Family-Friendly Design: Creating Safe and Functional Spaces for Every Member of Your Household
Designing a comfortable and functional home for a New Zealand family requires careful consideration of various factors. Every family is different, and every family member is unique. When designing your new home, the team at Chaplin Crooks Architects will take care to understand your family’s particular lifestyle, needs and more.
We take a multifaceted approach to designing personalised homes that exceed our clients’ expectations. We want to build homes that strike the perfect balance between being visually stunning, wonderfully practical and perfectly personalised for our clients.
Designing Safe And Functional Spaces For Your Family Members
First, let’s look at what you should do when considering each individual member of your family.
Enticing And Safe Design Elements For Younger Children. Young children need the freedom to explore but must also be kept safe. Open-plan areas are great for households with young children because they can play happily while you keep an eye on them while you’re busy, such as when cooking meals. Induction hobs maintain a cooler surface temperature to minimise the risk of burning.
Additionally, you should minimise the risk of slips and falls. Avoid slippery floor coverings, include restrictor stays on windows at upper levels, and keep an eye out on sloping sites for retaining walls or banks that may need to be fenced off if it is possible to access unsafe areas.
Safe And Functional Designs For Teenagers. Older children don’t need as much supervision, but they still need clear boundaries. Consider device safety, and think about creating a study space in the main living area for homework so that online activity can be appropriately monitored. Aside from getting important homework done, break-out spaces are great for both alone time and family bonding through music, gaming and other activities.
While expecting help with household tasks may seem a bit optimistic at times, there are design elements we can discuss to keep things in order in a way that’s easier for everyone. For example, a laundry chute can help avoid dirty clothes piling up, and storage cupboards for shoes and jackets inside the front door can encourage tidiness – it’s worth a shot!
Be aware that with increased living costs, it is becoming more popular for children to live at home for longer. If you think that your children may live with you even when they’re older, reflect on how you will change how your home is used in the future when you’re living with young adults rather than children.
Designing For Adult Family Members. For adults, it’s important to reflect on how a home can contribute to our general health, safety and well-being. Spaces that promote relaxation can help you unwind after a long day. A lovely window seat to read a book or a room for your favourite hobbies could be great for destressing. If you enjoy taking a bath to relax then consider putting it in the master ensuite instead of a shared bathroom.
For outdoor spaces, the most important thing for our health is being sun smart. It’s natural to want to spend time outside in the summer months, so ensure that you provide plenty of shade. Large roof overhangs, adjustable louvres and even cantilevered umbrellas can provide much better shade than a fixed umbrella.
For physical safety, make sure your house can be easily and safely maintained so you don’t put yourself at risk undertaking regular tasks. The best approach is to eliminate risks entirely. Choose maintenance-free claddings at high levels, install gutter protection to avoid the need to clean them out, and think about how simple tasks like window cleaning and accessing light fittings can be done without working at height.
If you work from home, then make sure your work area is as separate as possible from the rest of the home so you can switch off when you’re not working.
Safe And Manageable Ideas For Elderly Family Members. Whether providing for an older relative or planning for living in yourhome during your golden years, think about all aspects of accessibility. Level entry to external doorways, eliminating steps, ensuring doors and hallways are of ample width for wheelchairs, avoiding slippery-high-gloss tiles in wet areas and installing a lift to access upper levels can all make life easier.
Furthermore, a ‘granny flat’ may be the perfect choice so that older relatives can live close by.
Steps To Creating The Perfect NZ Home
With those considerations in mind, let’s go through the steps we can focus on when designing your dream family home. At Chaplin Crooks Architects, we want to make this process as rewarding and streamlined as possible, so we can work together step-by-step to define your new home.
Family Members: Who Will Live In Your Home? First, determine who exactly will be living in your home. Is it just you, your spouse and your kids? Do you have any elderly relatives who will be staying as well, such as your parents? Remember to think about how long you plan on staying in your home, and how your life and your needs will change over the years.
Additionally, don’t forget about any pets. You’ll want to consider where your pets will eat and sleep in your new home and how much access they should have.
Location: Where Will Your Home Be Built? Next, consider where your home will be built. In particular, let’s think about your property’s microclimate, views, the neighbourhood, and access to facilities. Essentially all of the reasons you’ve chosen to live there.
Living Spaces: The Heart Of Your Home. Living spaces are perfect for bonding with loved ones, relaxing when off work and more. We’ll discuss what you want your living spaces to be like, specific additions you’d like such as a home theatre or play areas and other qualities that are important to you.
Kitchen And Dining: Enjoying Meals Together. Kitchens and dining areas are important for family homes, as they help us enjoy delicious food together while reconnecting. We will go through specific design elements and appliances that would work well with your lifestyle.
Bedrooms: Your Personalised Sanctuaries. Think about your bedrooms and how many you’ll need. What would you like for your master bedroom? How many additional bedrooms will you need for children or other family members? If you have young children who stay in the same room, remember that they may need their own bedrooms when they get older.
Bathrooms: Staying Clean And Hygienic. Consider the number of bathrooms you’d like, and what you want in each one. As children get older, you may want an extra shower to accommodate everyone’s needs. A guest bathroom may also be nice if you plan on frequently having guests stay in your home, or even a more formal powder room for guests so they don’t have to go into a well-used family bathroom.
Outdoor Spaces: Elevating Exteriors With Landscaping. Fresh air is great for you, and spending time outdoors can improve your mental health while helping you relax. Think about the kinds of outdoor spaces that would be perfect for your home. Would you like a warm and sheltered outdoor dining area? A safe play area for your children? We can explore the different design elements, materials and maintenance requirements you like and don’t like.
Sustainability: Thinking Green For A Better Tomorrow. Just as we encourage you to think about the future of your family, we must also think about how our choices now affect the world of tomorrow. Responsible decisions that reduce energy consumption are great for lowering your impact on the environment and reducing running costs. We will consider different ways to heat your home and your sustainability goals so that we can create spaces that are both comfortable and efficient to live in.
Technology: Increasing Performance With Modern Marvels. Modern technology can make your home more energy-efficient, safe and functional. Security cameras can add a layer of safety for your family, a charging point is a must if you have an electric car, a lift can improve accessibility and so on.
We’re happy to accommodate all of our clients, from those who wish to keep things simple to those who want every advancement that their home can benefit from. Even if you don’t know much about technology, we’ll be happy to explore our options so that you can fully understand what’s available.
Desinging A Beautiful Home That’s Safe, Practical And Family-Friendly In New Zealand
There’s plenty to consider when creating a personalised dream home, and we at Chaplin Crooks Architects look forward to discussing the many major and minor details with you until we discover the best home design for you and your family.
If you’d like to get the process started, or if you have any questions for us, please contact us on 03 384 9602 or use our contact page to reach our team.
Chaplin Crooks Architects: Create a home that takes your unique lifestyle, needs and family into account.
