The Complete Guide to a Beautifully Designed Family Home Renovation
An existing house will very rarely tick all the boxes when it comes to the ‘perfect’ family home. That’s why many Perth homeowners plan a complete home renovation to configure every nook and cranny to their family’s needs.
If you’re looking to reinvent your family home, here are some of our recommendations for a complete home renovation.
Open floor design
An open floor design is common in many new homes nowadays for a multitude of reasons, but for families, there’s even more precedence.
A simple open floor design would entail linking the main living areas with no walls in-between. For example, you may like the kitchen, dining room, and main living room all connected. It’s also worth having the backyard door linked at one end to allow a seamless transition.
For families, this house design is perfect as you can maintain a clear line of sight between all the main living areas. With the right windows, you can also see the backyard and/or pool from the comfort of the couch or dining room table. An open floor design with the right windows also allows the best use of natural light, reducing the need for lighting in every room during the day.
Another key benefit of an open floor living area is the enhanced social aspect. Whether it’s for the family to easily interact between the main rooms, or for more open space when entertaining, an open floor design is perfect for a complete home renovation.
A bedroom each
If you’ve had kids for a while, you’ll understand the benefit of separating the sleeping arrangement.
For those looking to craft a family home for the first time with a complete home renovation – plan ahead!
If you’ve got 2 small children, aim to build 3 or more kid’s bedrooms in case your family grows. For the time being, the spare room can be used for relatives or other visitors who stay over.
Ensure each room has the space and functionality that you’ll need down the track, including storage space, power points, window coverings, etc.
Also allow room for a desk if there’s no dedicated study room in the house – or add a study room/nook during your complete home renovation.
Big bathrooms
Another godsend for families with multiple children, big bathroom or multiple bathrooms for the kids will save a lot of hassle when preparing for the day. If there’s only room for one large bathroom, allow plenty of floor space and upgrade to a double vanity so there’s no line for the sink!
For the teenagers and young adults in the house, they’ll likely want the bathroom to themselves at times, so consider two smaller bathrooms down their end of the house.
Likewise, if you’ve got a large family, an extra toilet goes a long way. Younger children tend to wait until the last minute before running to the toilet, so let’s not keep them waiting!
Hard wearing finishes where possible
When planning a complete home renovation for the family, it’s important to consider the materials used for finishes. The bigger the family, the more wear and tear on the floors, furniture, and other finishes. For this reason, it’s worth implementing sturdy and long-lasting materials that require less maintenance.
It’s best to avoid light coloured kitchen cabinets, fabric finishes on furniture, and authentic wood floors. As nice as these look and feel, they’re tougher to clean after a child has passed by.
The finishes should also be child-safe if you have little ones in the house. This means reducing sharp corners where possible and utilising non-slip tiles and steps, amongst other things.
If you need some more child-safe ideas for your complete home renovation, get in touch with our team of renovation design experts.
Mud room and large laundry
More people mean more clothes and more laundry to do, so ensure it’s big enough to include the machines you require.
A common addition to the laundry in a family home is a ‘mud room’. This genius room extension is a tiled space between the laundry and an exterior door which allows space to remove shoes and dry off upon entering the house. This space can be enhanced with a floor mat, towels, and even a bench for additional comfort.
For the pet owners, this room is great for the doggy door, dog bed, and can be closed off from the rest of the house with the laundry door.
Theatre and games room
To prevent the living and dining room becoming a playpen, make sure there’s a games room for all the children’s toys. A games room is far easier to monitor than a children’s bedroom, so encourage this open space as the play area, and link it to an exterior door for the added space.
Down the track, you may like to convert the games room into a theatre/leisure room, or a home gym, depending on what your family needs. Alternatively, expand your house to include a games room, theatre room, and home gym, all in one complete home renovation!
Plenty of storage
A theme to carry throughout the house is to make sure there’s enough storage space. This applies to bedrooms so that all clothing and other knickknacks have a home. It also applies to the bathroom, laundry, kitchen, and games room. On top of these, you should ensure ample storage space for the bigger items like a vacuum cleaner in a dedicated storage room, and outdoor equipment in a shed or garage extension.
Large multi-functional backyard
When homeowners think of a complete home renovation, they often exclude the backyard from their plans. In reality, the backyard is a key part of the family home, and the more useful it is, the more your children and visitors will want to be out there.
A versatile backyard with grass, gardens, and an entertaining area can encourage children to get outside and play. It also provides an attractive entertaining space for family events, and a great area for the family dog. Although you can’t magically extend your property for a bigger yard, there are many ways to make it more appealing and useful.
If you want to extend your house floor space with a complete home renovation, but don’t have the yard space to give up, consider a second storey addition. This provides the room additions you desire, without jeopardising the backyard.
Parent’s retreat
To many experienced parents, this is the icing on the cake for a complete home renovation or extension. A parent’s retreat or ‘quiet space’ is necessary after a long day at work or whenever the rest of the house is bustling.
This is a very popular second storey addition request in Perth, with parents wanting a bedroom and relaxing space that’s separate from the rest of the house.
For the considerate parents out there, you may opt for a ‘teenager’s retreat’ instead. We guarantee your teenagers will love you for it!
Personalising your complete home renovation
Crafting your perfect family home isn’t out of reach in Perth. If you’ve got an old house that needs a makeover or a small house that needs more space, chat to the team at Nexus Homes Group and get your complete home renovation or extension planning underway.