Home Improvement Blog

Posts Tagged ‘home planning’

The main activities of the household usually take place in the living room, where members of the family meet, work, read, pursue hobbies, listen to music, watch television or entertain friends. If it is going to accommodate all these comfortably, it must be efficient and adaptable, so choose the room you want to use and all its components with great care.

Creating space
First look closely at the existing living area and decide whether this could be allocated to a more suitable room in the house. Up to the time of our grandparents, sitting rooms were often on an upper floor and work areas were consigned to the lower level where there was less light and more noise and fumes. If your ground floor comprises a kitchen, living room and dining room, it might be possible for the living room to change places with the first floor master bedroom where daylight is not so necessary. You can contact a surveyor or architect if you want to knocking two rooms into one room for living room.

Using color
Color can make a great difference to the feeling of any room, but the important thing with the living room is to decorate with shades and patterns that are relaxing and easy to live with. This is not the the place to indulge your fantasy for dark brown or bright pink walls, the immediate effect might be dazzling, but it is unlikely you will comfortable with it for several hours each day and over a long period of time.

Choosing furniture
The particular pieces of furniture needed for this room will differ widely with the age, interests and number of people who will be using it; the needs of a young couple in their first home will be very different from those of a large family plus, possibly, an elderly relative. The basic requirements are seating, storage, occasional tables and any equipment needed for entertaining. Read the rest of this entry »

You will probably find your home will be run more efficiently and is easier to keep tidy and free from clutter if you are able to set aside a single room or even screen off a corner for the various chores and family activities which would otherwise encroach on valuable living space.

Jobs such as washing, drying, ironing and mending clothes must be done with unfortunate regularity, but they will seem less tedious if they do not involve moving around furniture or equipment or any special preparation of materials. In addition family members who pursue such messy hobbies as model making or carpentry would appreciate somewhere to work where they could leave their equipment out overnight or at least for a few hours without interfering with meals or other family activities. Children whose play consists of setting up battles between toy soldiers or running model trains all over the floor would also be pleased with this facility.

Location
The first thing you will have to sort out is a location for your utility room. There could be a small larder near the kitchen which might cater for at least some of the functions we have mentioned, alternatively you may find sacrificing a downstairs WC and wash room might be worthwhile in terms of the convenience and efficiency gained. This location would also have an advantage in that the water and waste facilities necessary for a laundry would already be laid on. In either of these areas you can gain a great deal of space by rehanging the door so it opens outwards or by fitting a sliding or folding version.

An extra large kitchen can either have one end or corner screened off or be permanently partitioned to form a new room. Here again, plumbing facilities should not present any difficulties.

If there are no problems with access, a clean, dry basement would also make a useful place to set up such a general purpose room. As long as you can make adequate arrangements for plumbing, drainage and ventilation, this situation is ideal since it would prevent the noise and disruption of a wash day from disturbing the rest of the household. Likewise it would be far enough away from the bustle of family life, so work which needed a great deal of concentration could be carried on in relative peace. Again, subject to facilities, the loft might be a suitable location for a utility room or you may be able to make use of a spare bedroom. Read the rest of this entry »

Above any other consideration, children’s rooms should be practical and flexible, practical because they will get much more damaging wear than any other room in the home, and flexible because children’s needs change frequently between they birth and the time they leave home.

Planning
As in all room planning, keep an open mind about which room will be used for what purpose. It may be slightly inconvenient to use a smaller bedroom for yourself, but there is a great deal to be gained by  giving the master bedroom over to the children as a sleep/play area. Here they can spread out their toy soldiers or model railways and leave them ready for another day’s play, instead of having to go through the frustration of dismantling their work before a meal or when a company is expected. In addition, the whole family will benefit from a play area where children can knock about happily without having to worry about breaking ornaments or damaging furniture and floor coverings.

Most young children (and many older ones) do not mind sharing a room; but if they differ greatly in age, temperament or interests, life will probably be easier when they have their own. If there are not enough rooms to go round, you may be able to use partition walls or room dividers in the form of large pieces of furniture to make better use of space; just be certain each area has enough light and ventilation, separate entrances would be ideal although they are not absolutely necessary. Any structural changes must, of course, comply with Building Regulation.

Think of installing a wash-basin in the children’s rooms, this will not only make it possible to wash and change small babies in their own room, but will also prove invaluable as the child grows up by relieving pressure on the family bathroom.

You may find it worthwhile installing an intercom here so you can keep in touch with a sleeping infant or a group of lively toddlers at play. These devices are not widly expensive and can be put to use in another area such as a garage or workroom when the children grow up. If you are wiring children’s rooms from scratch, install all socket outlets high on the wall, fit safety plugs to all flexes, and make sure each window, even on the ground floor, is fitted with childproof locks. Read the rest of this entry »