Home Office
More and more people are working from home these days and if you are doing that, you are going to need a dedicated space for it. I am not talking about a corner of the living room or a desk that is set up in the bedroom, but an actual office, a workspace, that makes you feel as though you are walking into a professional office when you arrive. You can store all your work papers, set up a nice big desk, and, most importantly, have a private room to work in and take business calls. When I am working, I have a sign that goes up the door and everyone knows not to so much as knock on that door to disturb me.
Dedicated Laundry Room
Where you put this is going to be up to you, but I prefer it to be as close to where I generate my laundry, so I want it on the same floor as the master bedroom. This way, you are not carrying heavy laundry bags or baskets up and down steps. Roll that basket right into the laundry room and get to work.
The room should also have plenty of storage for supplies, room for a folding table, an iron, and possibly even a rack to hold anything that needs to go up on hangars right away. In mine, we also keep a vacuum and storage bags for when the seasons change and we need to store blankets and clothing to save space. You may even consider a TV to keep yourself entertained and a small fridge to keep some water in so you stay hydrated while cranking out all that laundry.