As needs change, so can bonus rooms in today's homes

When you come home from work, you might not go straight for the easy chair in the living room. You might head to the den to finish some work from the office. Or you could be working out in the family fitness center. Or you might get to relax a little in the veranda, enjoying a cup of coffee and the scenic view.

New home designs must be more flexible than in the past to meet the needs of today's changing family units.

"Many buyers move, not because they're tired of their current homes, but because it no longer accommodates the changes in their lifestyles," said Cathy Bain, director of sales and marketing for Lakewood Homes.

So when a jobless son, stepchildren, or aging parent joins the family, flexible layouts make it easy to configure a comfortable space for a guest or family member.

There's no need to finish the basement, add a room, or renovate the garage because if you're a new-home buyer, chances are your home features flexible space. This space could take the form of a bonus room, second floor family room, extra bedroom, den - all of which can take on a different role within the home.

Homebuilders include flexible spaces in their floor plans because they want clients to get the most out of their homes. They want it to be right not only for today, but tomorrow.

Second-floor family room

A second-floor family room or bonus room is a popular feature with many builders, including Lakewood Homes and Town and Country Homes.

Although the space offers many possibilities, most buyers opt for a kids' family room, said Chris Shaxted, executive vice president of Lakewood Homes.

The space is central to kids' bedrooms, and homebuyers like the fact that it's up out of view.

"Kids can get messy," Shaxted said.

In the second-floor family room, toddlers can play with their toys or tweens can eat popcorn and watch TV with friends or even host a sleepover. Or homeowners can configure the space as a computer center with built-in desks and bookshelves.

That's the beauty of this space; it can be used for whatever homeowners want, said Robin Johnson, vice president of sales.

In addition to the price and total layout, the flexibility of the second-floor family room contributes to the popularity of the Arlington model at Saddle Ridge, Johnson said. "There aren't many homes in this price category and in this location that offer such an attractive amenity."

First-floor den

Often a standard feature in new homes, the first-floor den might serve as anything but a den with its adaptability feature in today's homes.

Homeowners may need a nice first-floor livable space for an elderly parent or in-law to join the family.

With this application in mind, Kirk Homes outfits its first-floor dens at Rockwell Place in Lakemoor with a closet for easy transformation to a bedroom for long-term guests or aging parents, said Janey Amidei, vice president of sales and marketing.

With the den tucked away in a private corner of the home and a full bath down a private hall, the den becomes a private suite.

Combo dining/living room

With fewer buyers desiring formal living space, a dining room works well when combined with the living room, Lakewood Homes' Shaxted said.

"It allows the living room to be more parlor-sized, and when combined with the dining room, you have the ability to expand the dining room table into the living room for a big family gathering. So there's a lot of flexibility there with no need to dedicate a room for dining that may be used for holidays or special events only a few times a year."

Storage and more

With all the talk about cutting clutter, how can you - unless you have a place to put the stuff? Wilcox Development, an Epcon Communities builder, comes to the rescue with its Storage 'n More concept at all its communities.

"Storage is always a big concern with our buyers, so we carved out a unique space in our homes for this," said owner Jamie Wilcox.

"It's a great space with other applications such as a small personal office, a place to display collections, trophies, or ceramic art, those sorts of things. It's also a great space for sports memorabilia. It's a unique space out of the way that is wide open as far as usage goes."

Oversized laundry room

In today's laundry rooms, homeowners can do more than wash and dry clothes. Often laundry rooms are larger, more organized and attractive than in the past with lots of cabinets and counter space. They can do double duty as a gardening area, pet center, recycling center, or a place to set up a table to work on a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.

On the first floor of its Cape Cod Series of homes at Providence in Elgin, Town and Country Homes offers an oversized laundry room that often includes a coat or storage closet.

Veranda

Many builders offer a sunroom or screened porch that buyers appreciate as flexible space. But a popular feature for buyers of a Wilcox home is a veranda room - a unique room with glass on three sides and separated from the rest of the home by a glass door. Equipped with heating and air conditioning, it can be used during all four seasons as a great retreat.

Buyers use it as a dining area, TV room, craft or hobby space or office space.

There are all kinds of uses for the room especially with its panoramic views, Wilcox said.

"It's really a special place within the home. Most people buy a home because they fall in love with that veranda. And they can upgrade it with whatever features they want," Wilcox said.

All Wilcox communities offer the design, including Villas at the Sonatas in Woodstock, Villas at Fox Run in Plainfield and Timbers Edge Villas in Joliet.

Expanded rooms

Many builders offer the option of expanding rooms within the homes. Rooms most likely to be expanded include the breakfast room, family room, master bath or master bedroom to add a sitting area.

At Rockwell Place, Kirk Homes offers an extended breakfast room and a super family room that can be expanded both in back and at the side for a larger family room with fireplace and media center.

At Prescott Mill by Pulte Homes, the Wilshire model features an oversized family room open to the kitchen with breakfast nook and center island. A library is adjacent to the family room that could also be transformed into a hobby room or otherwise adapt to the owners' needs.

Basements

At Rockwell Place, Kirk Homes offers walkout and English basements that include a deck off the main level of the home. The basements add a light, airy living space for more bedrooms and baths, home office, hobby room, family room or entertainment area.

Full basements at Prescott Mill by Pulte Homes offer buyers the option of finishing off the basement on their own to create even more finished living space, said Chris Natz, vice president of sales and marketing. "What makes our models so exciting is the combination of flexible layouts, included features and overall space, which is what growing families need."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=281612">New developments offer room to grow <span class="date">[03/26/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>