ARTICLE - Creating a Home for all your families needs

Every family is different. Different lifestyle, different hobbies, different ages, different sexes, different tastes, different everything! - and as such the job of a good interior designer or home styler is to look at the family they are helping and understand their needs. By doing this they can create a bespoke solution that really works for them, and can change as they needs change. Its about looking at both the present and the future, to ensure that a design can stand the test of time!

Nowadays rooms don't necessarily have to have a clear function (unless you are selling your home, and then I would always recommend that you determine exactly what each room is needed for, and have what the buyer is looking for as much as possible), indeed, gone are the days where you HAD to have a formal dining room, as more and more of us prefer to eat in our kitchens. However, looking at what space you have is imperitive to getting your home working for you.

Creating a family home means creating space for children to plan, grow, be independant and have space for everyone in it. Its about making zones for each family member and their hobbies, for socialising and for simply living together easily!

I firstly look at the rooms and how they are currently used. What is and isn't working, and what can be done about that. I believe that all your space should be utilised, as otherwise why have you paid for that space in the first place? Drawing a plan of the house can really help to give a feel for how it works, and asking plenty of lifestyle questions of my clients can give me a sense of what is required, what potential issues there are and how to resolve them.

Here are a few ideas to get you started - but please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss you particular requirements in more detail.

• Young family - Use a dining room as a playroom to hide away toys more easily (leaving the living room as a more adult area for relaxed evenings and socialising). Maximise space in your kitchen and add a dining table and seating if at all possible.

• Growing family - Can children share bedrooms? If you have one large and one small bedroom with 2 children, consider them sharing the larger room, and then using the smaller room for storage, or for a playroom or even a little TV room.

• Teenagers - Create some space for them to socialise downstairs if possible - keeps them out of their rooms and more in with the family. 

• Working from home - Decide whether you need to be away from noise in the house, what hours you will be working, do you need a telephone line, broadband etc.... - and then work out what room would fit best - could you use a spare bedroom?, Convert all or part of a garage?, or even create a new building in your garden - all of which are usually a lot cheaper than renting office space.

• Elderly relative moving in - can you create a separate living area, so that they can relax alone when they want to, also does it make more sense for them to have a master bedroom with their own wash facilities and toilet, and you take another room with the bigger bathroom?

• Constant visitors - Ideally you would have a guest bedroom, but if you don't, try and use a room for 2 purposes - you can even have a sofa bed in a living area, or an office, that way you can have a guest bedroom when required, but it works for your family the rest of the time

• Children leaving home - do you want to create somewhere for grandchildren to feel at home?, how about converting bedrooms into a gym or somewhere for your hobbies? Take back your home!

• Downsizing - what items do you really want to take, what will fit into your new space, and do you need help deciding?