Separate den or bigger family room?

6 years ago

In working on the design for our new-build, we have a dilemma that we are struggling to sort out.

Some background to explain the needs of our family: we have three young children, so we have four bedrooms on the second floor so they can have one each, especially as they get older (they are currently 2, 2, and 4). All of our family live far away, so they tend to come for longer periods of time (2 weeks to 2 months visits usually).

For this reason we have incorporated a den/office/spare bedroom on the main floor; however, it has resulted in a rather small family room. The kitchen/dining room/family room are all open, so maybe the size of the family room will feel ok, but I worry it will feel small. I'm contemplating getting rid of the den and just having one big family room instead, but then where do guests stay? For the next 8-10 years, two of the kids may be ok to share a room when we have family visiting, but I'm not sure given the length of visits we usually have. Another reason for the separate spaces was to have more than one common living area for us to use, especially as the kids get older and we may not all want to be in the same room all the time.

I would love some feedback on the size of the rooms and the separate rooms vs. one big room dilemma.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
IMO this whole floor plan needs tweaking. The mud room makes no sense to mewhere it is. I think to have a bathroom for guests that is across the house is awkward at best. I only see a LR no family room.I think since you are thinking past the next 10 yrs why not put the 2 2yr olds in one bedroom and createa guest room upstairs then have a nice LR and aplace for the kids when you are entertaining., I do not see the need for a linen closet in that space at all.
Merete thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
schnable1
6 years ago
Stay with the den. As your children get older you will want some seperation of "family space" plus it is really awkward to stay in a child's room for any more than one night
Merete thanked schnable1
Related Discussions
Too tidy with no design in our living room
Q
Comments (43)
Now it's beginning to work! Luv the rug! A few more red showstoppers, and I luv the post about matting your family pic, and larger frame for it. Looks like you might be a bit uncomfortable with the great post idea of moving your sofa out into the room away from wall. If so, could you accept putting it diagonally from the entrance doorway, across that corner where it is, stopping at the edge of your window? That's a bit of a move outward, still can see the fp and tv, and show off your new rug, which could go diagonally in front of the sofa. Then, if you like that, after a while you could move it on out as Deb K suggests. Sometimes intermediate steps are more doable for us than those big changes.Same with painting; if you could first paint just the fp wall, then later paint other walls...seems some color would really make it more homey. Would you cosider a quite contemporary fixture for the light in the center ceiling? Maybe a bit of red could go there!
...See More
Painting the exterior of our 1970 house - colour advice needed please!
Q
Comments (12)
What a fantastic architecture. When you do the brick, if you stain it with masonry /concrete stain you won't have the same issues of maintenance as with paint. They will spray it evenly - through you will have to select a deeper color - either taupe (brown-gray) or a straight charcoal. Love your windows and the classic angled railing. I think a dark gray on the siding will make the orange brick jump even more. What bothers me is the white (railing, fascia, eaves) juxtaposed with the earth toned stuff. So I would recommend camel tones - for the siding - something like http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6108-latte/ and the hopsack next darker tone for the garage door. Use the lighter tan for trim that is now white - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6107-nomadic-desert/ Use the darkest tone if you are painting concrete steps. If you think you will stain your brick charcoal, then the white eaves and trim are probably right, and you may not want to paint it tan now and then go back. If your brick were charcoal, then I would block out the rest in grays and blue grays - leave the white eaves, but take the railing and posts charcoal too. A blue gray door - like sw smoky blue.
...See More
Looking for help on bedrooms layout
Q
Comments (29)
I think the first layout is fine. You might want to consider moving the door for the storage room of the master bedroom so that it opens into the hall. That way the kids can use it for overflow storage. Also, that hallway is big enough that I think it could hold a large armour, providing more closet space. (There's no need to sleep in the same room as your clothes, so long as they're not too far off.) Also, don't forget that while the drawing shows kids in double beds, this need not be the case, so there will be more room for furniture (dressers or whatever) in their rooms. Finally, that step to bedroom 4 will not be odd at all. I've seen it in other homes. It looks clumsy in the drawing but it isn't. What you'll see when you come up the stairs is a bedroom door on a slight diagonal. It's only an odd jagged step if you walk like a robot, in straight lines along the wall, which is what your eye is doing on the drawing but you won't do in real life.
...See More
Changing interior layout but would love advice!
Q
Comments (9)
Thanks very much for all your feedback. Just to answer a few queries - the deck is directly outside the main room so the new doors open out onto it. The doors won't be French - they're just the only doors that the 3D planner I'm using had, they'll actually be large stacking doors. I've had another idea too which would be a lot more expensive but offers a completely different approach. This is quite rushed so doesn't show accurate layout of kitchen or anything like that, basically just provides an idea. Thoughts!?
...See More
PRO
Paint the Town Red - Color Consulting
6 years ago
Merete for your family's needs it really makes more sense to keep the den as a separate room for visitors and your children in the future. I do like Patricia's comments as well. Her comments are valid. Have fun with the new home! Always remember to breath and go take a walk when overwhelmed with design decisions.
Merete thanked Paint the Town Red - Color Consulting
J G
6 years ago
What is your space like now? Do you like it? I really like having a separate space where toys can always migrate to, that the TV can be turned on and the door closed, etc. That way the toy room does not have to be cleaned for the house to feel picked up, but different people like to live in different ways.

I live in an older house and I know that new houses divide up space in different ways, but it looks like 1/3 of your first floor space is taken up with bathroom/laundry/entry/mudroom which seems like a lot of your first floor space.

With your large mudroom could you put a coat tree for visitors coats rather than a closet? That would at least open up your stairwell to the living room.

And somehow getting the den/guest bedroom closer to the bathroom (ideally attached) would be great. Do your guests really want to walk back to their room from the bathroom through the kitchen (especially if you are up early or late cooking).
Merete thanked J G
Merete
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the feedback! These comments are making me think we should stick with the den.

I can see your points, Patricia. That said, we have designed the house so that it's practical for day to day with kids first of all. This is why the bathroom is where it is - to allow easy access when kids a playing outside and need to use it or to clean off dirty dogs. The closet in the den is for guests to put their clothes, so we won't need a dresser in there. I have never been a fan of formal living rooms as we don't really "entertain" in a formal kind of way, so it wouldn't get much use. I do think you're right about having the two little ones share a room to start and then using the fourth bedroom upstairs for guests as long as they don't mind sharing (they share now). J

G, I definitely see what you mean about a space for toys to go. I don't know how I forgot about that. We currently have toys everywhere and it drives me crazy! The den would definitely be good for that. The big mudroom and laundry room are other ways we are attempting to keep the kids' stuff organized. I never thought about a coat tree though, I might look at that option. I totally understand that it seems weird to have the guest bathroom so far away, and I agree that it's not ideal. In a perfect world (where money was plentiful), we would definitely have a bathroom dedicated to guests alone.

Separate den or bigger family room?

Comments (5)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

schnable1

Related Discussions

Paint the Town Red - Color Consulting

J G

Merete
Original Author

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Separate den or bigger family room?

Comments (5)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

schnable1

Related Discussions

Paint the Town Red - Color Consulting

J G

MereteOriginal Author

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Merete
Original Author