During the last twenty years American home buyers and builders have become slaves to large houses. Even though theaverage family size has grown smaller we continue to build houses that are substantially larger than that of our parents. With master bedrooms that you could play baseball in and foyers as large as family rooms, it is little wonder why we as Americans consume most of the world’s natural resources. I challenge us all to reevaluate our actual needs as it relates to home design and resource consumption. It is time to get back to the basics. What are ideal room sizes? How many bedrooms do we actually need? Do we really need to build that bonus room over the garage? I drive a hybrid car. I love the idea of getting fifty miles per gallon while producing very little in the way of carbon emission. My car is compact yet roomy. It is fuel efficient yet has plenty of pep. This same concept can be applied to home design.
Here are some things to consider:
CIRCULATION
Circulation is the pathway through a floor plan. Pathways include hallways, stairways and rooms designed for circulation like foyers, vestibules and mudrooms. Additional pathways are the spaces between and around furniture and other objects where people are likely to travel. Good circulation is essential for a successful floor plan. A terrific floor plan makes good use of every square foot of living space. Designers can place furniture to scale into floor plans so clients can get a feel for a room before the construction begins. With good planning even modest size rooms can provide good circulation that allows easy movement while avoiding furniture groupings.
MINIMUM ROOM SIZES
Sizes listed are meant as a guide only, adjust as necessary. The most important thing is not the size of the room but the traffic flow (circulation).
Living room 11’x16’
Family room 12’x17’
Dining room 8’x11’
Kitchen 12’x12’
Master bedroom 11’x14’
Secondary bedrooms 9’x10’
Other things to consider in addition to room sizes: Do you really need a dining room when a simple dining area off the kitchen might do, or a formal living room that kids aren’t allowed to play in. And I won’t mention large foyers with twenty foot high ceilings or expensive whirlpool tubs that hardly get used. I am not saying that these are not great features to have in a home, but with the cost of living today, tapering our wants against our actual needs is worth consideration.
IDEAL NUMBER OF BEDROOMS
There is no set number of bedrooms required. As a rule, two bedrooms are the minimal. A three bedroom home may sell for more money and appeal to a larger group of buyers.
COMMUTE DISTANCE
Locating within urban areas will almost always save you money. Infrastructure such as water, sewer, schools, fire, police and shopping etc…are already in place and don’t have to be duplicated. School buses, rescue vehicles, snowplows etc…travel many additional miles servicing suburban homes located on long country roads. With the cost of oil and growing concerns over global warming, building new homes next to existing infrastructure and other conveniences makes good economic and environmental sense.
DESIGN TIP: LARGE ROOMS SUCH AS GREAT ROOMS SOMETIMES LACK SUFFICENT NATURAL LIGHT, CONSIDER ADDING ROOF WINDOWS TO ROOMS WITH LIMITED EXPOSURE TO OUTSIDE WALLS. NATURAL LIGHT IS FREE AND IS A GREAT WAY TO BRIGHTEN DARK AREAS.
Whether you are an empty nester or a family just starting out, realistclly consider what your actual needs are and then set out to build the perfect home.
Edward Beauchemin is president of Beauchemin Designs Inc., They specialize in design and construction of new homes, additions and extreme makeovers. They provide reliable service at reasonable prices. Based in Woonsocket, R.I. (above Beauchemin Lumber) They can be reached at 401-766-1540. [email protected]