Build your new Sunshine Coast home with Beachside Construction
We often hear the phrase ‘forever home’… “we’ve found the perfect block of land and now we’re looking to build our ‘forever home’”. Is this something you’re considering? If it is you may also be asking yourself, “but how do we design a home now, that we know will still work for our needs in ten, twenty, thirty years time?”
Now, more than ever, we all know how quickly things can change, and without notice, but designing a home that stands the test of time is something that we at Beachside Construction pride ourselves on. Here’s our advice on how to design a custom home on the Sunshine Coast that stands the test of time:
Take time to really consider your needs
Designing a home is something you don’t want to rush. But you also need to be realistic. Think about who you are as a family now and who you plan to be in the future. Maybe you don’t have any children, maybe you’re planning on more children, or maybe your kids will be leaving home over the next 5-10 years.
Whatever your family situation, consider how your family will change over time and how certain rooms and spaces in your home can transform over time, depending on your needs:
- Playroom for the kids? What does the playroom become when the kids grow older? It could become a media room, or an art studio. If so, how does the room need to be designed now to accommodate those changes down the track?
- The kids are growing up? Consider the size of the bedrooms – kids are living with their parents for a lot longer these days, so whilst they might have a single bed now, they may want a double bed in the future – is the room big enough to accommodate a double bed plus a desk?
- The kids are moving out? (Time to celebrate!?) If so, what becomes of their bedrooms? A guest room would be the obvious choice, or how about the long-awaited home study? Some slight renovations might turn two rooms into one larger space for entertaining.
Design your spaces to be functional
Budgets often don’t let us do all the things we want, but simple functional design can allow you to create a room with multiple uses. Make sure you look beyond the one purpose of the room – could you add a study nook in that corner, or a day bed and bookshelf over there?
It’s a known fact that simply shaped rooms are also easier to furnish. When designing your home, try to draw the furniture on your floor plan so you can visualize window placement, and how the room flows once furnished.
Bring in the outdoors
Increasing our exposure to sunlight is a natural way to increase serotonin levels and improve our mood and overall health. Designing your home to take account of natural light will greatly impact how the home feels. Natural sunlight will also help to warm the home and thus reduce costs associated with heating. Likewise, designing for natural breezes will keep fresh air flowing through the home and reduce cooling costs.
Also consider the orientation of your home, where possible, and plan for living areas to get the northern sun. Direct the summer sun away with your eaves and external landscaping. A good tip to remember is to use horizontal elements (eaves and awnings) for vertical sun (high, midday) and vertical elements (screens and blinds) for horizontal sun (morning and afternoon).
The Marie Kondo philosophy
Storage space can help you declutter your home, and the beauty of designing your own home is being able to add in extra storage. Anyone with kids knows just how much stuff we collect… it just keeps growing and growing! Plan ahead for all the things (sports equipment, books, games, toys, knick-knacks) you’ll need to store and also consider outside space for garden sheds, etc.
Review your family’s regular activities, particularly leaving the home and coming home – where do you dump the mail? Where do the shoes and school bags go? Create storage solutions that help hide this from view.
Design a home that’s well-connected
Homes these days work harder than ever, because we all have so many jobs to do while juggling work and family life. With young children in the house it’s even more important to connect various parts of the house:
- Ensure your kitchen has a good view of internal and external play spaces
- Island benches create informal eating spaces and places to gather and chat as a family
- Placing the study near the kitchen keeps you stay connected (as parents) to children doing homework, and is easily accessed for filing, calendars and other important family business
- Create spaces which allow for human interaction whilst still ticking things off your to do list.
Quality vs Quantity
Bigger is not always better when it comes to home design. Choose quality over quantity, particularly with fittings and finishings. Choose materials for their durability over time and low maintenance. Likewise with square metreage – don’t get fixated with the size of the floor plan – what’s more important is how the house flows and that the spaces work well together.
Don’t forget to have fun!
If you’re fortunate enough to be designing your new home, have fun with it – it’s yours to do as you please.
Keen to start designing your ‘forever home’ on the Sunshine Coast? Come and have a chat with Paul and Tonya at Beachside Construction (QLD). Not only are they incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, but they have a great team of Trades and Suppliers who will take the stress out of building. Beachside Construction will help you build your dream family home that will stand the test of time. Contact us today!