6 Ideas to Improve the Form & Function of your New Custom Home

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6 Ideas to Improve the Form & Function of your New Custom Home

As you embark on the custom home building process, it is fun to daydream about all the things you want in your home.

Well, that is something everyone likes to do so why not share some ideas!  After all, if you have never built before you might not know exactly what you want.   And if you have built before you can share your ideas with others – the good and the bad.

Design Ideas for your Custom Home from Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

There are dozens of forums on the web – like this one from Houzz – that allow homeowners to share your thoughts on what has worked well for your home, and inspire others.  From these forums we’ve come up with 6 design ideas to improve the form and function of your home, because sometimes is the little things that make a big difference!

FORM

Free Space under the Stairs

The space under the stairs can be a lot of waste space if you don’t plan accordingly – there are a variety of uses that you might not have thought of.  Allow for a gallery hallway between rooms, and a great place to hang artwork.  Use it for storage or a coat closet.  Why not create a comfortable lounge area for reading.  Or perhaps even a little playroom your little kids will love (and if you keep it simple you can convert it to another type of space when they are too grown up to use it anymore).

Playroom under the Stairs a great design idea from Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

 

If you are looking for more ideas checkout this great blog article, “10 Ways to Use Space under Stairs” from LizMarie.

10 Ways to use Space under the Stairs from Designer Liz Marie on the Carlisle Wide Plank Floors Blog

Multi-Functional Mudroom

We all love a mudroom in our house, and it can serve many purposes depending on the style home you have, and the people who live there.   It can be so much more than a storage space for coats and boots!
Have dogs and kids? how about a  spare shower just outside the mudroom to wash off those muddy paws, work boots or goulashes from rainy days!

Mudroom Shower for Kids and Dogs on Carlisle Wide Plank Floors Blog

 

Just make sure the tub area is big enough for your dog.  And don’t forget a small linen closet for clean towels, and a hamper for dirty towels!

Don’t have a basement or laundry room, redesign your mudroom.  Just like in this home from Rock Paper Hammer.

Mudroom from Rock Paper Hammer on Carlisle Wide Plank Floors Blog

Walk in Rooms

Pocket Doors make it possible to create all sorts of small hidden spaces that can add to the overall beauty of your home while providing you with extra space for storage, without a big 6’ door to take up space!  Consider a small pocket office just off the kitchen, like this one from McCandlish Design:

Design Ideas for your Custom Home from Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

 

A walk-in pantry – like this one from O’Hara Interiors – is one of the spaces homeowners want most today.

Kitchen Pantry from OHara Interiors from Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

 

 
The master bedroom closet is something every woman (and maybe man) dreams of.  After all, with all that space, it allows you to shop more right?

California Closets offers customizable design solutions to meet every closet need.

Walk in Closetse from California Closets on Carlisle Wide Plank Floors Blog

Or maybe something as simple as a coat closet off the entry will help declutter your life.

FUNCTION

Outlets, Lighting, Electricity

In the bathroom, near your bannister, in your cabinets, outside on the roofline.  You can never have enough outlets, in enough places.

Whether you want to set up a charging station, install a tv/cable, or plug in a landline, take the time to install outlets in as many areas as you can to avoid the unsightly appearance of wires.

Some outlets now even have the ipod plugins to save you from using the adapters.

And don’t forget the surge protectors.

And when thinking about electricity, consider dimmers and timers for your lights, especially if you are an avid holiday decorator!

Many people even mentioned recessed lighting – like in this kitchen from Superior Woodcraft – improves the function of your kitchen.  If you are an avid reader lights above the bed might also come in handy.

Superior Woodcraft kitchens with recessed lighting on Carlisle Wide Plank Floors Blog

Also make sure you install outdoor lightings – especially if you don’t have a garage – and perhaps consider putting them on a timer…especially during the winter months when it might be dark every day when you get home.

It was also suggested to install a Charging Station in the Garage.  Electric cars are the wave of the future, and it is much easier to install one when you are building then trying to retrofit later.  The GE Watt station seems like a perfect fit for homes.

GE Watt Station on the Carlisle Wide Plank Floors BlogSound Control

Sound control is something many homeowners don’t think about when building a new home, and live to regret it later on.  Whether you have a home office, children, or just to avoid the sounds of your furnace, sound control solutions can make your home more comfortable.

We have some great ideas on incorporating sound control into your home, just click here to read more.

Home Security

The importance of home security can vary depending on where you plan to build your dream home.  Whether you have standard front door locks or a complete in-home security system, why not design them to be as convenient for you as possible.  After all we are in the day and age of the “automated home“, why not take advantage, and create a safer home in the process. Doors with a keyless entry – especially for those with kids who might have a hard time holding onto their keys.    Schlage is a great resource for these kinds of products!

Schlage Electronic Lock on Carlisle Wide plank Floors Blog

 

There are a number of companies like ADT or Savant that allow you to install, set up, and monitor whole-home security at the touch of a button.

Savant Home Security on Carlisle Wide plank Floors Blog

 

 

What other ideas do you have for homeowners looking for ideas for their new home?

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