Every home needs a space for different activities no matter the size of the home. With so many families currently finding themselves in close quarters more than usual, each room should have a distinct purpose or be a space that can be versatile in its use. 

As an initial example let’s take a look at a home we designed that’s known as Sandhill Crane. In this home the kitchen, living room, and dining room are part of a great open-plan space. The home office (that also converts to a guest room via a Murphy bed system), homework room, and TV den are each rooms of their own. This wasn’t by accident as we designed the floor plan to allow for adjacencies to these ancillary spaces. Modern living means busy families and sometimes each person needs their own space, so our design kept that in mind. 

The kitchen is easily the feature of this particular home. Our main goal for this room was creating zones and well-planned storage. We installed slide-out storage cabinets near the cooking range for large utensils, built in knife block drawers at the prep area, and even provided a cutout for pet food bowls! The kitchen is contemporary and clean with no clutter, despite having an abundance of storage. This is a place of organization and a hub for the rest of the home. Plenty of bar height seating keeps you connected with your family or gives you a chance to entertain guests with your knife skills!

Whether it's homework or online classes, the students in your life need their own private space. That’s why dedicated ‘work from home’ and homework spaces are important to us. Most homes have a dedicated office, but that office tends to be an office for just one person. Even a two-person office can be difficult right now if both people are trying to participate in conference calls or Zoom meetings. It’s important for a home to have multiple work spaces, even if that’s not their primary purpose. We design small but functional spaces in all of our homes, not because they just add interest to the design, but because they serve a greater purpose.

Here are some other ways that we sneak creative designs like this into our homes:

• Include a maker’s studio with ample storage for hobbies
• Add bunk rooms for guests
• Add work zones in laundry rooms or other areas where more time-consuming tasks are performed
• Create a reading niche for some quiet time in a secondary bedroom  
• Create well-organized and thoughtful mudrooms 
• Expand the primary bedroom’s closet and add a stackable washer/dryer

Although contemporary designs continue to be a growing trend, GHID ensures the space has warmth and comfort. With our designs, we are focused on how the homeowner will use the spaces and that they are fully taken advantage of. Engaging an experienced design team like GHID is a great first step to building a more functional, productive, and relaxing home to ensure all your spaces meet the needs of your family.