Whether you’re planning to grow your family or already have a little one on the way, you’ll want your custom home design to accommodate their needs. Ideally, you’ll want to create a space that’s safe, functional, and conducive to playtime. Here are a few tips for designing a home to accommodate young children.

3 Tips to Ensure Your Custom Home Design Accommodates Your Kids

1. Consider an Open Floor Plan

As a parent, you’re often needed in multiple places at once. While this isn’t literally possible, an open floor plan can make it easier for you to oversee multiple areas of the home while getting more done. As opposed to individual, closed-off rooms, an open floor plan combines the living and kitchen space for a cohesive and easily accessible environment. This allows you to prepare meals in the kitchen, for example, while simultaneously watching over your children and ensuring they’re safe.

2. Consider Safety on Stairwells

Staircases and young children can often be a problematic combination. If you’re determined to have a multiple-story home, think about the size and placement of your staircase. Spiral or steep staircases can be especially cumbersome for small children. Instead, opt for a straight staircase design and place a safety gate at the top and bottom to avoid potential falls. If a multiple-story home isn’t a priority, a ranch-style house with one level can be a great alternative.

3. Add a Mudroom

Children get messy when they play. While getting dirty outside is to be expected, it’s another matter when they bring the dirt inside. To help keep your living areas clean and germ-free, a mudroom can be a wise addition to your custom home design. These rooms are generally situated at the front or back entrance of a home and typically include coat hooks and shoe organizers. A mudroom will give your kids a chance to remove their dirty coats and shoes and keep your floors and home furnishings clean.

If you’re looking to make your home into a child-friendly environment, look no further than R & J Custom Home Builders in Chillicothe, OH. Offering a step-by-step solution to designing and building the custom home of your dreams, they’ve quickly earned their reputation as the best construction company in the area. For more information on their beautiful custom home designs, give them a call today at (740) 703-9242 or visit them online.