Designing Your House – Part 4

The next set of spaces to design are the private spaces for the family. First an easy question, how many bathrooms and bedrooms would you like to have in the house? How many of them will be used every day, which ones actually serve other purposes and which ones are only used for guests? Do you want the private spaces spread through the house or would you like them clustered together?

A big part of the private space discussion is the master suite. Do you want a main level master suite, a bedroom near the kids or one on the other side of the house? How big is the bedroom, what furniture do you anticipate and is there a sitting area? Do you want a private balcony? Would you like a fireplace? Is there a television and where is it?

How many bathroom fixtures are in your master bath? How serious a tub are you interested in, soaking, jetted, Japanese? Or do you want to skip the tub? How big is the shower, do you want it open, walk in, roll in? How much sink and countertop would you like? Is the toilet in the room or is it in its own room? We’ve seen two toilets, bidets and urinals. Any other special features? We also just put in a specially designed make-up counter in a custom home. This one causes a surprising amount of discussion, do you want a door to the master bathroom?

Do you want the master closet to be accessed through the master bedroom or would you prefer (as I do) to access it through the master bath? Do you want one closet or two? Maybe an island in the closet or a window. If your family only consists of the folks inhabiting the master suite, would you like to put laundry equipment in the master closet?

Describe the pieces of furniture that will go into each of the other bedrooms. How much closet space do they need? Do you want any open loft spaces arranged with the bedrooms. In my house, the space outside the kids’ bedrooms and bathroom is one of the most used spaces in the house.

How are the bathrooms arranged, accessed of the hall or off the bedrooms? What about a Jack and Jill? Who will be sharing the bathroom? I advise all of our clients to make sure there is a tub in the house, even if you only take showers. Eventually someone will want to wash a kid, or a dog, and need a tub.

Accessory space design comes next.

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