Due to various reasons, many families opt for multigenerational living arrangements. This arrangement brings children, grandchildren and grandparents all under one roof at the same time – and can be an incredibly rewarding way to foster family bonds and promote familial closeness. Care must also be taken when planning this kind of living situation to balance both private and communal spaces accordingly.
Pocket doors, acoustic insulation and soundproof walls can help ensure privacy for everyone in a multigenerational household. However effective multigenerational design must also allow for adaptability.
Define Private Spaces
No matter if you are designing a multigenerational living house or renovating an existing property, balancing privacy with congregation is of utmost importance. One way of accomplishing this is creating separate spaces that provide some level of separation for different family members – for instance, private suites for parents or grandparents could help reduce stairs as a form of retreat from other members of your household.
Additionally, it is key to define boundaries for shared spaces to facilitate an easy transition from private and communal areas. Installing a frosted glass door, screen or curtain in a bathroom allows residents to close off their personal space while still having direct access to shared amenities; ventilation should also be ensured while grab bars provide safety for older adults or those with mobility restrictions. By making these small adjustments you can create a home that embodies family unity while still affording personal privacy.
Create Shared Spaces
No matter their ages or lifestyles, all family members need quiet spaces to recharge and reflect. A home designer can help families strike a balance between private and shared spaces by designing “quiet zones” within the house where residents can escape from daily life to focus on reading, meditation or other personal endeavors.
Remodeling for accessibility and safety should also be an integral component of a multigenerational home. By adding features like ramps, wide doors, and non-slip flooring, all family members will be able to move around freely and without fear of injury.
Multigenerational living is on the rise, as many families eschew the old saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ and find it more practical to cohabitate together. If you’re thinking of building or renovating your home to accommodate multiple generations, read on for our key principles and room-by-room guide on creating a multi-generational home where everyone feels at home.
Create Flexibility
Multigenerational living was already an established trend before COVID-19’s pandemic escalation; however, due to this event, it has taken on greater significance. Whether this means elderly parents moving in with adult children, young adults returning home after college or career change or extended visits by friends and family – the goal should always be connection without intruding on privacy.
Flexible rooms in your house can help meet these evolving needs, for instance, an office can easily become a bedroom. Installing structural integrity behind walls to prepare for future grab bars is another effective strategy that prepares homes to accommodate families’ evolving requirements over time.
An experienced architect can assess your family’s specific multigenerational living requirements and design a home to accommodate them for generations to come. By taking these important factors into account during construction, everyone in your household can remain happy and content living together – this truly represents family.
Design for Aging in Place
No matter if they’re renovating an existing home or designing one from the ground up, architects can help clients prepare for their future through aging-in-place design. This goes beyond standard renovations like grab bars and stair railings to include features that make living at home easier for people with limited mobility – for instance, zero-step entrances, wider doors and hallways, lever faucets instead of knobs on faucets, non-slip flooring, etc.
Younger clients may resist including age-in-place features in their new homes due to either not believing they will need them or believing age-friendly modifications are too ugly, but experienced designers can turn these features into stylish design elements that add style and beauty to the space.
As an alternative to the typical tube grab bar, homeowners can choose decorative wood or driftwood grab bars instead. Furthermore, closets that can convert to elevator shafts provide more flexibility within multi-story homes and prevent costly renovation costs in the future.
